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Latest Finance and Accountancy News for UK Professionals
Practical articles on hiring and running a finance function, finance careers and salaries, FCA-regulated firms, tax and the technology changing the way finance teams work.
All articlesFinancial controllersFractional and interimFCA-regulated firmsHiring and teamsCareers and salariesTaxAI and technology
Guidance for finance teams and the people who hire them
Employers and candidates ask us the same questions again and again. When does a growing business need its first Financial Controller? What should a Finance Manager earn in London? Is a fractional Financial Controller enough, or is it time for a permanent hire? We publish our answers here, in plain English and grounded in the searches we run every week.
Articles are written by founder Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Fellow of the ICAEW, and our recruitment team. They cover month-end and reporting, controls and audit, finance in FCA-regulated firms, tax, salaries, interviews and building a finance career, and we update them when the rules or the market change.
For employers, we cover how to scope a finance role, what to pay, how to interview for technical and commercial judgement, and when interim or fractional support makes more sense than a permanent hire. For finance professionals, we cover qualifications, CVs and interviews, salary negotiation and the routes from management accountant to Financial Controller and beyond. We also follow the regulatory and technology changes that affect finance teams, from FCA reporting to the use of AI in the month-end close.
New to the topic? Start with one of our core guides, or use the search and topic filters above to find what you need.
Start here
Financial Controller salary guide →What FCs earn across the UK, by business size and sector. Financial Controller vs Head of Finance →The real differences in scope, seniority and pay. What is a fractional Financial Controller? →How part-time FC support works and what it costs. Management Accountant interview questions →The questions employers ask, and what good answers contain.Financial controllers
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Can AI Replace a Financial Controller?Can AI replace a Financial Controller? Not yet. AI is taking over processing, matching and first drafts, but accountability, judgement and challenge…Read more →
How to Hire Your First Financial Controller: A Complete GuideA step-by-step guide to hiring your first Financial Controller: confirming the need, setting the scope and salary, writing the brief, choosing a…Read more →
What to Pay Your Financial Controller: An Employer’s Salary GuideWhat to pay a Financial Controller: salary benchmarks by business size, ownership and region, the true employment cost once NI, pension and…Read more →
Blockchain and Cryptoassets: What the Financial Controller Needs to Know in 2026What blockchain and cryptoassets mean for the Financial Controller in practice: CARF reporting to HMRC, accounting under FRS 102 and IFRS, tax…Read more →
When to Upgrade From Bookkeeper to Financial ControllerHow to tell when your business has outgrown a bookkeeper and needs a Financial Controller — the warning signs, what changes when…Read more →
Financial Controller vs Head of Finance: Key DifferencesFinancial Controller or Head of Finance? The clearest test is what sits above the role. This guide sets out the real differences…Read more →
Financial Controller vs FP&A Lead: Where the Lines BlurFinancial Controller or FP&A lead? One owns what happened, the other what happens next. This guide covers where the roles genuinely overlap…Read more →
FC Interview Presentation Topics: Ideas That Test Strategic ThinkingPresentation topics for Financial Controller interviews that test strategic thinking, with what a good presentation covers, how to score it, how to…Read more →
BI Tools for Financial Controllers: Power BI vs Tableau vs LookerPower BI, Tableau and Looker compared for Financial Controllers and FP&A teams: features, usability, integration, cost considerations and fit, plus what BI…Read more →
Managing Multiple Clients: A Portfolio FC’s Productivity FrameworkA practical framework for portfolio Financial Controllers running several clients at once: fixed client days, a combined close calendar, the right tools…Read more →
Portfolio Financial Controllers: When Your Business Is ReadyHow to tell when your business is ready for a portfolio Financial Controller: what the role covers, the signs to look for…Read more →
What Sets a Great Retail Financial Controller Apart?What separates a good retail Financial Controller from a great one: control of stock, margin by channel, returns, VAT, seasonal cash and…Read more →Knowledge Centre
Go deeper with our guides
Structured hubs that bring the best articles together by topic. See the full Accountancy Capital Knowledge Centre.
About the Accountancy Capital blog
Accountancy Capital is a specialist finance and accountancy recruitment agency and one of the five specialist firms of FD Capital Group. We place Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, management and financial accountants, FP&A and tax professionals into permanent, interim and fractional roles across the UK, from our offices in London and the West Midlands.
Hiring for your finance team? See our accountancy recruitment services or the case studies from recent searches. Looking for a role? Register as a candidate or browse live finance jobs.
