MHA: A Network Built on Local Knowledge and National Reach

MHA is one of the UK's largest associations of independent accountancy firms, bringing together regional practices under a unified brand that competes with the mid-tier nationals and, increasingly, the Big Four on certain engagements. Headquartered in London but defined by the strength of its member firms across England, Scotland, and Wales, MHA occupies a distinctive space in British professional services: big enough to handle complex, multi-site advisory work, yet structured in a way that keeps decision-making close to the client.

The association's member firms, including well-established names such as MHA MacIntyre Hudson, MHA Moore and Smalley, and MHA Tait Walker, each carry decades of history in their respective regions. What the MHA umbrella provides is coordination, shared methodology, and a talent pipeline that allows professionals to work on national and international engagements without leaving a firm that still feels, in many respects, like a local practice.

Origins and Evolution

MHA's roots trace back to a simple observation: mid-sized accountancy firms were losing ground to larger networks not because of inferior expertise, but because they lacked the infrastructure to serve clients operating across multiple regions. The association model offered a solution. Rather than pursuing mergers that might dilute the culture of individual firms, MHA created a framework for collaboration, shared investment in technology, and joint marketing that preserved the identity of each member while presenting a cohesive brand to the market.

Over the past decade, the association has tightened its integration considerably. Member firms now share audit methodologies, training programmes, and specialist teams in areas such as corporate finance, tax advisory, and forensic accounting. The result is a network that functions more like a single national firm than a loose confederation, though the regional autonomy that originally attracted member firms remains an important part of the culture.

International Connections

Through its membership of Baker Tilly International, one of the world's largest networks of independent accounting and business advisory firms, MHA offers clients access to professionals in over 140 territories. This international dimension has become increasingly important as even mid-market UK businesses find themselves dealing with cross-border taxation, transfer pricing, and overseas expansion. For professionals within MHA, the Baker Tilly connection opens up secondment opportunities, collaborative projects, and exposure to global best practice that would be unusual in a standalone regional firm.

Client Base and Specialisms

MHA's client base is broad, ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups and family-owned businesses to listed companies, public sector bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. The firm has developed particular depth in sectors including real estate, healthcare, education, technology, and rural and agricultural businesses, the latter reflecting the strong presence of member firms in regions where land-based industries remain economically significant.

Advisory work has grown steadily as a proportion of MHA's revenue. While audit and compliance remain foundational, the association has invested heavily in corporate finance, business restructuring, and strategic consultancy. Tax advisory is another area of notable strength, with specialists covering everything from R&D tax credits and capital allowances to inheritance tax planning and international VAT.

"What makes MHA different is the combination of scale and intimacy. Our clients know their adviser by name, but behind that adviser sits a network capable of handling genuinely complex work."

Working at MHA

The culture across MHA's member firms tends to be pragmatic and collegiate. Because each firm retains a degree of autonomy, there is less of the rigid hierarchy that characterises some larger practices. Graduate trainees and newly qualified professionals often find that they gain client-facing responsibility earlier than they might at a Big Four firm, simply because the team structures are smaller and the partners more accessible.

Training is taken seriously. MHA invests in its own academy programme, supplemented by the resources available through Baker Tilly International, and supports employees through professional qualifications including ACA, ACCA, and CTA. Continuing professional development is structured but flexible, recognising that individuals learn best when they can tailor their development to the work they are actually doing.

Flexibility and Wellbeing

Like much of the profession, MHA adapted quickly to hybrid working during and after the pandemic. Most member firms now operate flexible arrangements that balance remote work with in-office collaboration, particularly around busy periods such as audit season and the January tax deadline. The association has also placed greater emphasis on mental health support and workload management, areas where mid-tier firms have sometimes struggled to match the wellbeing programmes of larger competitors.

Looking Ahead

MHA faces the same pressures as the rest of the UK accountancy profession: a competitive talent market, rising regulatory expectations, and the need to invest in technology, particularly around data analytics and automation. The association's response has been to lean into its collaborative model, pooling investment across member firms to fund technology platforms and specialist hires that no single firm could justify alone.

There is also a clear strategic ambition to grow. MHA has been selectively adding new member firms and lateral hires in areas where the network has gaps, whether geographic or sectoral. For professionals considering their next move, this growth trajectory means that opportunities are expanding, not contracting, and that individuals who join now have a realistic chance of shaping the firm's future rather than simply filling an existing slot.

In a profession often criticised for homogeneity, MHA offers something genuinely different: national capability delivered through firms that remain rooted in their communities, with an international network behind them. It is an appealing proposition for clients, and increasingly, for the professionals who serve them.