Member Article

Stockton accountancy firm celebrates first anniversary with mayor

A growing Stockton accountancy company has celebrated its first year with the town’s mayor.

Guidon Group was set up by practice partners Tony McNally and Kathryn Barnes. Since then it has steadily grown and now employs an additional three part-time staff as it takes on new clients from across Teesside and the North East.

Stockton mayor, Cllr Eileen Johnson, visited the company’s offices in Gloucester House, Church Road, and heard about how positive the first 12 months had been.

She said: “I am very pleased to see a business like Guidon Group is doing so well here in Stockton. They are a dynamic and forward looking team and it is a real advantage for Stockton’s small businesses to have an accountancy company like this to rely on and to help them.”

Partner Tony, who has worked in the finance department of companies such as ICI, is a qualified accountant with many years of experience. Kathryn has more than 20 years of bookkeeping experience, and together they decided to launch Guidon Group last year.

Tony said: “It made a perfect fit that two like-minded and experienced people should combine our skills to help small and medium businesses in Stockton and Teesside.”

Kathryn added that Guidon Group was planning a number of workshops to explain changes to how accounts need recording from next April and how using the latest technology will actually benefit business owners.

“Making Tax Digital is being introduced for VAT registered businesses from April, which means they must keep and submit digital records in line with HMRC rules,” she explained.

“Other businesses, including the self employed, will be affected from 2020 so they must be fully aware of how the changes will impact them. That’s why we’ve decided to hold workshops for any business, regardless of whether we are their accountants or not, because our ethos is to help SMEs.”

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