Audit & Advisory
Audit • IFRS Technical Training & Workshops • Technical Accounting & Financial Reporting Advisory
Helping growing and complex businesses navigate statutory audits, IFRS implementation, financial reporting challenges and transaction-related accounting with Big Four expertise and practical commercial insight.
What Makes This Site Different
Talk live with an AI panel of audit, tax, legal and technical specialists.
Interview & exam prep with a friendly AI coach — get an emailed feedback report.
Upload your CV for an honest score, then an AI-tailored rewrite.
IFRS vs US/UK/Irish/Luxembourg/Australian GAAP, with a live research bot.
Curated, regularly refreshed briefings on what's moving in audit & IFRS.
Knowledge Centre
Walk into a virtual room of senior finance specialists. Pick who you want in the room, then have a real, interactive conversation — they'll ask you questions too, flag risks, share links to source material, and keep the discussion on track.
🟢 Live AI Panel — first of its kindChoose who joins the room (you can add/remove anyone at any time):
Simulated AI panel for technical discussion & education — not formal advice.
Interview & Exam Prep
Not a test — a friend who helps you prepare. Pick a level, and get asked real accounting, audit, tax and interpersonal/leadership questions one at a time, with feedback and the "why this matters for interviews" context after every answer.
Foundational accounting, audit and tax concepts — ideal for students or early-career candidates.
Applied technical scenarios and behavioural questions — for those with 1-4 years' experience.
Senior-level technical judgement, leadership and stakeholder-management scenarios for manager+ interviews.
Career Toolkit
A quick way to search live finance roles, then tailor your CV and cover letter to a specific posting with AI — in your own words, in minutes. No data is stored; everything happens in this session.
These open the relevant search directly on each site — by design, this site does not scrape or auto-apply to jobs (LinkedIn/Indeed Terms of Service prohibit automated scraping and applications). Browse there, then bring a posting back here to tailor your application.
Upload your documents — no need to retype anything. We'll act as a skeptical recruiter and ATS reviewer, score your CV, and only change what you approve.
Comparative Technical Library
This tool compares IFRS against your chosen local GAAP, topic by topic, and includes a live AI research assistant that answers comparison questions in plain language — grounded in IFRS, PCAOB and Big 4 guidance.
This table is a working summary, not exhaustive. Click "View Slide" on any row for a clean side-by-side breakdown, see the source documents in Further Reading below, or ask the assistant underneath.
Simulated AI research assistant grounded in IFRS, PCAOB and Big 4 comparison guidance — for education, not formal advice.
Stay Current
Curated, plain-English briefings on what's actively moving in audit, IFRS and finance right now — each with direct links to the official source for the full story. Updated periodically rather than live-streamed, so always check the linked source for the latest.
Loading the latest industry news…
With the 1 January 2027 effective date approaching, FTSE and Fortune-listed groups are now running dry-run restatements. Audit committees are increasingly asking for early MPM reconciliation drafts well ahead of the deadline.
The UK, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Nigeria have all confirmed ISSB-aligned adoption pathways. The interoperability gap with the EU's CSRD/ESRS regime remains the single biggest practical headache for multinational reporters.
The IAASB and FRC are both actively consulting on how professional scepticism standards should evolve as firms lean further into AI-assisted full-population testing. Expect formal standards updates within the next 1-2 reporting cycles.
With interest rate and macro uncertainty continuing, regulators (PRA, APRA) are pushing banks to show more rigorous, multi-scenario forward-looking adjustments in their IFRS 9 ECL models rather than relying on a single base case.
UK and Irish entities are now in active transition planning for the IFRS 15/16-aligned revenue and lease changes — the modified vs full retrospective transition choice is the most-debated practical question among mid-market preparers.
Big 4 firms are increasingly recruiting for hybrid technical-plus-data profiles — IFRS/ISA depth combined with data analytics and the judgement to challenge AI-generated audit evidence rather than accept it at face value.
Want to discuss how any of these affect your specific business? Bring it to the Meeting Room.
Why Clients Engage
Ongoing Big 4 audit, advisory and financial reporting experience.
Deloitte and PwC experience across complex engagements.
Portfolio responsibility and stakeholder management.
IFRS 2, 3, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18 and group reporting.
ISA 240, 315, 330, 570, 600 and PCAOB auditing standards.
Services
Practical, Big Four quality support for finance leaders, founders, SMEs, multinational groups and private equity-backed businesses.
Implementation, technical accounting and complex transactions.
End-to-end audit delivery, ISA/PCAOB compliance and technical issue resolution.
Year-end reporting, disclosures and consolidation support.
Business combinations, PPAs and acquisition accounting.
Risk assessment, governance and control frameworks.
Finance transformation and reporting optimisation.
Audit readiness, technical papers and issue resolution.
Professional Background
A track record built across two Big Four firms, a mid-tier firm and an international secondment — each stage sharpening both technical depth and leadership breadth.
Progressed rapidly at Deloitte UK, now leading multi-location audit teams of up to 22 people across complex, multi-jurisdiction engagements. Responsible for a portfolio of approximately £20–30M in combined fees, overseeing quality, commercial performance and stakeholder relationships at the highest level, while mentoring and developing the next generation of audit professionals. Led end-to-end audit delivery across banking, automotive and media sectors, building technical authority in IFRS 9 modelling, IFRS 15 revenue recognition and IFRS 3 acquisition accounting, and representing Deloitte at senior management and board level.
Six-month international secondment with BDO Bahrain, managing audit engagements in the Gulf market. Expanded international outlook and exposure to IFRS application in a Middle Eastern regulatory environment, including banking and financial services clients.
Over four and a half years at PwC, developing core audit competencies across banking, microfinance, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Managed audit field work, built technical skills in IFRS and UK GAAP, and earned ACCA membership in 2021. Led teams on listed and large private-sector engagements with a strong focus on internal controls and regulatory compliance.
Industry Coverage
Deep, hands-on experience across eight distinct industries — each requiring a different lens on risk, regulation and financial reporting.
Extensive experience auditing listed and large private banks, microfinance institutions and financial services organisations. Deep focus on credit risk, regulatory capital and complex financial instruments — including a full end-to-end IFRS 9 ECL implementation for Askari Bank and Islamic Relief.
Led audits of large multi-location automotive dealership groups — up to 180 dealerships — examining complex working capital cycles, manufacturer incentive schemes, vehicle financing and debt factoring. Challenged management on impairment assumptions and share-based payment schemes under IFRS 2.
Specialised in highly complex revenue recognition involving music publishing royalties, licensing arrangements and multiple performance obligations under IFRS 15. Developed a bespoke Music Publishing Revenue Model and analysed large volumes of transactional data to identify and resolve recognition issues.
Directed complex group audits for PE-backed and acquisition-led businesses spanning UK, Europe, US and Canada. Built strong capability in purchase price allocations, goodwill, contingent consideration and group consolidation. Advised on fair value assessments and investor reporting requirements under IFRS 3 and IFRS 10.
Led audits across regulated pharma groups and NHS trusts. Developed strong understanding of R&D expenditure, rebate provisions and regulatory compliance matters. Gained extensive experience evaluating complex management estimates and forecasting processes in highly controlled operating environments.
Managed group audits across multiple jurisdictions, coordinating component auditors and cross-border teams. Applied deep knowledge of IFRS 10 consolidation, foreign currency translation, intercompany eliminations and group reporting under PCAOB, ISA and IFRS frameworks.
Complex software revenue streams, SaaS arrangements, IT controls, cyber governance and technology-focused reporting matters.
Governance, grant funding, public accountability reporting and compliance frameworks for public sector bodies.
Audited universities, colleges and schools across Bahrain and Pakistan — covering fee income recognition, grant and donor funding, endowment accounting and governance reporting for academic institutions and education foundations.
Technical Mastery
A breadth of technical coverage rarely held by a single professional — spanning financial reporting, auditing, regulatory and governance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
Capabilities
Current Portfolio at a Glance
Also Proficient In
Selected Client Experience
FTSE listed group (UK) • Going Concern • IAS 36 • IFRS 10 • Acquisition Accounting
UK listed bank • Credit Risk • Regulatory Capital • Treasury Audits
UK dealership group • Inventory Valuation • Manufacturer Rebates • IFRS 2
UK automotive manufacturer • Group Reporting • Impairment • IAS 36
UK media & IP group • IFRS 15 • Royalty Income • Revenue Modelling
UK NHS Trust • Public Sector Reporting • Going Concern
IFRS 9 • ECL Modelling • Treasury • Regulatory Capital • Credit Risk
Technology • IFRS 15 • IT Controls • Data Governance
Pharmaceuticals • Global Audit • Acquisitions • Provisions
Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare • Global Audit • Inventory & Provisions
Education (Bahrain) • Fee Income • Grant Accounting • Governance
Microfinance • IFRS 9 ECL • Regulatory Compliance
Knowledge Centre
Deep-dive technical content designed for CFOs, Finance Directors, Controllers, Audit Committees and Audit Professionals.
Complete technical guide covering implementation, MPMs, transition requirements, industry impacts, FTSE case studies and readiness planning.
Revenue recognition (IFRS 15-aligned model), on-balance-sheet leases, transition options and practical implementation considerations for UK GAAP preparers.
How AI is reshaping audit delivery, technical accounting and finance leadership — and what it means for the next decade of the profession.
Executive Education
Slide-deck training materials delivered to finance teams and audit committees — download the original decks, or open the further-reading links to go deeper.
Full training deck covering the new income statement structure, MPMs and transition timeline.
Download PPTXUK GAAP revenue and leases periodic review — delivered training deck plus the official FRC amendments document.
Download PPTX View FRC PDFClassification & measurement, the expected credit loss (ECL) model, and hedge accounting fundamentals for banking and corporate treasury teams.
General sustainability-related disclosure requirements (S1) and climate-related disclosures (S2) under the new ISSB baseline.
Original decision-flow diagrams summarising how each standard actually works step by step — built for quick revision, not a substitute for the full standard text.
The five-step model from contract to recognition.
Recognition exemptions and the on-balance-sheet model.
Business model + SPPI test decision tree.
From trigger event to impairment loss recognition.
The acquisition method, step by step.
Classifying each line into Operating, Investing or Financing.
Let's Connect
Open to conversations about senior audit, advisory and finance leadership opportunities. Based in London, open to relocation, with a one-month notice period.
Author: Usman Qureshi ACCA | Executive Technical Training Programme
The IASB introduced IFRS 18 Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements to replace IAS 1 and improve comparability, regulate company-defined Management Performance Measures (MPMs) and standardise the presentation of financial performance across all listed entities. It responds directly to long-standing investor criticism that income statements were too inconsistent in structure to compare across companies and sectors.
IFRS 18 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027, with earlier application permitted. Full retrospective restatement of comparative periods is required, meaning FY2026 comparatives will need to be prepared on an IFRS 18 basis ahead of formal adoption.
The standard introduces three mandatory categories — Operating, Investing and Financing — with two new mandatory subtotals: Operating Profit and Profit before Financing and Income Tax. Every line item must be classified into one of these categories based on an entity's main business activities, removing the discretion companies previously had over income statement layout.
MPMs — subtotals like "adjusted operating profit" that management uses in public communications — are formally brought into the financial statements for the first time. Companies must disclose a reconciliation from the MPM to the most comparable IFRS-defined subtotal, explain the rationale for the measure, and apply consistent definitions period to period. This directly targets the proliferation of inconsistent non-GAAP metrics seen in investor presentations.
Banking, Technology, Media, Real Estate, Asset Management, Manufacturing and listed groups generally face the most significant change, particularly where current income statements rely heavily on adjusted/underlying profit measures or where operating, investing and financing activities are not cleanly separated in existing systems.
A FTSE 250 industrial group's dry-run restatement under IFRS 18 found that roughly 18% of its existing income statement line items needed reclassification between operating and investing categories — primarily around equity-accounted associates and gains on disposal of non-core assets. The group's previously-reported "adjusted EBIT" required a full MPM reconciliation disclosure, prompting a board-level review of which adjusting items could still be justified.
Gap Assessment → Policy Design → Systems & Chart-of-Accounts Changes → MPM Reconciliation Design → Dry-Run Comparatives → Audit Committee Sign-off → Go Live.
Participants will be able to perform impact assessments, classify income statement items into the new categories, design MPM reconciliations, update accounting policies and prepare IFRS 18-compliant reporting ahead of the 1 January 2027 effective date.
Author: Usman Qureshi ACCA | Executive Technical Training Programme
The FRC's periodic review aligns FRS 102 more closely with IFRS 15 (revenue) and IFRS 16 (leases), closing a long-standing gap between UK GAAP and full IFRS for two of the most judgemental areas of financial reporting — driven by feedback that UK GAAP revenue and lease accounting had become noticeably out of step with international practice.
The amendments apply for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026, with early adoption permitted. Entities choosing early adoption must apply all the amendments together — partial early adoption of only the revenue or only the leases changes is not permitted.
Preparers may choose between a modified retrospective approach (recognising the cumulative effect at the date of initial application, with no restatement of comparatives) or full retrospective application (restating comparatives as if the new requirements had always applied). The modified approach is operationally simpler but produces a one-off transition adjustment to opening reserves.
Construction and long-term contracting, software/SaaS, retail and leisure groups with significant property leases, and any UK GAAP reporter with multi-element or subscription-style revenue arrangements.
Contract & Lease Population Review → Accounting Policy Redesign → Transition Method Decision → Systems & Disclosure Update → Comparative Dry Run → Go Live.
Participants will be able to map existing revenue streams and leases to the new requirements, choose an appropriate transition method, and prepare FRS 102-compliant disclosures ahead of the effective date.
Author: Usman Qureshi ACCA, ACA | Executive Technical Training Programme
IFRS 9 replaced IAS 39 in response to the 2008 financial crisis, where the "incurred loss" model was widely criticised for recognising credit losses too late — banks only booked impairments once a loss event had actually occurred, by which point it was often too small, too late. The IASB's response was a forward-looking "expected loss" model, alongside a simplified classification approach and an overhauled hedge accounting framework.
Financial assets are classified into one of three categories based on two tests applied together:
This produces: Amortised Cost (hold-to-collect + SPPI passes), Fair Value Through OCI/FVOCI (hold-to-collect-and-sell + SPPI passes), or Fair Value Through Profit or Loss/FVTPL (everything else, including most equity investments and derivatives). Financial liabilities are mostly carried at amortised cost, with an FVTPL option in limited circumstances (including the "own credit risk" presentation requirement, where changes in an entity's own credit risk on liabilities designated at FVTPL go through OCI rather than P&L).
A forward-looking, three-stage impairment model applied to assets at amortised cost and FVOCI debt instruments:
Determining SICR (the Stage 1→2 trigger) is one of the most judgemental areas of the standard — commonly assessed using a combination of days-past-due backstops (rebuttable presumption at 30 days), credit rating migration, and qualitative watchlist indicators.
ECL is built from three core risk parameters, multiplied together and discounted: ECL = PD × LGD × EAD (discounted at the effective interest rate).
Robust ECL models incorporate multiple probability-weighted macroeconomic scenarios (e.g. base, upside, downside) rather than a single deterministic forecast — this was a key design feature of the end-to-end ECL implementations referenced in this site's banking sector experience (Askari Bank, Islamic Relief).
IFRS 9's hedge accounting model is more closely aligned with risk management practice than IAS 39's, permitting a wider range of hedged risk components (e.g. risk components of non-financial items), removing the strict 80-125% effectiveness band in favour of a more principles-based "economic relationship" test, and allowing rebalancing of hedge ratios without discontinuing the whole relationship. Three hedge types remain: fair value hedges, cash flow hedges, and hedges of a net investment in a foreign operation.
A financial asset is derecognised when the contractual rights to its cash flows expire, or when substantially all risks and rewards of ownership are transferred. Where risks and rewards are partially retained, entities must assess whether control has been retained (continuing involvement accounting) — a common judgement area in factoring and securitisation arrangements.
Banks, microfinance institutions, treasury functions of corporates with material financial instruments, insurers (interacting with IFRS 17), and any business with significant trade receivables requiring an ECL provision under the simplified approach (which uses a lifetime ECL provision matrix from day one, without the three-stage model).
Under the simplified approach commonly used for trade receivables, an entity builds a provision matrix grouping receivables by ageing bucket (e.g. current, 1-30 days, 31-60 days, 60+ days) and applies a historical loss rate to each bucket, adjusted for forward-looking factors. For example, a corporate with deteriorating macroeconomic conditions in a key customer region would increase its loss rates for that segment even before any actual late payments are observed — this forward-looking adjustment is the single most common audit challenge area in trade receivables ECL.
Participants will be able to classify financial instruments correctly, build a defensible ECL methodology including SICR triggers and macroeconomic scenario weighting, apply the simplified approach to trade receivables, and understand the mechanics of hedge accounting documentation and effectiveness testing.
Author: Usman Qureshi ACCA, ACA | Executive Technical Training Programme
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) was created in 2021 under the IFRS Foundation to consolidate a fragmented landscape of voluntary frameworks (TCFD, SASB, CDSB, the Value Reporting Foundation's Integrated Reporting Framework) into a single global baseline. IFRS S1 and S2 were issued in June 2023 as the ISSB's first two standards, effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024, with many jurisdictions phasing in or building local equivalents on top of this baseline.
IFRS S1 sets the overarching framework for disclosing sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could reasonably be expected to affect an entity's cash flows, access to finance, or cost of capital over the short, medium and long term. It requires disclosure across four pillars (mirroring the TCFD structure): Governance (oversight of sustainability risks), Strategy (impact on business model and outlook), Risk Management (identification and management processes), and Metrics & Targets (performance measurement, including industry-based metrics drawn from SASB standards).
IFRS S2 applies the same four-pillar structure specifically to climate. Required disclosures include: physical and transition climate risks and opportunities; greenhouse gas emissions (see below); climate resilience assessed through scenario analysis; internal carbon pricing if used; and climate-related targets including any net-zero commitments, with year-on-year progress tracking.
IFRS S2 requires emissions to be measured using the GHG Protocol methodology, with Scope 3 disclosure mandatory (unlike some other frameworks where it is optional), subject to limited transition relief in the first reporting year.
Entities must assess climate resilience using scenario analysis — typically modelling outcomes under at least a "below 2°C" aligned scenario and a higher-warming scenario, to test how physical risks (e.g. extreme weather exposure) and transition risks (e.g. carbon pricing, stranded assets) could affect the business model, balance sheet and access to capital over time.
Both standards require "connected" reporting — sustainability disclosures must tie back to the financial statements rather than sit as a separate narrative report, reinforcing the IASB's wider direction (consistent with the line of thinking behind IFRS 18) toward more disciplined, comparable corporate reporting. This connectivity requirement is one of the biggest practical changes for finance teams, since it pulls sustainability reporting out of the marketing/ESG function and into the financial reporting close process.
Adoption is happening through a patchwork of local endorsement rather than automatic global application: the UK is consulting on "UK Sustainability Reporting Standards" based on ISSB; Australia has mandated climate disclosures aligned to ISSB for large entities from 2025; Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Nigeria and several other jurisdictions have confirmed ISSB-aligned adoption pathways; and the EU's CSRD operates as a parallel (and partially overlapping, partially divergent) regime via the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) — creating real interoperability challenges for groups reporting under both.
Listed entities in jurisdictions adopting ISSB standards (or CSRD-equivalent regimes), carbon-intensive sectors (energy, materials, transport, manufacturing), financial institutions with climate-exposed loan books, and any group with material exposure to climate transition risk in its financing or supply chain.
Participants will understand the structure of IFRS S1/S2, how to map existing ESG disclosures to the new baseline, how to approach Scope 3 emissions measurement, and how connectivity requirements affect the financial statement close process.
Author: Usman Qureshi ACCA | Executive Technical Training Programme
AI-enabled audit tools — full-population testing, anomaly detection and automated journal entry analysis — are moving audit from sample-based assurance toward continuous, data-driven assurance. Big Four firms now run proprietary platforms (e.g. Deloitte Omnia, PwC Halo, KPMG Clara, EY Helix) embedding AI directly into the audit file.
Regulators (FRC, PCAOB, IAASB) are clear that AI augments — not replaces — professional judgement. Firms must evidence challenge of AI outputs, manage model risk, and maintain ISA 200-level professional scepticism even where tools generate the initial analysis.
The IAASB's evolving guidance and the FRC's technology strategy both point toward standards updates addressing automated tools, audit evidence from AI systems, and firm-level governance over algorithmic risk.
Demand is rising for hybrid technical-plus-data skillsets: IFRS/ISA technical depth combined with data analytics, prompt design and the judgement to interrogate AI-generated output rather than accept it at face value.
Expect continuous, full-population audit testing to become the baseline rather than the exception within five years, with sample-based testing reserved for residual judgemental areas. Audit reports may begin to reference the use of AI-assisted evidence-gathering, and regulators are likely to introduce specific documentation requirements for algorithmic audit tools. Finance functions will increasingly need "AI-fluent" controllers who can both use and challenge these tools.
Participants will understand current AI audit tooling, the professional scepticism implications of AI-assisted evidence, and how to position their own skillset for an AI-augmented finance function.