About Us -

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you merge and move premises in 2011?

The two firms merged to assemble a stronger team combining the corporate experience of Rory O’Donnell and Trudi Routledge who both have large firm backgrounds and also the taxation expertise within the two core firms.

Bigger offices were required to accommodate the merged staff group. Both firms have been established for many years and we were looking for premises which reflected the provision of forward-thinking services without compromising traditional values.

In these times of austerity we decided that we did not want to pay significant rents for modern offices at a motorway junction for which our clients would end up paying the premium, hence we have taken on the major part of Rumwell Hall. It is a truly impressive building which has been completely refurbished for office use.

Despite the much improved facilities for both staff and clients, (including extensive free parking), we are delighted that the occupancy costs are no greater than before!

What is the property consortium and what advantages are there for me?

Bringing together like-minded people who could see the potential in the premises means that we share the cost of overheads. This does not mean that we increased our cost base – in fact by moving out of the centre of Wellington and Taunton to our idyllic rural setting, and organising the renovation of the building ourselves, we were able to keep costs down and now do not have to pay town centre rates.

The advantages to clients are that there is easy access to our offices from both Taunton and Wellington; parking is not such a problem; and we have not had to increase our fees to cover our costs.

What is the difference between a Director and an Associate?

The Directors have an equity share in the business. The Associates are our most senior managers but are not investors in the ownership of the business.

Do you support any charities?

Alongside providing some free-of-charge or reduced rate accountancy and auditing services for charities and supporting staff to act as trustees, we do support charities whenever possible, especially locally-based ones. These have included St Margaret’s Hospice, BIBIC, Vital for Children, Mind, and Taunton Operatic Society. For more see our Corporate Social Responsibility section.

We will adopt a principal charity on an annual basis to be drawn from our client base, to be the recipient of BJ DixonWalsh fundraising activities, and will consider other opportunities to support good causes on an ad hoc basis.

As part of our corporate social responsibility and broad commitment to younger people we tend to prefer charities with them as their focus, and are happy to link into initiatives in schools and colleges wherever time and staff resource allows. We plan to offer some charities the chance to utilise our meeting room facilities on an occasional basis either free of charge or for a reduced rate, and are considering using the grounds for charity events in the future. Organisations should contact our charities ambassador, Julia Croughton, to discuss their ideas or enquire as to the current help and support available.

What additional services over and above accountancy do you offer and why?

If only life were so easy that we all just needed to ‘number crunch’! We know it’s not, and we care about our clients, recognising that there are times when they could benefit from the services of other professionals. This is why we have established links with carefully-selected partner organisations including counselling and financial management services, not to mention our unique meeting room facilities with exceptional on-site catering available, offering an elegant and discreet environment in which to discuss confidential business matters.

Click here for premises information and our professional partners information

What are the differences between the accountancy qualifications?

There are 2 chartered qualifications. The ICAEW (institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales) award at two levels – Fellow and Associate - FCA and ACA. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants also has 2 levels - ACCAand FCCA.
In addition we have AAT qualified staff, AAT being an accounting technician’s qualification. Whilst it is a separate qualification in its own right, it is often a stepping stone to studying for ACCA qualification.

How can I keep up to date with rapidly changing legislation?

Check our website regularly for the latest important financial news. As part of our service we do of course proactively let our clients know when there is something major which could affect them as individuals or their business.

Why not register with us to receive our regular bulletins?

What makes you different from other accountancy firms?

We listen and we care. And we don’t merely pump out information and numbers – we draw conclusions, make recommendations, and have a wealth of experience in a wide range of sectors on which we draw.

We try and take a holistic view of requirements and recognise that alongside our own services the professional help of others may indeed benefit our valued clients – for example professional counselling in certain situations. We’re all human!

I’m setting up a new company – how can you help?

Click here for start-ups

Do you help individuals or just companies?

Both – we are experienced in helping a wide range of individuals and companies. In fact often, individuals who come to us for help or advice say they wish they’d come to us earlier but they thought either accountancy services were too expensive or they didn’t help individuals who may be employed and not own their own business. That’s not the case here at BJ DixonWalsh. For example in helping an individual with a self-assessment return we may even be able to help you obtain a refund from the Inland Revenue. One such client said of us:

“I was employed as a chief executive who, despite using accountants corporately and being familiar with the auditing process each year, did not even think of accessing accountancy advice for myself. Each year I struggled with my self-assessment tax return thinking if I were reasonably intelligent and found it difficult, how on earth could some others manage? Someone pointed out to me that I should use BJ DixonWalsh’s services. The very first time they helped with that dreaded form, I received a rebate from the IR – very nice, thank you! Previously I’d always seemed to owe them – but actually I’d been missing opportunities…”

No multi-million pound organisation for me – ours is a small family firm. What can you offer me?

The ability to offer all round advice – not just one specialism such as taxation or accounts – but a holistic view of all areas combined with an understanding of the special dynamics in a family firm. We work to help the family to gain their in-house experience to plan their future strategy.

You seem a great firm to work for - how do I apply for a job with BJ DixonWalsh?

Because of our low staff turnover in truth vacancies do not arise very often. And when they do, of course we want to hire the best. If you think you match up to our standards (and bear in mind the right attitude is the most important thing for us – we can train you in the tasks required) then please feel free to lodge a speculative enquiry and forward your CV to us for consideration. Please be advised that should you do this we will keep your application on file and the fact that you have forwarded it to us will be taken as permission to retain it.