Firm News
In our new regular feature, we feature news stories from across the Praxity Alliance, to see what member firms are up to and what changes are afoot in the accountancy industry.
IFAC small business sustainability checklist
ESG is a topic of huge relevance, and one that is in the ascendancy in the industry. However, most ESG advice and legislation has been aimed at multinational and large corporations, with little input as to how this might filter down to businesses with less resource. Ironically it is often smaller businesses that are most concerned with the sustainability of their offering.
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), in a nod to the increasing focus on ESG in the industry, has published a sustainability checklist for SME’s. The diagnostic tool is designed to be tailored by the individual business, according to its own unique circumstances. Not all factors in the checklist will be relevant to all entities, but the Checklist aims to begin the process of accounting for ESG in smaller businesses.
The Checklist was developed under the umbrella of IFAC’s work on Practice Transformation, which highlights the need for Small-to-medium Practices (SMPs) to adapt to remain relevant in a changing world. SMPs are also encouraged to use the Checklist to consider their own strategy, policies and procedures. As well as being a present concern, it is also critical to attracting the next generation of talent.
The Checklist has been launched with an expanded range of external resources to help practitioners upskill and build knowledge. IFAC has prepared a dedicated web page that provides material on sustainability reporting, advisory, assurance, education and training.
The checklist can be found HERE.
Marosa’s European VAT manuals
New Praxity member firm Marosa brings pan-European tax expertise to the Alliance, along with a forward-looking emphasis on software and tax technology. This brings new capability to the Praxity Alliance and further deepens the resources available to members.
On their website, the firm features a invaluable set of VAT manuals for European territories. Clients, accounting firms and all other interested parties can use these easy reference guides to navigate the many complexities of VAT throughout the region. Europe’s small territories with large economies and interconnected concerns make tax in the region incredibly complex. Marosa’s tool simplifies this immensely, featuring breakdowns of rates by sector, VAT exclusions and particular idiosyncrasies of each country. An introduction to their tax technology page can be found HERE.
The firm’s model of “many countries, one tax” ensures that they are a go-to authority for this important technical specialism.
Moores Rowland celebrates its people
Rowing together
Praxity is nothing without its people, and along with growing revenues and business announcements, it’s very rewarding to see member firms congratulated for their outstanding work and achievements.
Some great news for member firm Moores Rowland in Indonesia. In celebration of being awarded as 'General Champions' at a nationwide accounting competition in Indonesia, the Achsin Handoko Tomo team, part of Praxity member Moores Rowland Indonesia, enjoyed some employee development activities with the theme, "I can’t, but WE can!"
Celebrating 100 years of Plante Moran
Praxity member Plante Moran, of the USA and internationally, recently celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the firm. Since its founding in 1924, the firm has grown from a sole accounting practitioner in a Detroit office to a billion-dollar audit, tax, consulting and wealth management firm with more than 3,800 professionals serving clients worldwide.
In honour of its centennial celebration, the firm has launched a campaign titled “Count on Us,” a nod to the clients and staff who have counted on the firm since its inception. Over the next year, the firm will feature stories of how the firm has served clients and supported one another on their website, social media pages, advertisements and more.
Managing Partner Jim Proppe explained the secret to the firm’s longevity –
“Plante Moran’s unique culture is rooted in what Elorion Plante and Frank Moran called their ‘grand experiment’. They envisioned an accounting firm where the best practitioners couldn’t wait to get in the door and clients were lining up to receive unsurpassed service. A century later, our firm still operates under these same philosophies. It’s been the key to our success for 100 years, and I have no doubt it’s what will help us succeed for 100-plus more.”
Praxity would like to wish all at the firm our sincere congratulations for such a rare and significant milestone. We share the positive outlook for their firm’s future.
Mazars en Colombia receives B-Corp certification
A company certified as a B-Corp is one that meets the highest standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on Environmental and Social factors, from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. The mission of these companies is to build a new, inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy in which success and financial benefits incorporate social and environmental well-being.
"We thank our collaborators, clients and all those who have been part of this journey. This certification is not only a recognition to Mazars in Colombia, but also a call to action for other companies to join the cause of building a more sustainable and responsible business world,"
- Carlos Molano, Managing Partner of Mazars in Colombia.
Praxity would like to recognise the significance of this achievement, reflecting the hard work and dedication of the entire Mazars team in Colombia. It demonstrates that it is possible to combine business success with a meaningful impact on the community and the planet.
JA Del Río & FORVIS awarded ClearlyRated’s “Best of Accounting”
Two Praxity Alliance member firms have received awards in ClearlyRated’s "Best of Accounting” for their outstanding client service. Both American firm FORVIS and Mexican firm JA Del Río have been acknowledged for their very high levels of customer satisfaction.
FORVIS currently hold a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 83, which is significantly higher than the industry average of 41. The firm also received 9/10 or 10/10 from 87% of clients when asked how satisfied they were with the service they had received.
“This recognition is a testament to our firm’s culture and commitment to providing an Unmatched Client Experience,”
said Rob Pruitt, chief practice and innovation officer for FORVIS.
“Our clients are the ultimate judges of our work and it’s incredibly gratifying to know they continue to give us very high marks for service in independent surveys.”
JA Del Río has not only received the Best of Accounting® award for its extraordinary customer service, but was also included in the Great Place to Work® category for its positive, inclusive and high-performance work culture.
Bernardo Del Río, Managing Partner at JA Del Río, expressed his satisfaction with this achievement:
“We are proud to be recognised by our clients, and for ClearlyRated™ to award us with this distinction is an acknowledgement of our hard work as a team. Although our score is above the industry average, many opportunity areas still exist. We aim to provide our clients with the best quality service in the accounting industry and become a referent to other accounting firms.”
The ClearlyRated™ Best of Accounting™ award winners have proven to be industry leaders in service, with assessments from their clients and collaborators giving verification of their quality. We’d like to offer our congratulations to both our member firms, who continue to shine in their jurisdictions and internationally.
The Talenz Group celebrates anniversaries
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Talenz; firms within the Talenz Group have been marking some historic milestones. Talenz GROUPE FIDORG celebrated their 50th anniversary, whilst TALENZ MGA, TALENZ ARES and TALENZ COMEXPERT all celebrated their 30th anniversaries. The Talenz Group firms have a longstanding track record in delivering for clients of all sizes within France and are perfect examples of Praxity members’ outstanding client service.
All Talenz firms are exemplary of the Praxity Alliance’s commitment to collaboration, communication and client delivery excellence, with their longevity speaking volumes about the standard of their work. Sincere congratulations from everyone at Praxity on reaching these significant anniversaries.