About Walter Dawson & Son Accountants

About WDS

Chartered Accountants Serving Yorkshire Since 1886

Walter Dawson & Son is a firm of Chartered Accountants providing accountancy, tax, audit, payroll, cloud accounting, corporate finance and wealth management services to businesses and individuals across Yorkshire.

We were founded in 1886 and have been working with Yorkshire businesses and families ever since — through periods of significant economic change, across multiple generations of client relationships, and across a wide range of sectors.

Today we operate from six offices across the region: Bradford, Elland, Huddersfield, Leyburn, Northallerton and York. Our clients include established owner-managed businesses, family farms and agricultural enterprises, high-net-worth individuals, and businesses preparing for sale, succession or restructure.

We are regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and registered to carry out audit work in the UK. WDS Wealth Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Culture Careers

A Full-Service Accountancy and Financial Advisory Firm

Unlike smaller local practices, we provide a genuinely comprehensive service across every area of business and personal finance. Unlike the large national firms, we maintain close, long-term relationships with our clients — and our directors are accessible, not abstracted behind layers of management.

Our services span:

Accountancy — year-end accounts, management accounts and bookkeeping
Tax — business tax, corporation tax, personal tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and VAT
Audit — statutory and non-statutory audit
Payroll — fully outsourced payroll management and RTI compliance
Cloud Accounting — Sage, Xero and QuickBooks implementation and ongoing support
Corporate Finance — acquisitions, disposals, MBOs and fundraising
Funding Solutions — loans, grants, asset finance and invoice finance
Wealth Management — investment, pensions, estate planning (FCA regulated)
Probate — licensed by ICAEW for non-contentious probate in England and Wales

For most clients, we handle several of these areas simultaneously. That joined-up approach means your tax position, payroll, business accounts and personal financial planning are all considered together — which leads to better advice and fewer gaps.

The Clients We Work With

Our clients are typically established businesses that have moved beyond the start-up phase and are navigating the increasing financial complexity that comes with growth. Most are owner-managed or family-run, turning over between £500k and £5m+, with between 5 and 50 employees.

They often come to us when:

Payroll has become time-consuming or high-risk to manage internally
Tax liabilities have grown to the point where proactive planning is essential
Cash flow is harder to predict and management reporting isn’t keeping pace
The business needs funding for investment or acquisition
Ownership or succession is being planned or has become urgent
A sale, MBO or restructure is on the horizon and they need joined-up advice

We also have longstanding relationships with farming and agricultural businesses across Yorkshire and North Yorkshire — clients we’ve worked with for generations, through changes in subsidy structures, land transactions, succession planning and the evolving tax landscape affecting rural estates.

And for individuals — business owners, high-net-worth individuals and families — we provide personal tax, inheritance tax planning, probate and wealth management services alongside the work we do with their businesses.

Over 140 Years of Yorkshire Accountancy

WDS was founded in 1886, making us one of the longest-established accountancy firms in Yorkshire. Over more than a century, we have supported businesses and families through periods of profound change — from the industrialisation of West Yorkshire to the digital transformation of modern business.

Many of our client relationships span decades. In some cases, we work with the third or fourth generation of the same family business. That longevity reflects something we believe is genuinely important: that the best financial advice is built on deep knowledge of the client, not just their numbers.

Our growth from a single practice to a firm with six offices across the region has been driven by the same principles that shaped the firm in the 19th century — technical expertise, honest advice, and a genuine interest in the success of the people we work with.

Six Offices Across Yorkshire

We serve businesses and individuals across Yorkshire from six offices, each with a team familiar with the local business community, sectors and geography.

Bradford — our principal office, serving businesses across West Yorkshire
Elland — serving Calderdale and the surrounding area
Huddersfield — serving businesses across Kirklees and West Yorkshire
Leyburn — serving farming and rural businesses across the Yorkshire Dales and Richmondshire
Northallerton — serving businesses and agricultural clients across North Yorkshire
York — serving businesses across York and the Vale of York

Contact

Passionate

We love what we do; we love our clients; we’re full of inspiration and energy.

Approachable

We’re open; friendly and easy to talk to; we don’t just hear our clients, we listen to them.

Innovative

We see the bigger picture and we think outside the box, always looking for new ideas and new ways to help.

Reliable

We are determined, sincere and committed; our clients know they have our unfailing loyalty.

Regulated, Qualified and Accountable

Choosing an accountant or financial adviser means trusting them with sensitive information and significant decisions. We think it’s important that clients understand exactly how we are regulated.

ICAEW Regulated

WDS Accountants Ltd is regulated for a range of investment business activities and registered to carry out audit work in the UK by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Audit registration reference: C006839848, viewable at auditregister.org.uk.

FCA Authorised

WDS Wealth Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, providing clients with confidence in the financial advice and investment recommendations they receive. Firm Ref No: 112543

Probate Licensed

We are licensed by ICAEW to carry out the reserved legal activity of non-contentious probate in England and Wales — one of a limited number of accountancy firms with this authorisation.

Dawsons have been my accountants for 40 years . Can’t recommend them highly enough. Always respond when you need advice.

Mark Barber

I have dealt with this Accountancy Practice now since 1983, and have always found them to be efficient and assuring in my dealings with them. I am currently looked after by Matthew Atkinson who is efficient and helpful in all matters.

Ian B

Working with Tracy Jamal at Walter Dawson is an absolute pleasure. She is completely honest and thorough. And I am so much more confident that my affairs are being handled well because of her.

Alice Nutter

Walter Dawson have been handling my accounts for the last 5 years and I have always been very impressed with their professionalism, commitment, and attention to detail. I have always felt comfortable and very supported with any query I have had. Dealt with Mark, Matthew and Richard and wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Helen Cooper

Debra and the team at Walter Dawson and Son have been great tax partners. We have a complicated situation with taxes where we are working across time zones. They do an outstanding job and are always courteous, prompt and knowledgeable.

Hilary Hainsworth Smith

I am a barrister in practice on the North-Eastern circuit.
I rely heavily upon my accountants.
This firm is fantastic!
In particular, Tracy Jamal (Tax Manager) is quite superb.
Nothing is too much trouble for her.
She always promptly deals with all matters I put to her.
I could not recommend this firm more strongly.

Steven Garth

I have been using Walter Dawson and Sons accountants for the past 30+ years and would not consider using anyone else. Fantastic service and always a friendly face to help you with any queries. I can’t recommend them enough.

Dean Cadman

Very good indeed. Personable, accessible and professional. Highly recommended.

Mike Harding

I’ve been a client for many years I’ve always received first class service . The staff are friendly and nothing is too much trouble. Thanks very much for your past services and also the future

Noel Manning

After 40 years of running a business, I’ve used many accountancy companies. Without exception, I can recommend the Huddersfield office of Walter Dawson and Son for their efficiency, professionalism and friendliness. For the business I use them for all Sage accounting, payroll, tax advice and VAT. I also use them for all personal financial and tax advice for myself and my husband.

Neil Hemingway

Excellent and patient service while I had to chase some information up, great work

Rachel Younger

Walter Dawson has always dealt very efficiently with all my tax affairs and accounting needs, I highly recommend them for their attention to detail. The staff are friendly and polite and very knowledgeable.

Sarah Davis

Walter Dawson and Son have looked after my account for the last 20 years and have always worked within my best interest.

Stuart Whitehead