Risk, regulation and resilience: A 12-month playbook for firms
The next year will test firms in new ways. HMRC scrutiny is rising, payroll rules are shifting, clients are feeling pressure, and directors are making big decisions about exits and restructuring. Add changing reporting expectations and the knock-on effects of the Autumn Budget, and it’s clear that risk management is no longer a once-a-year tidy-up.
For most practices, the challenge isn’t knowing what is changing, but having a simple, dependable way to spot issues early and act with confidence. The firms that make it look easy aren’t luckier or bigger — they treat risk as part of everyday operations. They update triggers quickly, keep evidence tight, and give their teams clear playbooks so they can brief clients calmly, even when the pressure is on.
The sessions below form a practical route through the biggest regulatory and operational shifts coming in 2026. Each one gives you something useful to take back to your team: a clearer process, a firmer boundary, or a better way to protect clients and your own firm.
HMRC scrutiny: Know the triggers, fix behaviours
Inside HMRC: What Every Accountant Should Know About Investigations explains how cases start, what Connect flags, and what HMRC expects from advisers.
So what? Fewer avoidable enquiries, faster responses, files that stand up when challenged.
Do now: update your red-flag list, tighten file notes and source-evidence rules on higher-risk clients, add mandatory manager review on known triggers.
Payroll change: Prepare before the scramble
Preparing for Change: Payrolling Benefits and the Path to 2027 is your early briefing. Pair it with Ian Holloway on Payroll for live pitfalls.
So what? Fewer reworks, lower penalty exposure, smoother client comms.
Do now: Map affected clients, confirm software settings and calendars, draft a simple two-page client FAQ and staff SOP.
When clients wobble: time and evidence matter
Insolvency in Practice clarifies options, red flags, and director duties.
Rebuilding from the Rubble: Fix a Broken Finance Function provides a recovery sequence when records and controls have failed.
So what? Better first-day advice, clear liability maps, fewer PI headaches.
Do now: Create a distress checklist, pre-agree referral partners, and set a file-note template for early conversations.
Transactions and exits: Set expectations and save time
Selling a Business: EOT vs PE vs Trade Sale helps you screen feasibility, value drivers, diligence burden, and control questions before you burn weeks.
So what? Cleaner pipelines, fewer dead deals, happier boards.
Do now: adopt a one-page route-to-exit screen for every enquiry, define information packs, and set a decision gate before deep work starts.
Governance and share schemes: avoid predictable traps
Alphabet Shares: Dividends, Documents & HMRC Pitfalls covers settlements risk, employment-related securities, and documentation that survives scrutiny.
So what? Fewer messy restructures, fewer HMRC challenges.
Do now: Refresh template articles and minutes, add a mandatory specialist review step for ERS or income-shifting scenarios.
Pulling it all together
Risk doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. With the right triggers, clear processes, and a team that knows exactly what “good” looks like, most problems become manageable long before they escalate. The sessions above give you the tools to strengthen your controls, support clients when it matters, and stay ahead of regulatory pressure rather than reacting to it.
Use FAB to sense-check your approach with peers, tighten weak spots, and bring back practical changes you can implement the very next day. The firms that thrive this year will be the ones that stay curious, stay prepared and stay in control — and FAB is your chance to make sure you’re one of them.
