Contents

November/December 2025

A cement factory at work.

FastForward

BIG PICTURE

UK cement production drops to lowest level since 1950s

THE BRIEFING

Mixed bag over ESG priorities; HMRC to invest £500m in upgraded phone system

PUBLIC EYE

New AAT VP and MAC intake announced

Rebecca Hennessey FMAAT. She is a white woman with brown hair and she is looking off to her left. She is standing inside a replica shuttle control room at the National Space Centre.

DeepDive

CASE STUDY

Charting a new course

PRACTICE

Why consolidation shapes careers

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

What will a sustainability assurance standard look like?

PUBLIC SECTOR

Is there a role for AI in public sector finance teams?

Illustration showing the planet with a large pound coin balanced on it. Around it, a plane is flying in a loop.

KnowledgeHub

TAX Why you should give a FIG about new tax set-up

FINANCIAL REPORTING

Periodic review of UK and Ireland GAAP

BACK TO BASICS

The principles of inheritance tax

Andy Sullivan FMAAT. He is a white man with glasses, tattoos and a well-kept beard and short brown hair. He is wearing a black t-shirt and jeans and reclining on a sofa with his laptop. He is smiling broadly.

Develop

RUNNING YOUR PRACTICE

Cashing out

BOOKKEEPING

Value matters

CAREER COACH

Hidden rewards of mentoring

CPDList

Check out the latest live and on-demand masterclasses and sign up for our licensed member webinar series.

Webinar:

The power of systemising and standardising your accounting workflow

Tuesday 18 November, 12.30-13.30 Licensed member support series. Boost your efficiency, reduce errors, and create a scalable practice by refining your workflows.

Learn more

Masterclass:

Tax planning for the family business

Wednesday 19 November 09.30-12.30 Stay ahead of the latest rules and opportunities, from extracting profits in a tax-efficient way to planning for succession and inheritance tax changes.

Learn more

Masterclass:

VAT update

Thursday 20 November, 09.30-16.00 Boost your confidence advising clients, ensuring compliance and handling complex VAT challenges.

Learn more

Webinar:

Dealing with pressure and avoiding stress

Friday 21 November, 12.30-14.00 Business skills for AAT Members. Discover how to deal with pressure and understand how it impacts performance and well-being.

Learn more

Webinar:

Building influence and trust in public finance

Monday 24 November, 12.30-13.30 Emotional intelligence in action. Effective leadership requires emotional intelligence, discover the ability to understand and manage both your own emotions and those of others.

Learn more

Webinar:

Pricing MTD – get paid for the value you bring

Tuesday 25 November, 12.30-13.30 Learn how to assess different pricing models for Making Tax Digital and implement these at your practice.

Learn more

Webinar:

Discover smarter workflows with AutoEntry by Sage

Thursday 27 November, 12.30-13.00 Join us for a 30-minute live demo with AutoEntry by Sage to discover how AutoEntry and AccountsPrep can transform the way you manage self-assessment.

Learn more

Webinar:

How to record, track and report the value of your time

Thursday 27 November, 13.30-14.00 Delve into the reasons why you should record your time and what insights this data will provide for your practice.

Learn more

Masterclass:

Sharpen your tax skills 2025

Wednesday 3 December 2025, 09.30-16.00 Equip yourself with the latest tax updates with tax expert Barry Jefferd, who has over 30 years of experience in areas like Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax, and ATT experts.

Learn more

Webinar:

Budget update – Autumn 2025

Thursday 4 December, 12.00-13.30 The chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will deliver the Autumn Budget on 26 November. This session will outline the key areas of the budget affecting finance professionals.

Learn more

Webinar:

Strategy and strategic thinking

Friday 5 December, 12.30-14.00 Business skills for AAT Members. Get a clear understanding of strategic thinking and offer practical tools, techniques, and a step-by-step approach to enhance your strategic thinking skills.

Learn more

Masterclass:

Applying emotional intelligence in financial practice in the public sector

Monday 8 December, 12.30-13.30 Learn how to apply emotional intelligence to strengthen communication, decision-making and resilience.

Learn more

Masterclass:

Sharpen your tax skills 2025

Tuesday 9 December 2025, 09.30-16.00 Equip yourself with the latest tax updates with tax expert Barry Jefferd, who has over 30 years of experience in areas like Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax, and ATT experts.

Learn more

Webinar:

accountancy in the age of AI

Tuesday 16 December, 12.30-13.30 Licensed member support series. Discover how AI revolutionises accounting through automation, data analysis, and advisory, addressing ethical considerations.

Learn more

How are we doing?

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Let us know what you think of the digital edition of AT and if there are any subjects you would like to see us cover in future.

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