Does accountancy cater just for the wealthy?

The profession has a real perception problem, and accountants need to start demonstrating their value to wider society, according to the findings of the ‘Society First’ report from ICAS.

The ground-breaking report found half of the general public (exactly 50%) admit they do not clearly understand what the accountancy profession does. Worryingly, some 55% believe accountants “cater to the wealthy”.

Many outside the accountancy profession still associate it with mainly tax and bookkeeping services. Reputational damage from sector scandals isn’t helping either! Just 62% of the public associate accountants with ethical behaviour.

Read more on this on the cover of the latest PQ magazine – out now! You can read it at: https://issuu.com/pqpublishing/docs/pq_magazine_november_2025

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