Kent & Medway Business Commentary

Local insight, history and professional commentary from the PTG team in Rochester — covering the business heritage of Medway and Kent, ICAEW chartered accountancy, and what it means to work with an independent local practice.

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Commentary & News

A short history of chartered accountancy: the ICAEW, and why an FCA-led firm matters

The letters "FCA" after an accountant's name trace back to a royal charter signed by Queen Victoria in 1880. This is the story of how chartered accountancy was invented, what the ICAEW does today, and why it matters that the firm looking after your accounts is owned and run by a Fellow Chartered Accountant — especially here in Rochester and the Medway Towns.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 31 March 2026 9 min read

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Commentary & News

Chartered vs certified accountants: what the letters mean and why they matter

It surprises most people: unlike "solicitor", the word "accountant" has no legal protection in the UK. So what do "chartered" and "certified" actually guarantee, what is HMRC's new tax adviser registration regime, and how do you verify the firm you're about to trust with your finances? A plain-English guide.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 5 August 2026 10 min read

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Commentary & News

Why an independent local accountant still beats the big groups

The local accountancy landscape is consolidating fast, and many clients of newly acquired firms are noticing the difference: higher fees, less partner time, advice shaped by group targets. Independence lets a firm work differently. Here's what that means in practice — and how easy switching really is.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 12 August 2026 8 min read

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Commentary & News

From dockyards to industrial estates: a business history of the Medway towns

For two thousand years the Medway towns have made their living from the water — Roman river trade at Rochester, the Royal Dockyard at Chatham, cement and bricks that built Victorian London, seaplanes on the Esplanade. Here's how that story leads to the industrial estates and SMEs of modern Medway.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 3 March 2026 11 min read

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Commentary & News

Will Adams, the Royal Engineers and the dockyard: a business history of Gillingham

Gillingham gave the world the first Englishman in Japan, trained the engineers who built an empire, and housed the workforce of the biggest industrial site in the South East. Here's how Medway's largest town earned its living — and how that history shapes its businesses today.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 10 March 2026 9 min read

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Commentary & News

Paper, hops and the county town: a business history of Maidstone

Maidstone has been Kent's market place for seven centuries: ragstone shipped down the Medway, paper that carried the world's finest watercolours, beer and hops, toffee and buses. Here's how the county town earned its living — and what that means for its businesses now.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 17 March 2026 9 min read

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Commentary & News

Marshes, bricks and energy: a business history of the Hoo Peninsula

The flat country between the Thames and the Medway looks empty, but it has carried an extraordinary succession of industries: marsh farming, bricks and cement, explosives, oil, gas and one of Britain's biggest container ports. Here's the working history of the Hoo Peninsula.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 24 March 2026 9 min read

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Commentary & News

The new government's tax and spending plans: what we know so far

A new Prime Minister, a new Chancellor and plenty of speculation. Here's what the government has actually said about tax and spending — and why the much-discussed wealth tax is less likely than the headlines suggest.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 23 July 2026 11 min read

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Business Owners

The 2026/27 Tax Year: Key Changes Every Business Owner Should Know

A higher Business Asset Disposal Relief rate, employer NI at 15% and frozen thresholds: the 2026/27 changes that matter most to UK business owners.

Scott Baillie BFP FCA 20 May 2026 5 min read

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