The London tax recruitment market has remained notably resilient in recent months, with activity levels continuing to reflect steady investment across advisory platforms despite wider economic uncertainty.
Over the latest period alone, we have worked across a high number of mandates in the London market, providing a useful snapshot of where firms are currently focusing their hiring strategies and where growth is taking place.
Nearly 45% of these opportunities have originated from the Big 4, reinforcing their continued commitment to strengthening teams across key service lines. Alongside this, challenger and new-form advisory firms accounted for a further 27% of mandates, highlighting how these platforms are increasingly competing for senior talent and presenting credible alternatives to traditional career pathways, with the Mid-Tiers & Smaller PP still pushing ahead with recruitment drives.
One of the more notable trends is how much hiring activity remains behind the scenes. Approximately 57% of roles we have been instructed on during this period have not reached job boards. Instead, firms are relying more heavily on targeted searches and relationship-driven introductions as they prioritise quality hires over volume recruitment.
This approach is particularly evident at senior levels. Around 39% of mandates have been at Director or Senior Manager grade, reflecting ongoing investment in leadership capability and succession planning across London practices. Many firms are clearly thinking strategically about future partner pipelines and team structure over the medium term.
Demand has also remained well distributed across technical specialisms rather than concentrated in a single area. Over the period reviewed:
- Corporate /International - 26%
- M&A - 20%
- Employment - 18%
- Transfer Pricing - 17%
- VAT - 11%
- Other specialisms - 8%
Taken together, these figures point to a market that remains active and selective rather than reactive. Hiring partners across London are continuing to engage with strong candidates, particularly those who bring technical depth alongside commercial awareness and leadership potential.
For experienced tax professionals at Manager, Senior Manager and Director level, the key takeaway is that opportunity remains strong, although much of it is accessed through direct engagement rather than open advertisement. The most attractive roles are frequently discussed before they are ever formally released to the wider market.
Encouragingly, this sustained level of activity suggests that firms continue to invest with a medium- to long-term view, positioning teams for growth rather than simply responding to short-term demand pressures.
It has also been particularly pleasing to see the number of promotion announcements shared across the market recently on LinkedIn, congratulations to everyone stepping into new roles and well-deserved next chapters in their careers.
