With Q2 wrapping in the midst of a heatwave, the tax recruitment market has been just as hot. Here’s what’s been happening over the past quarter.
London
As we move through the second quarter of 2025, the tax recruitment market continues to show resilience, with strong demand across a number of specialist areas and clear signs of momentum building in key sectors.
- International Corporate M&A Tax has seen a noticeable upswing in activity. The Big 4 firms are now releasing a broader range of roles in this space, particularly within international and cross-border structuring teams. This resurgence reflects the increasing complexity of global deals and corporate reorganisations, with demand especially strong at assistant manager through to director level. Professionals with experience in transaction-related advisory work and international tax structuring are particularly sought after, with all levels being of interest.
- Private Client Tax has maintained a steady and healthy flow of recruitment over the last three months. We’ve seen a consistent stream of activity from boutique and mid-tier firms who continue to grow their teams to support high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurial individuals, and family offices. While not explosive, the market is stable and reliable, with opportunities across both compliance and advisory-led roles. Manager, senior manager, and director grades are the most enquired about in the market.
- VAT (Indirect Tax) remains one of the most talent-short areas in the tax market. All firm sizes—from the Big 4 through to regional independents—are actively hiring, with some struggling to secure experienced candidates. The shortage is particularly acute at the manager and senior manager levels, but even junior roles are proving hard to fill, with clients also considering candidates with indirect tax experience from HMRC. If you’re an indirect tax specialist considering a move, now is an excellent time to explore opportunities.
- Tax Investigations & Disputes is making a very welcome return after a quieter period post-pandemic. The Big 4, Top 20 firms, and a growing number of smaller practices are now investing once again in their investigations teams. There’s renewed appetite for experienced professionals who can handle HMRC enquiries, COP9 cases, and tax risk advisory work—this is definitely a space to watch for further growth in the coming months.
- Transfer Pricing has proven resilient, with consistent demand from financial services, operational businesses, and large FTSE-listed groups. Hiring in this area has held up well despite broader economic pressures, and there continues to be a steady call for candidates who can handle both documentation and advisory responsibilities.
- The in-house tax market has remained stable overall. While the volume of London-based roles has softened slightly compared to last year, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in opportunities across the regions and nationally. More companies are hiring tax professionals outside of the capital—particularly in the North West, Midlands, and South West—which is great news for those seeking flexibility or looking to relocate.
Tax in the South
2025 continues to be the year of firm acquisitions, with PE-backed firms aggressively acquiring smaller players across the South. The impact? A growing challenge to the traditional ‘challenger firms’ for mid-market dominance.
- Challenger firms themselves are not standing still. We're seeing three key names in growth mode across their Private Client Tax service lines—with a strategic shift to build presence in regional offices and get closer to their clients.
- In the Private Business Tax space, there’s still a significant need for corporate tax professionals with experience advising owner-managed and entrepreneurial businesses. Candidates with this background remain in high demand.
- VAT continues to be one of the most talent-scarce areas across the South. Much like London, there’s a strong appetite for both compliance and advisory VAT specialists—particularly those with experience from HMRC.
There’s also a surge in demand for International Tax professionals across the Midlands. Whether you're looking at a Big 4 or Top 10 move, there’s no shortage of Pillar 2 work. Firms are open to strong CT professionals keen to gain broader international exposure.
Tax in the North & Scotland
Key locations across the North—including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh—have all seen regional growth in Q2. Whether it’s an accountancy firm acquisition or a larger firm making a strategic growth hire, the North of the UK is very much on the radar of almost every firm. It’s clear from several talent strategy meetings I attend with national partners that the focus is leaning increasingly regionally. Scotland, in particular, has been a hotbed for growth, with several firms looking to expand across Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Corporate Tax remains one of the main focal points in the North, with almost every firm wanting to invest in their compliance and advisory business, from the Big 4 to smaller independent outfits. This seems to be driven by growing client demand for a more proactive approach to corporate tax—clients want more than just annual computations.
- Private Client/Personal Tax teams have grown quarter on quarter. Demand for private client advisory specialists remains strong, with several firms looking to invest in this area. This is clearly being driven by budget announcements and the ever-changing landscape for business owners—clear and concise advice for entrepreneurs and business owners is as important as ever.
- Indirect Tax demand is still strong, with several key leadership hires taking place across the region. The fight for talent is particularly competitive in the mid-tier space outside of the Big 4.
- Employment Tax has also seen a similar rise in demand, with national teams in larger firms starting to hire across the North and smaller firms making strategic appointments to launch service lines.
We’re also seeing increased demand for specialist hires in niche areas including Transfer Pricing, Equity & Reward, Tax Investigations, Management Taxes, and International Tax. These are areas that have historically been serviced from London, but are now increasingly being centralised in the North.
In Summary
Q2 has brought positive signs across the board, with several key tax areas regaining momentum. There’s strong hiring activity in corporate international tax, investigations, and transfer pricing, while VAT continues to be critically under-resourced. Private client and in-house remain steady and dependable. As we move into Q3, we expect these trends to continue—with new roles on the horizon and more firms becoming active in their search for top tax talent.
If you’re open to exploring new opportunities, or looking to hire, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Kevin Racher, Pro’s Director of Tax. With over 17 years specialising in the in-house market, coupled with a decade’s experience in tax practice, Kevin knows both sides of the market inside out and is well-placed to support you whether you're hiring or exploring your next move.
