The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. They are the four largest global accounting networks as measured by revenue. The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, particularly accounting, they are considered equally attractive networks to work in, because of the frequency with which these firms engage with Fortune 500 companies.
An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Certified Public Accountant, or Registered Public Accountant. Such professionals are granted certain responsibilities by statute, such as the ability to certify an organization's financial statements, and may be held liable for professional misconduct. Non-qualified accountants may be employed by a qualified accountant, or may work independently without statutory privileges and obligations.
A global city, also known as a power city, world city, alpha city, or world center, is a city that serves as a primary node in the global economic network. The concept originates from geography and urban studies, based on the thesis that globalization has created a hierarchy of strategic geographic locations with varying degrees of influence over finance, trade, and culture worldwide. The global city represents the most complex and significant hub within the international system, characterized by links binding it to other cities that have direct, tangible effects on global socioeconomic affairs.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is the world's first professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs).
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is a professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports chartered accountants and students around the world. As of July 2022, it has over 198,000 members and students in 147 countries. ICAEW was established by royal charter in 1880.
Founded in 1904, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is the global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification (ACCA). It has 240,952 members and 541,930 future members worldwide. ACCA's headquarters are in London with principal administrative office in Glasgow. ACCA works through a network of over 110 offices and centres in 51 countries - with 346 Approved Learning Partners (ALP) and more than 7,600 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide employee development.
RSM International, branded RSM since 2015, is a multinational network of accounting firms forming the sixth-largest accountancy professional services network in the world by revenue. RSM's member firms are independent accounting and advisory businesses, each of which practices in its own right and is unified as part of the network.
Accountancy in Hong Kong is regulated by the HKICPA under the Professional Accountants Ordinance. The auditing industry for limited companies is regulated under the Companies Ordinance, and other Ordinances such as the Securities and Futures Ordinance, the Listing Rules, etc.
Grant Thornton is the world's seventh-largest by revenue and sixth-largest by number of employees professional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms which provide assurance, tax and advisory services to privately held businesses, public interest entities, and public sector entities. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is a not-for-profit, non-practising, international umbrella membership entity organised as a private company limited by guarantee. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is incorporated in London, England, and has no share capital.
The accountancy profession in Malaysia is regulated by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) through the powers conferred by the Accountants Act, 1967. The MIA is an agency under the Ministry of Finance and reports directly to the Accountant General Office. As at 4 February 2016, MIA has 32,618 members of which 68% are involved in commerce and industry, 22% in public practice and 10% in government and academia. Selangor and the Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory have the largest concentration of MIA membership with 13,125 and 7,351 members respectively. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725035639/http://www.mia.org.my/new/members_statistics_state.asp
Moore Kingston Smith founded in 1923 is an accountancy firm located in the United Kingdom. The firm has six offices in London and the south-east and is the London member of the Moore Global Network. In 2022, the Moore UK network ranked 10th on Accountancy Age magazine's "UK Top 50 Accountancy Firms" list.
HLB International is a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms, comprising member firms in 157 countries. HLB International member firms offer audit, accounting, tax and business advisory services.
International Accounting Bulletin (IAB) is a monthly accountancy trade magazine that covers the global accounting business.
An accounting network or accounting association is a professional services network whose principal purpose is to provide members resources to assist the clients around the world and hence reduce the uncertainty by bringing together a greater number of resources to work on a problem. The networks and associations operate independently of the independent members. The largest accounting networks are known as the Big Four.
INPACT Global is an international group of accounting firms that provide audit, accountancy, tax, business restructuring and insolvency, corporate finance and consulting services. The alliance was established in 1989 and INPACT International together with sister alliances INPACT Americas and INPACT Asia Pacific, forms INPACT Global. Together the alliances comprise over 140 member firms in some 250 locations in more than 70 countries.
Baker Tilly International is a consulting and public accounting firm. It is currently the 9th largest accounting network in the world by revenue with 43,000 people in 700 offices across 141 territories with combined global revenues of $5.2bn. Baker Tilly operates geographically through four regions: Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Latin America; and North America. Each region has a chair, appointed by the International Board, who leads an advisory council elected by members in that region.
Saffery is a firm of chartered accountants in the United Kingdom. It has nine offices across the UK as well as offshore. The firm acts for clients across a variety of sectors and provides accountancy, audit and assurance, personal and corporate tax, and corporate finance services.
Michael Izza is CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Morison Global is a global association of professional service firms. The association has over 150 member firms in more than 80 countries. Morison Global's status as an association is in accordance with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) audit code and the EU Statutory Audit Directive 2006/43/(EC). Morison Global is ranked by the International Accounting Bulletin as the 10th largest accounting association in the world. In January 2021, the combined revenue of all member firms was USD978m.
BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax, consulting and business advisory firms that provide professional services under the name BDO. It is the fifth-largest accounting network in the world. Global fee income of the member firms in the network for the year ended 30 September 2021, including the members of their exclusive alliances, totaled US$12.8 billion. Each BDO member firm is an independent legal entity in its own country. The network, founded in 1963 as Binder Seidman International Group by firms from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, is coordinated by BDO Global Coordination B.V., with an office in Zaventem, Belgium. In 1973, the organisation adopted the name BDO, made up from the initials of the three founding firms: Binder (UK), Dijker (Netherlands) and Otte (Germany).
