Lithgow Perkins celebrates '¨60 years of business in town

Chartered accountancy firm Lithgow Perkins is celebrating its 60th year, making it one of the oldest firms of its kind in Harrogate.
Harrogate chartered accountancy firm Lithgow Perkins is now led by partners (l to r) Mike Briggs, Robert Horner and Joe Taylor. (S)Harrogate chartered accountancy firm Lithgow Perkins is now led by partners (l to r) Mike Briggs, Robert Horner and Joe Taylor. (S)
Harrogate chartered accountancy firm Lithgow Perkins is now led by partners (l to r) Mike Briggs, Robert Horner and Joe Taylor. (S)

The independent practice has been helping the district’s residents and companies with their taxation and accounts since 1958.

Tony Hallinan, a former partner who began his career at Lithgow Perkins at the age of 16, said: “One of the reasons why the business continues to thrive after 60 years is the personal service we provide.

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“From the outset, the partners always endeavoured to give the best bespoke advice possible, and that ethos is still maintained by the current partners and staff. We genuinely take pleasure from looking after our clients and supporting them as they develop and prosper, and that’s why many of our clients have remained loyal to us over the years.”

Lithgow Perkins was formed by John Perkins and Gilbert Lithgow in June 1958. Since then, the firm has grown and now has more than 1,100 clients. Mr Lithgow retired in 1963, but the firm continued to flourish. Mr Perkins ran it as a sole practitioner with about 15 staff until 1975, when Dale Watler became a partner. They were later joined by partners Mike Broadway, Tony Hallinan and Robert Horner.

In the 1980s, the opportunity to expand throughout Yorkshire presented itself, but in the end, the partners decided the firm should remain very much a part of the Harrogate district business community, and kept it as a single practice based in the town.

In 2002 Lithgow Perkins was one of the first accountancy practices to become a limited liability partnership. John Perkins retired in 2012 and Dale Watler in 2016, and the firm is now led by partners Robert Horner, Mike Briggs and Joe Taylor, with Tony Hallinan, who retired in 2015, still involved as a consultant.

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Mr Horner said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 60 years of Lithgow Perkins in Harrogate. Thank you to all our staff for continuing to provide excellence in all that we do, and to our clients for their loyalty and allowing us the privilege of working with them throughout the development of their business.”

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