Two Suffolk accountancy practices, Jacobs Allen and Paul Donno & Co, are delighted to announce their merger on 1 March, forming a new accountancy business which will retain the trading name of Jacobs Allen.  The new business will operate from offices in both Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill and will offer clients a wide range of business, financial and tax skills and unsurpassed technical expertise, delivered with an innovative approach.

Jacobs Allen was established in 1992. Director, Keith Senior, qualified as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, specialising in tax with one of the top 4 accountancy firms in the UK, then ran a tax consultancy business for some years before acquiring the Bury St Edmunds practice in 2006. They quickly outgrew the old premises and moved to their existing offices above Cafe Rouge in 2007, providing tax planning and accountancy services to clients, both local and national.

Paul Donno is a Fellow of the Association of Accounting Technicians and founded Paul Donno & Co in 1993; the business has grown significantly over the last eighteen years, serving clients across the region from its offices in Glemsford and Haverhill. A specialist in Sage accountancy, payroll and CRM software solutions and accredited by Sage they encourage clients to boost profits by making full use of technology to maximise their efficiency.

Both firms see huge opportunities by merging and are keen to continue to grow and develop their business.  Bringing together Jacobs Allen’s specialism in tax planning and wealth creation with Paul Donno & Co’s Sage knowledge and marketing skills will enable the new firm to improve the efficiency of routine accounts and tax returns and deliver more value in tax planning and business strategy advice.

Keith Senior explains, “We have developed a close working relationship with Paul Donno & Co over the years. As Registered Auditors we have been able to offer independent help to some of their clients and we have worked with them to deliver some more advanced tax solutions.

We have a lot of respect and mutual appreciation of each other’s skills. Merging the two businesses presents a fantastic commercial opportunity to combine our complementary skill sets. Clients will benefit from this great launch pad that enables us to streamline our operations, deliver an even more effective service to them and give strategic focus to help them prosper.

We will be retaining the Jacobs Allen name but our logo has been refreshed - it is now tangerine to reflect Paul Donno & Co’s brand heritage and the ‘zest’ in our new venture together!”

Paul Donno comments, “I am really excited about the merger and the huge potential it presents. Our core values are very similar; we focus on the client, take time to listen, find out what is going on in their business and understand their needs and objectives.  It is only by doing this that we can add value through the advice and support we give.

Our whole team is thrilled to be part of this exciting endeavour, looking forward to the new opportunities working together will bring and consolidating our office presence to Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill, taking with us fond memories of Glemsford.

Our approach, using leading-edge technology and business development tools, combined with Jacobs Allen’s high level technical expertise and rigorous systems and procedures, will deliver a killer combination and exciting times ahead!”