Soutar & Associates is a Chartered Accountancy firm based in Burnside, Christchurch, trading as Brian Soutar and Associates Limited. The firm is helmed by Principal Brian Soutar, with key staff all members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ), giving clients assurance of unbiased and ethical service.
The team's experience spans core financial accounting through to more complex advisory work, covering compliance, taxation, management accounting, business planning, structuring, agricultural accounting, retail accounting, and consulting and training. On a day-to-day basis the team also helps clients with payroll processing, software queries and general taxation questions.
The firm's stated mission is to provide unparalleled service and unsurpassed value to clients on a timely basis through innovative solutions, backed by a company goal of excellent service delivered with the highest standard of integrity. Soutar & Associates works with Xero, MYOB and Cash Manager Rural, and offers hands-on software training and mentoring, delivered either one-to-one or to groups, nationally.
For businesses and individuals in Christchurch looking for a full-service accounting firm, Soutar & Associates offers everything from routine compliance work through to complex business structuring and sector-specific advisory support.
Soutar & Associates trades as Brian Soutar and Associates Limited, led by Principal Brian Soutar. Key staff, including Senior Team Leader Jerrard Hinchliffe and Compliance Senior John Soutar, are all members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ) — a professional credential the firm points to as assurance of unbiased and ethical service. The team's day-to-day work spans core financial accounting through to more complex advisory services, including payroll processing, software queries and general taxation questions.
At the base of the firm's offering is compliance work: preparing financial statements, income tax returns, payroll, GST and FBT returns, and annual returns for filing with the Companies Office. On the tax side, the team advises on tax minimisation and planning, and liaises directly with Inland Revenue and ACC on clients' behalf, aiming to take the stress out of dealing with government departments.
For businesses thinking further ahead, Soutar & Associates offers management accounting — preparing and analysing management reports, budgets and cashflow projections — alongside business planning services that include forecasts, business valuations, and bank submissions. The firm specialises in complex financial structuring across private, commercial and corporate lending, and also advises on succession planning and provides insolvency services when needed.
Structuring advice covers company setup, including capital and debt ratios, shareholding and directorships, along with the formation and incorporation of companies, trusts and partnerships, and negotiating directly with banks on financing.
The team brings hands-on, practical experience to specific sectors. In agriculture, that means preparing appropriate financial statements for farming, fishing and forestry clients, and working at a governance level to support growth and development. On the retail side, the firm has many years of experience with national retail and wholesale operations, understanding the differences between a single retail business and a national chain, and is available to advise on buying a commercial activity.
Beyond accounting work itself, Soutar & Associates offers consulting and training in corporate governance, staff training and mentoring. The firm also runs hands-on software training in MYOB, Xero and Cash Manager Rural, tailored to individual clients or delivered to groups, with training and program design offered nationally.
Soutar & Associates describes its mission as providing unparalleled service and unsurpassed value to clients on a timely basis, through innovative solutions tailored to individuals, businesses and the communities it serves. Its stated company goal is to deliver excellent service with the highest standard of integrity appropriate for a Chartered Accountancy practice, in a professional and ethical manner that makes clients comfortable seeking help.
Soutar & Associates is based at 36a Sir William Pickering Drive in Burnside, Christchurch, open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Free car parking is available at the front of the building, making it straightforward for clients to drop in for a meeting alongside phone, fax or email contact.