Baker Tilly Mooney Moore has appointed Sarah Gibson as payroll administrator within its business services team, a modest hire that nonetheless points to a broader shift as Northern Ireland accountancy firms build out dedicated payroll capacity to meet rising SME demand for outsourced compliance support. Financial terms of the appointment, including remuneration, were not disclosed.

Baker Tilly Mooney Moore is a Northern Ireland accountancy and business advisory firm and part of the Baker Tilly International network, providing audit, tax, business services and payroll outsourcing to SME and corporate clients across the region.

Sarah Gibson joins with experience gained across specialist payroll teams and business process outsourcing providers, most recently as a senior payroll specialist at a mid-tier accountancy firm, and will support clients across a range of sectors while ensuring compliance with current legislative and regulatory requirements.

The hire is small in isolation, but it fits a pattern accountancy firms across the UK and Ireland are following: building dedicated payroll and business services capability as a recurring revenue line, distinct from the cyclical peaks of audit and personal tax work.

That build-out is being driven by compliance pressure rather than client preference alone. Payroll has become a genuine risk area for SMEs as legislative change, increased HMRC scrutiny and rising employment costs strain internal teams, with even small errors risking fines, back payments and loss of employee trust.

Firms that can absorb that risk on a client's behalf are positioned to capture steadier fee income than compliance-only engagements typically provide, which is why business services teams, not just audit and tax, are becoming a genuine growth priority inside mid-tier practices, as accountants plan for 2026 amid changing regulations and rising client expectations.

For the sector, the appointment signals continued investment in outsourced finance function work at a time when SMEs are increasingly looking to practices, rather than in-house hires, to manage payroll and statutory compliance.

Source: Belfast News Letter / Phase 3 / AccountingWEB