We are entrepreneurial well-being accountants

Leeds accountants creating a world in which business owners have more time, less stress, enjoy greater rewards and have fulfilled their personal vision of success.

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We help build high performing, motivated teams

The UK's only accountants to be accredited by Wiley DiSC

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We are Xero Platinum Partners

Mastering financial operations with Xero Cloud Accounting

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Ascentis Accountants In Leeds - Let's do business

Ascentis are chartered accountants in Leeds and Ilkley providing accounting and finance services, cloud accounting, tax advice and strategic business planning designed to work together to take your business to the next level.

We've been helping Leeds & Ilkley based business owners for over 25 years and over this time we have seen a pattern emerge, developing a way of working that helps business owners to get their lives back. First we help you get control and move towards your vision of success.

We help you take action, we'll help you to sustain this and work on the key areas of your business until you start to gain traction.

It's not easy and it needs hard work but together we'll start to see progress. Over time patterns of action, traction and progress lead to your personal vision of success and for us there's no better feeling than seeing you reach your personal vision of success we are Ascentis Accountants and this is why we're here.

Our Accounting Services

By choosing Ascentis you will join an advisory firm of accountants in Leeds who:

Are committed to giving you more time, less stress, more profit, more enjoyment, and the fulfilment of your Personal Vision of Success.

Will provide you with complete peace of mind you are paying the minimum amount of tax.

Are obsessed with Financial Mastery, giving you real-time access to accurate financial information for quick decision making.

Recognise your greatest asset is your ability to recruit, develop and retain the best people.

Are not here just to keep score, but to help you create a winning strategy, the underlying critical success factors to deliver it, and the framework and tools to make it a reality.

We are Chartered Accountants in Leeds, Chartered Tax Advisors, MBO certified business strategists, and the UK's first and only accountants to be Wiley DiSC accredited psychometric consultants.

What Our Clients Say About Working With Us

Accounting Case Studies

Financial Mastery

Hear how we helped a client with simple banking technology that freed up weeks of their time every year.

Next Level

Here how we addressed the operational challenges faced by a group of companies operating in the franchise hospitality and retail space.

Guy from Creode

"We get more support each and every month with Ascentis, than we did in a whole year with our old accountant."

Are We Right for Each Other?

We believe the business and accountant should make a perfect match. We are only right for a certain type of business. Lets see if that’s you. . .

You will have been established for at least three years.
Your turnover is £500,000 or more per annum.
You are willing to pay for the best advice, and invest a minimum of £250pcm in the relationship.
You are prepared to travel to our Leeds or Ilkley offices for certain meetings.
Your finance software is centred around Xero, or you would like it to be.
You feel our values of Integrity, Influence, Diligence and Learning align with yours.
You want to establish a clear Vision of Success for you and your business, and will act upon advice designed to achieve that success.

If your answer is YES to the above questions, book your Discovery Call with us now.

What’s new

Our latest news & resources

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Our Leeds Accounting Team

John Oddy Consultant

DiSC profile I/D

Created, developed and sold several businesses, mainly at a profit, but with the scars on his back from those at a loss. John founded Ascentis in 2001, with a vision to create a world in which business owners have more time, are less stressed, enjoy greater rewards and have fulfilled their personal vision of success. John is the person to ask about business advice, selling/buying a business, finance, and cloud accounting.

He is a great advocate of reading to empower yourself. Some of his top picks for business leaders include: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Start with Why by Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last also by Simon Sinek and Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed. In his spare time John is an expert wine connoisseur, incredible chef and Joe Strummer in a Clash tribute band!

Meet the Team

Lee Kaznowski Managing Partner

DiSC profile C/D

As our Managing Partner, Lee Kaznowski embodies a commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. With his FCA qualification and expertise in financial reporting, Lee ensures that our clients receive accurate and timely information to drive informed decision-making. Lee oversees the quality of our services, manages client relationships, and ensures the delivery of our promises, all while embodying our key values of Influence, Integrity, Diligence, Learning.

With over 24 years of experience delivering financial excellence, Lee helps businesses improve their financial processes so that business leaders can make better decisions to grow. On the weekends, you can find Lee either running at park run (an avid parkrun tourist takes him around the country) or volunteering at the junior parkrun events.

Meet the Team

Mark Overend Tax Partner

DiSC profile S

Mark brings extensive experience in tax planning and strategy, particularly in the realm of personal and company tax interactions for business owners. He is CTA qualified and a Property Investment Tax specialist. Leading many complicated tax restructures, Mark always finds an angle to help businesses with their tax issues.

As head of the tax department, Mark helps deliver tax advisory and compliance services that contribute to our clients achieving their own personal vision of success.

Not only is Mark an enthusiastic runner, but he's also a keen supporter of Bradford City FC. Recently, however, his passion for cricket has taken a back seat. Opting to swap his pads for a recliner, Mark has retired from the field to become a dedicated spectator of every sport imaginable!

Meet the Team

Emma Greensmith Senior Accounts Manager

DiSC profile D

Emma is an FCA qualified member of our Financial Mastery team. With a focus on year-end accounts, management accounts, and financial projections, Emma thrives on the dynamic nature of her work and the high level of client interaction it entails. Emma manages client accounts, provides financial analysis and insights, and delivers exceptional service tailored to each client's needs.

In her spare time she loves going for walks or enjoying a nice glass of wine. This is all between running around after her children, of course. Otherwise, you will find her enjoying the tranquillity of Robin Hood's Bay.

Meet the Team

David Clayton Senior Manager

DiSC profile S

As a Senior Manager at Ascentis Accountants, David plays a crucial role in ensuring the timely delivery of our services. With his FCCA qualification and meticulous attention to detail, David handles the heavy lifting involved in preparing and finalising client accounts.

His key responsibilities include project management, quality control, and meeting strict deadlines to provide clients with accurate financial information.

True to his S Style DiSC profile, Dave is Mr Social and first to the bar at every Team event! A keen music fan, his current favourite band is Volbeat, a Danish rock band, but he is also a fan of Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles for many years, Alter Bridge, James, Kyuss and Green Day too.

Meet the Team

Lee-Ann de Boer Tax Specialist

DiSC profile S

Lee-Ann started her tax career in 2002 and has since worked for two of the top 10 accounting firms in South Africa. In 2016, she made the decision to move from Cape Town to Leeds with her family and during that time she had the opportunity to start a new career, but decided she wanted to stick with what she knows and has a passion for - helping people to understand tax.

With a wealth of experience, Lee-Ann excels in helping clients navigate complex tax regulations and optimise their tax strategies, maximising their tax efficiency while minimising risk.

Outside of Ascentis, Lee-Ann spends her free time pursuing her love of crafting, reading and enjoying a glass of wine or two with her husband. She is multilingual and speaks English, Afrikaans and Dutch!

Meet the Team

Anne Anderson Tax Manager

Tax Manager
DiSC Profile C

After training as a tax inspector for the Inland Revenue, Anne is adept at providing strategic tax advice and ensuring compliance with tax regulations. She worked for local accountants of varying sizes including firms in the top 20 and has had a long career working in accountancy gaining a rich amount of experience and knowledge as a result.

As our Tax Manager, Anne helps clients navigate the complexities of the tax landscape while maximising opportunities for tax optimisation.

It's not all tax in Anne's world though, in her spare time she can be found adorned in wellies either with her horses, her dogs or in her garden.

Meet the Team

Laura Gibson Accounts Manager

DiSC profile C

Laura is FCA qualified and has completed her accountancy training at a big 4 firms. She has 18 years plus experience in a variety of roles across the private, public and charity sectors. As such, Laura understands our clients' need for accurate and reliable information along with proficient processes and services.

Laura is part of the Financial Mastery team which helps clients gain more insight into their financial processes to make better financial decisions.

Outside of work, Laura is a keen music fan, avid Swiftie and you can find her attending concerts with her teenage daughter. She dreams of one day retiring to the North Norfolk coast in the future.

Meet the Team

Maria Ballester Virtual Finance Controller

Virtual Finance Controller
DiSC Profile CS

Originally from Spain, Maria has over 20 years of experience in accounting and account management for a variety of industries including transport, construction and wide distribution. As our Virtual Finance Controller, Maria plays a pivotal role in providing real-time insights and strategic guidance to optimise financial performance and reporting.

Her C style profile really comes into play with her hunger for completing accurate records.

As a mother to twins, nothing will fluster Maria and in her limited spare time she enjoys crime thriller films and exploring her amateur photography on long mountain walks.

Meet the Team

What Makes Us Different

Our four pillars of success: Financial Mastery, Next Level Planning, Tax Minimisation and Financial Troubleshooting all drive action to provide traction which in turn makes progress for your business. These core elements are supported by an involved and hands-on approach to our client journey. We use our Process Mapping and Health Checks to truly understand your business and DiSC to help you understand your team, driving you to become a more informed leader with our Ascentis Business Club too.

We're proud to be Xero Platinum Partnered Cloud Accountants, helping us provide transparency and advanced financial reporting to our clients as well as the first and only UK accountants to be a DiSC authorised partner. We believe these accolades along with our approachable and friendly accounting team help our clients achieve success.

Let us help you achieve your vision of success

Book a discovery call