Atkinsons was founded in 2000 and has eight staff, headed up by father and son team Peter and Chris Atkinson, and the firm has invested heavily in cloud accounting and is a gold partner with software company Xero. 

Atkinsons will be merged into BHP’s existing cloud-based business, Figuresout Limited, to create a substantial operation, focused on providing real time financial information to businesses, cloud accounting and commoditised tax services.

A BHP spokesperson told CCH Daily that Peter Atkinson will be taking a step back from the business but 'will retain a consulting role', while Chris Atkinson has become a director of the newly merged cloud setup.  

Atkinson Jr is ACA qualified and became a company director of Atkinsons in April 2014. He trained at PwC and was a partner at BuddyBooks before joining the family business. 

Peter Atkinson who set up the business in 2000, added:  “We need to offer our clients the widest possible range of services so that they can continue to grow and develop.  By merging with BHP we will be able to provide our cloud accounting solution to a broader range of clients and build on our success of using technology to make a real difference to business owners, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service.’

In the latest Accountancy Top 75 Firms league table BHP was ranked 36^th in the UK, with reported fee income of £17.6m in 2015-16. The firm has 24 partners and around 300 employees across five offices in York, Sheffield, Leeds, Cleckheaton and Chesterfield. BHP converted to limited liability partnership status in April 2017.

Atkinsons declined to provide details on its fee income or turnover figures, as it reports under abbreviated accounts rules.

The merger significantly increases BHP’s presence in York, with an office move planned from its current base on Micklegate later this year, to create room for continued growth.

By Sara White