Walpole: Tell us about your company…
Lottie Williams: We’re problem solvers. Headquartered in London, 650-plus people strong, HaysMac is a chartered accountancy and tax advisory firm offering a wide range of professional services, from audit and assurance, taxation and outsourcing, to business advisory and transaction services. Most importantly, we’re friendly, down-to-earth people, with a real passion for the luxury brand market.
We’re proud to be able to support clients at every stage of their journey, often working with clients from the very inception, up to global expansion, exit and beyond. Our Retail & eCommerce team truly love the work they do and the brands they support, working with businesses and founders across apparel, beauty, cosmetics and manufacturers, as well as high street chains and luxury houses.
We know the weight of responsibility that comes with being a household name – whether protecting brand reputation, ensuring compliance, or sustaining shareholder trust, and we always seek to embed ourselves as an extension of our client businesses – representing their best interests, reflecting their values, and supporting their ambitions. We are specialists in what we do and understand the business risks for retail and ecommerce clients allowing us to provide a tailored service.
What is your area of expertise and how can luxury brands benefit from working with you?
As Head of Retail & eCommerce, I lead a team that specialises in supporting premium and luxury consumer brands through every stage of their business journey, from start-up to international expansion.
Our expertise spans audit and assurance, international tax structuring, digital commerce, VAT advice, business tax compliance and R&D and transaction advisory services. We understand that luxury businesses are built on reputation and experience, so our advice is tailored to help protect brand integrity while maximising commercial performance.
Many of our clients also have international components, requiring local knowledge and expertise. We bring worldwide outreach through MSI Global Alliance (MSI), which we co-founded in 1990 to coordinate 250 reliable and recommended accountants and lawyers, operating across more than 100 countries, in the territories our clients seek to expand into and do business.
MSI is an important part of our business, enabling us to seamlessly support luxury brands working internationally and to provide services to our clients across the world through a central contact in the UK.
What luxury brands has your company worked with previously?
We’re proud to work with a number of established and emerging luxury and premium brands across fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Our portfolio includes British heritage labels, independent designers and operators, and global luxury eCommerce platforms. Beyond individual client work, our partnership with Walpole allows us to collaborate more broadly across the UK luxury ecosystem - sharing insights, benchmarking data, and best practice with the sector as a whole.
What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?
One of our most significant achievements has been our continued growth as a trusted adviser to the UK’s most ambitious brands. Over the past few years, we’ve strengthened our Retail & eCommerce practice, working with a fantastic array of new clients, as well as further deepening our relationship with current ones.
Last year we also rebranded – a major milestone for the company, after over 20-plus years of the same look. We ditched our previous corporate purple and said hello to a new brand and shortened name that we really believe reflects the personality and dedication of the firm and the people that work here.
Last, but by all means not least, we’re especially proud to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading mid-tier firms, and of the impact we’ve made in helping entrepreneurial and creative businesses scale with confidence! This commitment was further celebrated with our recent inclusion in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025's Big Organisation category, marking our second consecutive year of recognition.
The accolade reflects the firm’s ongoing investment in cultivating a progressive, people-first culture - one where individuals at every career stage feel supported, challenged, and empowered to thrive. From junior team members to senior leaders, we remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive and inspiring workplace – and for this, we’re very proud.
Why was it important for your organisation to be involved with Walpole?
Walpole represents the pinnacle of British luxury – and we share its commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth. We believe it’s vital to be part of the community that shapes the future of the sector.
Through our involvement with Walpole, we have the opportunity to both contribute our financial and strategic insight to members and to stay close to the issues shaping the industry - from sustainability to digital transformation and international expansion. It’s a partnership built on shared values and a shared belief in championing British creativity on the global stage.
Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months?
This year we launched our Retail & eCommerce Club, a series of regular, informal, breakfasts and dinners, designed to bring together key players from across the industry to discuss challenges and opportunities in an open, collaborative forum, as well as facilitate new connections for our contacts across the retail sector. We’re excited for this club to continue to grow and we have some exciting speakers lined up also to join us – watch this space.
More recently, we also launched our new ‘My Tax Partner’ service – providing clients the option to benefit from a Head of Tax, without the overhead. The reason for this? The luxury brand market faces a fast-moving tax landscape, from VAT on promotions, loyalty schemes and multi-channel sales, to business rates, customs duties, and the complexities of global supply chains. It’s therefore easy for tax to become a hidden drain on time and margin.
'My Tax Partner' embeds senior-level tax expertise into businesses, without the cost of a full-time hire, helping clients stay compliant while identifying efficiencies and reliefs. We bring sector-specific insight to help navigate pricing, imports, and inventory with confidence, turning tax from a back-office burden into a lever for sustainable growth.
haysmac.com
