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Audit & Assurance

Auditing and reporting are crucial components of effective business management, and a large part of our day-to-day activities at EQ.

As Chartered Accountants, we focus on delivering significant value to your business, acting as an extension of your team. Our goal is to tailor our approach to understand your business goals before conducting any audit, and ensure you are comfortable putting your trust in us.

Our audit process serves as a platform to provide real business advice, helping you grow and develop your business. No matter what our involvement, our absolute commitment is to pro-actively support our clients to attain optimum efficiency and maximise returns, achieving your business ambitions.

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What is Audit?
Caroline Tice
Partner

Audits identify risks and suggest improvements, helping companies mitigate risks, prevent fraud, and avoid costly errors, thereby protecting against financial loss and legal issues.

Douglas Rae
Partner

Audits provide credible financial statements required by lenders and investors, aiding in securing funding with potentially more favourable terms and conditions.

Professional Audit Service

Due Diligence on M&A Activities

Investment Appraisals

Review of Financial Systems & Controls

External Audit

Whether an audit is required as part of meeting a statutory requirement, or to provide additional assurance, EQ Accountants, a trading name of Sumer Auditco Limited, has extensive experience in providing audit services. With businesses facing constantly evolving risks, uncertainties and stakeholder scepticism in today’s complex commercial environment, an audit provides credibility to your business. Our teams are alert to opportunities to mitigate your risks and improve systems and processes, while ensuring you maintain compliance with regulatory standards.

Our Audit approach

An audit gives us an opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of your organisation. We’ll work closely with you and your business to pre-empt any potential issues and address them early.

Our audit teams are partner-led and we adopt a personal, hands-on approach to build strong relationships with our clients.  We aim to make the audit as simple and stress-free as possible, so our teams are always thoroughly briefed on your specific circumstances and have in-depth knowledge of your industry. Careful planning, communication and a collaborative approach is key to our audit approach.

Our clients include all sizes of companies, groups and LLPs, across a range of industry sectors. We also work with other entities such as charities, pension schemes, membership organisations and FCA-regulated businesses.

Use of data analytics

We have adopted the use of Inflo to deliver and enhance our audit service.  Inflo is an industry leading cloud based provider of data analytics software, and also offers a secure portal for the transfer of documents between our audit teams and our clients.  (Link to inflo blog)

Our teams are also using datasnipper as part of our audit process to extract data and strengthen our approach to audit testing and the overall audit quality. (Link to datasnipper blog)

Audit Partners

Raymond Paterson

Partner
Raymond Paterson
Partner

Raymond is a highly experienced Chartered Accountant and Partner at EQ, having joined the firm in 2025 following our merger with McDonald Gordon. With a career spanning several decades, Raymond is a general practitioner with broad expertise across all aspects of accountancy practice.

Raymond has held Responsible Individual (RI) status for audit since 1994, reflecting his long-standing commitment to technical excellence and professional standards. His client portfolio is primarily composed of owner-managed businesses, and he also works extensively with charitable organisations, bringing a thorough and tailored approach to each client relationship.

A firm believer that audit should deliver genuine value beyond compliance, Raymond is passionate about using his expertise to help clients understand their businesses more deeply and achieve their growth ambitions.

Douglas Rae

Partner
David Yates
Partner
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Douglas Rae
Partner

Doug started his journey with EQ in 1998, and since then, has been an integral part of our team. His dedication and expertise led him to become a Partner in April 2012, marking a milestone in his career.

At EQ, Douglas finds his passion in the people he works with every day. As he often emphasises, the collaborative spirit and positive attitude within the team are what make each day fulfilling.

Doug specialises in audit and leads our charity sector, demonstrating a profound understanding of the unique challenges and intricacies within these domains. His adeptness in navigating the complexities of corporate environments, from small OMBs to the largest groups, underscores his versatility and proficiency.

Doug has cultivated strong relationships with a diverse range of clients, contributing to their growth through strategic financial guidance.

Outside work Doug is a family man with two children. An avid music enthusiast, he can often be found at live gigs. Additionally, he has a love of horror movies, indulging his passions whenever time permits.

Greg Stapley

Partner
Graeme Davidson
Partner
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Greg Stapley
Partner

Greg Stapley has been a partner at the Firm since April 1, 2024. His favourite thing about EQ is our supportive and friendly team environment.

Greg specialises in audit, charities, and pension schemes. In addition to his role as audit Partner, he also leads the Engineering and Manufacturing team, supporting SMEs in the sector achieve their ambitions. Greg’s clients include companies across various sectors such as engineering, manufacturing, food production, hotels, automotive, warehousing, and retail.

Outside of work, Greg is married with two daughters and enjoys golfing, watching sports, and supporting Leeds United. He has a miniature Dachshund named Dudley and serves as Director and Treasurer of the Fife Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Gibson

Hazel Burt
Hazel Burt
Partner
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Mark Gibson

As one of our longest serving members of staff, Mark Gibson embarked on his journey with EQ in 1987. Rising through the ranks, he was promoted to Partner in 2006, a testament to his commitment and contributions to the firm.

Mark’s expertise positions him as a very versatile accountant. While he considers himself a general practitioner, his role as an Audit RI and audit partner for many Glenrothes audit clients underscores his proficiency and leadership.

In his capacity as the head of the professions sector, Mark steers the firm’s efforts towards serving a wide range of clients from solicitors to surveyors, with unparalleled dedication and insight. His client portfolio predominantly comprises owner/managed companies, reflecting his love for nurturing client relationships. Noteworthy among his clientele are businesses in the construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and professions sectors.

Beyond the numbers, Mark’s is husband to Julie with two grown-up daughters, Sophie, and Aimee. An advocate for an active lifestyle, Mark frequents the gym, embarks on cycling adventures, and enjoys leisurely walks in nature’s embrace.

He also shares a passion for music, often attending concerts with Julie and friends, indulging in the timeless melodies that enrich their lives.

Michelle Murray

Partner
Mark Wilken
Partner
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Michelle Murray
Partner | Dundee Office

Michelle joined EQ in 2017, after qualifying with ICAS as a Chartered Accountant in 2014. Whilst her background has been in general practice, her portfolio has a specific focus on audit. Michelle is passionate about ensuring clients gain maximum value from the audit process and sees audit work as an opportunity to do more than just tick boxes. By truly understanding her clients’ businesses, she ensures clients gain practical insights that go beyond compliance, helping to improve processes and unlock new opportunities. Getting to know her clients on a deeper level means that the audit process can be a catalyst for broader business improvements, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive and actionable advice.

Michelle’s leadership goes beyond her technical expertise, and her approach is simple yet powerful: create space for others to step up, offer guidance when needed, and celebrate the unique strengths each team member brings. This collaborative spirit not only drives personal growth but also enriches the service we provide to our clients.

Outside of her work at EQ, Michelle is a busy mum to her young daughter Sophie. She is also a member of her local running group, and enjoys long walks (preferably in the sun) with her dog.

Audit Managers

Douglas Rae

Partner
David Yates
Partner
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Douglas Rae
Partner

Doug started his journey with EQ in 1998, and since then, has been an integral part of our team. His dedication and expertise led him to become a Partner in April 2012, marking a milestone in his career.

At EQ, Douglas finds his passion in the people he works with every day. As he often emphasises, the collaborative spirit and positive attitude within the team are what make each day fulfilling.

Doug specialises in audit and leads our charity sector, demonstrating a profound understanding of the unique challenges and intricacies within these domains. His adeptness in navigating the complexities of corporate environments, from small OMBs to the largest groups, underscores his versatility and proficiency.

Doug has cultivated strong relationships with a diverse range of clients, contributing to their growth through strategic financial guidance.

Outside work Doug is a family man with two children. An avid music enthusiast, he can often be found at live gigs. Additionally, he has a love of horror movies, indulging his passions whenever time permits.

Greg Stapley

Partner
Graeme Davidson
Partner
View next
Greg Stapley
Partner

Greg Stapley has been a partner at the Firm since April 1, 2024. His favourite thing about EQ is our supportive and friendly team environment.

Greg specialises in audit, charities, and pension schemes. In addition to his role as audit Partner, he also leads the Engineering and Manufacturing team, supporting SMEs in the sector achieve their ambitions. Greg’s clients include companies across various sectors such as engineering, manufacturing, food production, hotels, automotive, warehousing, and retail.

Outside of work, Greg is married with two daughters and enjoys golfing, watching sports, and supporting Leeds United. He has a miniature Dachshund named Dudley and serves as Director and Treasurer of the Fife Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Gibson

Hazel Burt
Hazel Burt
Partner
View next
Mark Gibson

As one of our longest serving members of staff, Mark Gibson embarked on his journey with EQ in 1987. Rising through the ranks, he was promoted to Partner in 2006, a testament to his commitment and contributions to the firm.

Mark’s expertise positions him as a very versatile accountant. While he considers himself a general practitioner, his role as an Audit RI and audit partner for many Glenrothes audit clients underscores his proficiency and leadership.

In his capacity as the head of the professions sector, Mark steers the firm’s efforts towards serving a wide range of clients from solicitors to surveyors, with unparalleled dedication and insight. His client portfolio predominantly comprises owner/managed companies, reflecting his love for nurturing client relationships. Noteworthy among his clientele are businesses in the construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and professions sectors.

Beyond the numbers, Mark’s is husband to Julie with two grown-up daughters, Sophie, and Aimee. An advocate for an active lifestyle, Mark frequents the gym, embarks on cycling adventures, and enjoys leisurely walks in nature’s embrace.

He also shares a passion for music, often attending concerts with Julie and friends, indulging in the timeless melodies that enrich their lives.

Michelle Murray

Partner
Mark Wilken
Partner
View next
Michelle Murray
Partner | Dundee Office

Michelle joined EQ in 2017, after qualifying with ICAS as a Chartered Accountant in 2014. Whilst her background has been in general practice, her portfolio has a specific focus on audit. Michelle is passionate about ensuring clients gain maximum value from the audit process and sees audit work as an opportunity to do more than just tick boxes. By truly understanding her clients’ businesses, she ensures clients gain practical insights that go beyond compliance, helping to improve processes and unlock new opportunities. Getting to know her clients on a deeper level means that the audit process can be a catalyst for broader business improvements, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive and actionable advice.

Michelle’s leadership goes beyond her technical expertise, and her approach is simple yet powerful: create space for others to step up, offer guidance when needed, and celebrate the unique strengths each team member brings. This collaborative spirit not only drives personal growth but also enriches the service we provide to our clients.

Outside of her work at EQ, Michelle is a busy mum to her young daughter Sophie. She is also a member of her local running group, and enjoys long walks (preferably in the sun) with her dog.

Client Testimonials

We appreciated Darren’s personal approach and the time he took to really understand our family. Having him visit our farm for meetings and knowing... Read more
Guy Lee,
Sandystones Farm
Our transition from in house to outsourced payroll with the EQ team has been seamless. Our main point of contact Chloe has communicated brilliantly... Read more
Matthew Lowson,
Ramsay & Sons (Forfar) Ltd
After making the decision to change our auditors and professional advisors, we have been impressed by the ease in which the transfer over to EQ was... Read more
Brian Kemp- Director,
QAS Group