Henley-based Courtiers Investment Services’ latest accounts reveal that it has set aside £12,003,171 for the “payment of redress to clients”.

This means setting right, compensating or remedying detriment experienced by a consumer due to a “business failure or negligence”.

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This comes after a skilled persons review – an independent investigation – was commissioned at the firm.

Its results statement for the year ending March 2025 said: “The company has undertaken extensive work to identify the clients affected and to calculate the amount payable and a further Skilled Persons review was commissioned to agree the value of the redress.

“The total group provision representing the estimated amount of redress payable at 31 March 2025 amounts to £13,106,203, including interest but net of recoverable VAT.

Hart Street in Henley (Image: Ballards)

“Of this sum £12,004,171 is attributable to this company and has been incorporated within these financial statements.”

Based in Hart Street, Henley, City Wire has reported that this represents a significant increase from the £3 million the group had allocated the previous year.

This comes after Courtiers Investment Services voluntarily agreed to a Financial Conduct Authority order to stop taking on new business.

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This agreement happened in 2024 with the firm saying it had done so while it consolidated its acquisitions which included Dorset adviser Snowdon Financial in 2019.

The business did not respond to a request for comment, and it remains unclear when the restrictions will be removed.

In its statement the directors of the firm stated that they consider the financial position of the firm “healthy”.

This year’s Cavell Summit Europe provided us with an agenda that reflected the real pressures service providers are now facing today. Senior leaders within the cloud communications ecosystem are now tasked with adapting to structural changes in 2026 and beyond.

What’s key to remember is that these aren’t theoretical futures. Practical shifts are already underway, and the disruption that follows is structural, not cyclical.

Matt Townend’s keynote address established the framework for everything that followed. The focus was on how factors such as pricing pressure, changing buyer behaviour, AI, security, and sovereignty are no longer temporary challenges.

Instead, they form a permanent operating environment for service providers trying to protect margin, while continuing to grow.

It resonates with the wider conversations being held in the wider service provider space. The reality is that nobody is asking whether the market is changing. Now, it’s how to effectively adapt to conditions without increasing complexity or risk.

Global platforms and marketplaces are also reshaping buying journeys. There’s now extra attention being paid to these areas, especially as communications services are no longer sold in isolation. Solutions are now being embedded into CRM, CX, and productivity ecosystems.

Platforms, such as HubSpot, are beginning to act as commercial entry points for telco services. Salesforce’s own move into digitally purchased contact centre capabilities also signals a wider shift in how voice and CX are both packaged and consumed.

What does this mean for service providers? It’s a material change, where customers increasingly expect communications to ‘fit’ into existing platforms. Buying journeys are becoming shorter, more digital, and less telco‑centric, and differentiation is shifting away from features toward integration and enablement.

All this change is being accompanied with the ever-present issues of sovereignty and regulation. Data sovereignty, especially in the current geopolitical climate, is now a key topic of discussion among service providers. A fragmented European market only makes the challenge more pressing.

Service providers, however, need to have a pragmatic mindset, rather than an alarmist one.

SMBs don’t see sovereignty as a primary buying driver. The use of a large hyperscaler cloud is far more relevant to these smaller businesses, and sovereignty is materially relevant to only a handful of enterprises. If these businesses operate in a highly regulated environment like government or defence, data sovereignty is far more important to them.

The growing tension between emerging European guidance and existing frameworks, such as the US CLOUD Act of 2018, is also creating confusion. When operating across jurisdictions, providers must navigate between contradicting regulations.

So, what should service providers do? The key thing is not to over‑rotate on sovereignty as a sales message. They must understand which customer segments genuinely require it and design their propositions accordingly.

For anyone who attended this year’s Summit, they would already know that the most valuable insights always come from conversations throughout the day.

A recurring theme was how quickly global ambition exposes operational friction. Selling voice internationally involves far more than coverage, such as local licencing requirements and numbering regulations.

It’s something Gamma Communications has seen with the recent expansion into APAC. Providers, for example, must hold specific licences simply to issue local numbers. It’s both a cost and complexity burden that many service providers underestimate, until they attempt to scale.

This is exactly where global enablement models become commercially important. Those foundations allow service providers to extend reach without taking on disproportionate, unnecessary regulatory or operational risk.

Complexity around global regulations is giving service providers more to think about. In Singapore, for example, regulators are now getting tougher on sub-allocation and whether numbers are being provided without a licence. Providers need an SBO licence or at least work with a vendor that already has one.

Gamma’s own tri-party model in the APAC region helps to remove those obligations. What’s vital to remember is that no single provider can solve global communications alone. There are numerous factors providers need to consider when it comes to long-term growth.

Through strong partner ecosystems, shared operational responsibility, and models that allow international scalability, a foundation can be established. It reinforces a broader industry shift from transactional resale models towards a partnership that builds towards success.

The priorities service providers need to focus on all gravitate around building sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond. That can only be achieved by reducing friction for both partners and customers and avoiding any needless complexity.

Disruption will happen at the baseline – it’s never just a phase. If models are designed for platform-led buying, and there’s clear guidelines around sovereignty, then global growth will follow.

When a trusting partnership is combined with shared infrastructure, this becomes a reality rather than just another pipe dream.

If you’re ready to take your communications further, find out more about Gamma Communications’ service provider proposition.

Starling Bank has published research suggesting that sole traders are using artificial intelligence tools for tax and accounting advice as HMRC’s Making Tax Digital changes drive wider adoption.

A survey of 1,000 UK sole traders found that 26% had used an AI platform for guidance on Making Tax Digital, while 20% said they regularly used AI for tax and accounting support. Among respondents, 88% said they trusted AI advice, and 55% expected to rely on it more over the coming year.

Speed appears to be the main reason. Some 39% said they chose AI because they wanted information quickly, compared with 32% who cited the cost of professional advice.

Many sole traders seem to be using AI for routine tasks rather than as a replacement for accountants or tax advisers. The research found that 26% had used AI for a second opinion on advice they had already received.

The survey was released alongside Starling’s launch of a free accounting software package for sole traders. It includes an HMRC-recognised Making Tax Digital for Income Tax tool that lets users manage tax reporting through the bank’s system, categorise transactions and track their finances in real time.

The launch comes as smaller businesses face pressure to adapt to new digital tax reporting requirements. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax requires self-employed people and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000 to use compatible software for digital record-keeping and quarterly reporting to HMRC.

Starling also highlighted wider financial administration pressures on smaller firms. Separate research cited found that small and medium-sized enterprises spend an average of £63,000 a year managing their finances.

Speed over cost

The findings suggest convenience is shaping how sole traders seek support. Rather than relying only on professional advisers, many are using AI to answer basic questions quickly, especially as new tax rules add unfamiliar compliance steps.

That may reflect the practical constraints on sole traders, who often manage administration themselves while running day-to-day operations. In that context, tools that provide immediate responses can be appealing, even if users still prefer professional advice for more complex matters.

“These findings are a call to action for all those who work with sole traders, showing that we need to find faster and more convenient ways to deliver the support they need. At Starling, we’re committed to playing our part with digital tools that help sole traders blast through their admin, leaving them more time to grow their businesses and to manage complex issues with their professional advisers,” said Daniel Hogan, Director of Business Tools at Starling.

User response

One customer cited in the research said AI had been useful for initial checks on the tax changes, but not for more serious advice.

“AI platforms are not usually where I’d get tax information from, but they were useful for searching about the Making Tax Digital changes. It may be helpful in future for low-level research, but for more serious advice, I’ll stick with the experts. It’s great that Starling has created a free HMRC-recognised Making Tax Digital tool for sole traders like me. It’s taken a weight off my mind,” Dr Emily Durling, Clinical Psychologist and Starling customer, said.

Starling’s accounting product has two pricing tiers. Its Essentials plan is free and aimed at sole traders, landlords and small businesses. Its Plus plan is designed for VAT-registered businesses and costs £7 a month until April 2027, then £14 a month.

The bank has previously introduced other AI-based customer tools, including services focused on spending insights and scam detection. Its latest research suggests that, for many sole traders, AI’s immediate appeal lies less in cutting advisory costs than in getting quick answers to routine questions as tax administration becomes more digital.