Market Update: How local audit and tax expertise is strengthening Mid Ulster businesses – The Irish News – Full Analysis

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As Northern Ireland businesses continue to navigate a landscape marked by economic uncertainty, regulatory change, and evolving opportunities, one constant remains: the value of trusted, local professional advice. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Mid Ulster, an area renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit, engineering excellence, and strong family-business culture. Against this backdrop, the promotion of two new partners within AAB’s Dungannon office, Debbie Mullen in audit and Shane Martin in tax, is more than an internal milestone. It represents a strengthened commitment to supporting the region’s businesses at a pivotal time.

Mid Ulster’s economic backbone: Strong, local, and family led

Mid Ulster consistently ranks as one of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic business regions, driven by sectors such as engineering, agri-food, construction, and manufacturing. Many of these are long-established family businesses whose success rests on a combination of ambition, resilience, and strong governance.

These businesses face unique pressures: succession planning across generations, increasing scrutiny around compliance, and the need for forward-looking tax strategies to protect and grow family wealth. Add in the continued digitalisation of accounting and reporting requirements, and the need for hands-on, locally accessible expertise has never been greater.

Debbie and Shane who are both firmly rooted in the Dungannon community and the Mid Ulster business environment, reflect on the importance of having senior decision-makers on the ground who understand these local dynamics firsthand.

Local leadership at a time of increased regulation

Across both audit and tax, the regulatory landscape is shifting.

Audit requirements continue to tighten, with greater emphasis on risk assessment, fraud detection, and robust internal controls. Businesses are increasingly expected to demonstrate not just financial accuracy but strategic resilience, especially in industries with complex supply chains or volatile cost bases.

At the same time, tax legislation is undergoing significant evolution. Corporate tax complexity, enhanced reporting requirements, sustainability linked incentives, and changing HMRC approaches to enquiries mean that businesses need deeper, more proactive planning.

This is where local partner-led expertise is critical. The ability to sit across the table, understand operational realities, and apply technical knowledge in a practical, business focused way cannot be overstated. For many Mid Ulster companies, the challenges are not theoretical, they are lived daily in workforce planning, capital investment decisions, cashflow management, and preparing the next generation for leadership.

Having senior audit and tax advisers such as Debbie and Shane embedded within AAB’s Dungannon office ensures that the advice our clients receive is timely, informed, and tailored to the region’s business DNA.

Building resilience through strong audit foundations

The role of audit has grown well beyond compliance. In a fastmoving economic climate, audited financial statements are increasingly viewed as a strategic tool for decision-making.

For Mid Ulster businesses, a strong audit:

• Supports access to finance for expansion, new equipment, or property development.
• Enhances credibility with suppliers and customers.
• Identifies operational inefficiencies or risk exposures sooner.
• Assists with succession planning by building a transparent financial picture for the next generation.

For me, audit is about more than compliance. It’s about giving business owners confidence in their numbers so they can plan ahead, invest smartly, and protect what they’ve built. Mid Ulster businesses are incredibly resilient and our role is to support that resilience with clarity and reassurance

—  Debbie Mullen

As our newly promoted audit partner, Debbie Mullen brings not only deep technical expertise but a grounded understanding of local industry cycles. From the seasonality of agri business to international pressures affecting engineering and manufacturing supply chains. This local relevance helps convert financial data into meaningful business insights.

“For me, audit is about more than compliance,” Debbie says. “It’s about giving business owners confidence in their numbers so they can plan ahead, invest smartly, and protect what they’ve built. Mid Ulster businesses are incredibly resilient and our role is to support that resilience with clarity and reassurance.”

Tax strategy as a growth driver

Similarly, tax planning is no longer a once-a-year exercise, it is a key part of strategic growth.

Mid Ulster businesses are highly active investors, whether in new machinery, commercial property, land, R&D, or exporting capabilities. Each of these areas carries significant tax implications, but also significant opportunities when managed properly. From optimising capital allowances to planning effective business and personal tax structures, senior tax expertise in the region brings clarity at a time when owners are making bigger, more complex decisions.

Our job is to bring calm, clarity, and structure to decisions that matter deeply to families in this region

—  Shane Martin

Succession planning remains particularly important in our region. Many family businesses in Mid Ulster are now thinking about generational transition, management buyouts, or shared ownership structures. Early, thoughtful tax planning can make the difference between a smooth transition and an unnecessarily costly one. Strengthening our tax leadership locally allows us to guide families through these transitions with insight, sensitivity, and long-term strategic vision.

As the newly promoted tax partner, Shane Martin recognises the personal nature of this work.

“Tax is ultimately about helping people achieve their long-term goals,” Shane explains. “Whether that’s growing a business, passing it on to the next generation, or investing for the future, our job is to bring calm, clarity, and structure to decisions that matter deeply to families in this region.”

A commitment to the future of Mid Ulster

The promotion of two partners within AAB’s Dungannon office is not just recognition of individual achievements, it is an investment in the region. It signals our continued belief in the strength, resilience, and potential of Mid Ulster’s businesses.

As economic conditions continue to shift, whether through interest rate changes, supply chain pressures, or evolving government policy, the need for grounded, proactive, partner-led advice becomes even more essential. Our expanded leadership team ensures that businesses here can access Big Firm expertise without sacrificing the personal, relationship driven approach that Mid Ulster values.

Ultimately, our message is simple: we are committed to walking alongside local businesses through every challenge and every opportunity. With deeper senior expertise in both audit and tax, now strengthened by Debbie and Shane within our Dungannon office, we are better positioned than ever to help shape the next chapter of success for the region.