Valuation work in accounting and advisory practice

Chartered accountants encounter valuation questions in impairment testing, purchase price allocation, share-based payments, deferred consideration, going-concern analysis, and transaction advice. These assignments require discount rates and market inputs that are appropriate to the measurement date and supported by evidence.

For reviewers, the conclusion is only one part of the file. They also need to understand the source of the risk-free rate, the construction of the peer group, the regression settings used for beta, the basis for the market risk premium, and any changes from the previous reporting period.

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Topics for discussion

Chartered accountants touch valuation constantly, even when valuation is not the job title. Impairment testing, purchase price allocation, share-based payment, deferred consideration, going concern assessment and transaction advice all need a discount rate, and all of them get reviewed. The awkward part is rarely the model. It is the inputs. Where did the risk-free rate come from? Which index was the beta regressed against, over what period and at what frequency? Why that market risk premium? Was the peer group the same one used last year, and if not, why not?

smartZebra answers those questions by design. Every parameter is adjustable, every figure carries its source, and the full calculation path can be exported alongside the result. Our data is already used by auditing firms, advisory practices and tax authorities. If you are attending the conference, we would be glad to discuss with you:

• Impairment testing – deriving and documenting a defensible WACC for each cash generating unit ‍
• Purchase price allocation – peer-based inputs for intangible asset valuation ‍
• Beta factors – valuation-date precision, configurable regression settings and statistical quality metrics ‍
• Risk-free rates – daily-updated yield curves for major economies, aligned to your measurement date ‍
• Market risk premia – implied and historical, with the reasoning documented rather than assumed ‍
• Credit spreads and cost of debt – by rating and by term, including synthetic ratings ‍
• Multiples – trailing and forward-looking peer multiples, sector multiples across 20 sectors and more than 100 subsectors ‍
• AI in professional work – where automation genuinely helps, and where professional judgement has to stay in charge

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Why 16 October is worth the day out of the office

The 2026 programme is built around clarity in a changing world, future-focused leadership thinking, and turning insight into impact, with streams covering topics from MTD and sustainability to business advisory and regulatory change.

Underneath all of that sits a quieter theme: the standard of evidence expected from finance professionals keeps rising. Reviewers, regulators and audit committees ask for the derivation, not just the conclusion. Getting the data layer right is what makes the rest of it defensible.

The ICAEW Annual Conference takes place on Friday, 16 October 2026 at InterContinental London - The O2. Registration and the official programme are available from ICAEW. Participants can contact smartZebra before the conference to arrange a discussion about impairment testing, discount rates, peer groups, or audit documentation.

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Try smartZebra beforehand

✅ Start your free trial with smartZebra, and determine cost of capital, beta factors and multiples in minutes – no credit card needed, and the access expires automatically.

More know-how on specific modules & solutions: Transfer Pricing · Cost of Capital · Beta Factors · Multiples · Interest Rates