30 Recent Practice Sales: Who, What and Why Unpacked

 Published May 2026

DMY's latest six-monthly release of Market Data and Insights for accounting practice sales has been released here:  DMY Latest Market Data - May 2026. It contains data and insights on 30 practice sales over the past 14 months including selling prices,  levels of buyer activity, retention terms, time to sell as well as key trends over the past five years.

Here we take a deeper dive into the profile of the 30 practice sales that underpin this Market Data: service lines, levels of fees sold, age of sellers, reasons for selling and the gender of buyers and sellers.

Demand for practices remains high and competition intense with a diverse pool of buyers both local and interstate, large and small. Sellers cannot be complacent though. Whether you are planning to buy or sell,  this is a valuable read to build your understanding of the market and set yourself up for a successful outcome. 

Key Findings

 1. Not surprisingly, the majority of practices sold focus on core tax and accounting services with differing levels of business advisory. There is also healthy demand for finance function/bookkeeping practices.

Fees Sold

 2. The majority of practices sold had fees < $1m reflecting the fragmented nature of the accounting sector in  Australia. 

The majority of practices sold will always skew towards smaller practices (<$1 million) given the sheer volume of these across Australia .  The largest practice in this cohort of data had fees of $4.5m, while DMY currently has three practices in market with fees of $4 - 5 million+. 

2. 33% of sellers are aged under 60 which reflects a consistent trend since COVID where more owners are electing to sell earlier in their careers and for reasons other than imminent retirement.

It is increasingly challenging to successfully run a small practice  - particularly finding and retaining talented accountants, managing regulatory and policy complexity, and getting to grips with AI.  DMY anticipate there will continue to be a significant number of younger sellers and people looking to sell not to exit but to secure the support and resources of a larger firm. 

Our youngest seller this period was aged 37 and had built a successful bookkeeping and advisory practice in a short time frame before deciding to pursue new career opportunities.

2. Almost one third of sellers are selling not to retire. They are seeking a career or lifestyle change, a medium term transition to retirement or managing succession planning in a multi-owner firm. 

There will always be a strong cohort of owners who are selling to enable their imminent retirement (typically after a 12 months transition). The interesting trend though is the number of people who are selling for other reasons. Career or lifestyle change, and selling but not looking to exit are both increasingly common. This is consistent with the challenge of running a small practice - sellers are either choosing to leave the industry, significantly step back or reset their role so they can keep working with clients but without the stress of running their practice.

 2. Around 30% of sellers are female with another c. 13% representing a cohort of mixed sellers.  A significant gender gap remains with buyers with just four out of 30 being female (with another c. 13% representing a cohort of mixed buyers).

A total of 43% of sellers are either female or mixed (female/male) (compared to 36% in November 2025).  There remains a noticeable gender gap amongst buyers with four female buyers and four in the mixed buyer cohort. We remain confident that the percentage of female buyers will increase over the medium to long term given we encounter plenty of successful female practice owners with strong growth aspirations.

The Wrap

Sellers are a diverse bunch. Plenty fit the "traditional" profile: male, fees under $1 million, ready to retire.  However plenty don't.  Around 43% of sellers are female or from the mixed cohort, and it's no longer unusual to see sellers aged in their 30s and 40s. Running a successful accounting practice is complex and requires energy and commitment.  As a result more and more owners are electing to either retire earlier to enjoy the fruits of their labour or make a career or lifestyle change that no longer involves running a public practice.  

Sellers should go to market being able to clearly articulate: why they are selling, what success looks likes,  and what their ideal role is post sale (be that a transition role or something more enduring). 

Buyers who take the time to understand the seller's perspectives and provide flexible solutions to meet their needs, will stand out from the pack and be better placed to compete and win. 

To discuss these findings in more detail and what they mean specifically for your situation, contact DMY’s Directors below: