Celebrating a century of success

4/3/2024

S.H. Tait & Co Chartered Accountants will celebrate 100 years in business this month. The business was established in 1924 and its century of history included a major transformational shift in its business philosophy 65 years ago.
That is when John Tait, the son of founder Stanley Howard Tait, joined the firm in 1959 and S.H. Tait became S.H. Tait and Co. By then the firm had grown to employ 12 and there was a focus on innovation.
"Dad had wanted the business to be more than just about doing people's taxes,” John Tait said. It was the vision I had as well," he said.
“Our philosophy was to be there to give business owners advice and support. We provided support to develop their business plans and guide people through financial difficulty towards success.
“We worked with people to support them in managing their businesses, to keep their financials in order – to offer complete business services.”
The new chapter that unfolded in 1959 when John Tait joined the business brought with it another shift. Together, they decided it was time to buy a building to house the expanding accountancy enterprise.
Kumara House, located at the intersection of Victoria and Sydney Streets, previously Wills Hotel, became the new location for S.H. Tait & Co.
The business moved to its current location at City Plaza in Wood Street in 1984.
Throughout the decades, S.H. Tait & Co's evolution continued, with new partners including Greg Whitmore who became a partner in 1968, Michael Casey and Alan Eames, who became partners in 1979.
John Tait retired from the practice in June 1988, leaving those three partners to continue on without a Tait for a short time until Peter Tait, John’s son and Stan’s grandson, became a partner in 1995.
The firm’s current partners, Adam Parrish, Stephen Amos, Monica McKendry, John Philps, and Kristelle Lamb have continued to grow the business.
S.H. Tait and Co now employs 36 staff and lodges more than 5000 income tax returns each year. The firms’ client base includes businesses from a variety of different industries across the Mackay region. The firm also provides pro-bono services to a number of local charities and not-for -profit organizations.
Monica McKendry, who has organised a function for staff and clients to celebrate S.H Tait & Co’s 100th year in business, said that the business was all about people and that the services could not be delivered without the skills and dedication of the employees of the business.
“The current partners of the firm are proud to be part of the Mackay business community. We have assisted several generations of families with taxation services and business advice. We have six of our staff members with more than 15 years’ service and two of these with more than 40 years of service. We have been around for a long time and will continue to be”.