RSM Ebner Stolz surpasses €535 million as audits surge nearly 20% in fiscal year 2025
RSM Ebner Stolz recorded a record €535 million in revenue in fiscal year 2025, marking the firm’s first half‑billion euro year as audit fees jump almost 20%.
RSM Ebner Stolz reported that consolidated revenues across audit, tax, legal and consulting rose by more than 11% in the 2025 financial year to €535 million, the first time the partnership has exceeded the half‑billion euro mark. The audit practice was the fastest‑growing segment, climbing nearly 20% to almost €164 million, fueled in part by new assignments from listed and corporate clients. The firm signalled the growth underlines both rising client demand and continued investment in digital processes and specialist teams.
Audit fee growth driven by new mandates
The audit division’s expansion to nearly €164 million reflects an inflow of larger and more complex engagements, company officials said. Among the clients cited as contributing to the increase were a publicly listed retail property investor and a major firm that rents bicycles to corporate employees, demonstrating breadth across sectors.
Partners attributed the jump to a combination of winning new mandates and scaling specialist audit teams to handle bigger, group‑level assignments. The result was unusually strong year‑on‑year growth for an audit practice of this size and profile.
Revenue composition and service performance
Across the partnership’s main service lines—Wirtschaftsprüfung (audit), Steuerberatung (tax), Rechtsberatung (legal) and Consulting—overall revenues climbed more than 11% year‑on‑year. Consulting and tax services continued to contribute steady income while legal advisory work benefited from regulatory and transactional demand.
The firm said the size and diversification of revenues have allowed the development of cross‑disciplinary teams so clients in the upper middle market can draw on tailored expertise without relying on a centralised service‑line model common at larger firms.
Partnership governance and client responsibility
Holger Jenzen, the partnership spokesperson, emphasised that RSM Ebner Stolz operates without a central executive board or traditional service lines, and is run as a partnership of roughly 240 partners. He described his role as the voice of the partnership rather than the corporate chief executive and said clients are assigned a responsible partner who works directly on mandates.
That team‑led structure, the firm argues, aligns with the priorities of its mid‑market clients by ensuring partner accountability and continuity on engagements. Partners say the model also supports the establishment of specialised groups across audit, tax and advisory disciplines as the firm grows.
Position on financial investors entering advisory and audit
The partnership addressed a broader market debate about financial investors taking stakes in the fast‑growing audit and advisory sector. While acknowledging that private equity and other financial investors can bring capital for digitalisation, the firm stated that an external investor is not under consideration for RSM Ebner Stolz.
At the same time, partners described financial investors as important clients and business partners in the market. The firm’s position was framed as a deliberate choice by the partnership rather than a categorical rejection of outside investment in the profession.
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence in practice
RSM Ebner Stolz said it has automated a large share of routine audit and advisory processes, from intake of client data to tax return preparation and automated checks on tax notices. According to partner statements, automation has reduced the number of repetitive tasks historically used to train junior staff, shifting the emphasis of training and on‑the‑job development.
Partners view artificial intelligence as an enabler that speeds up initial assessments of complex tax or accounting questions, while stopping short of replacing professional judgment. The firm urged that AI should be used to augment human advisers, who remain necessary for comprehensive solutions that account for legal, commercial and client‑specific factors.
Recruitment challenges and professional examinations
Looking ahead, partners highlighted talent supply as a key strategic issue. The firm said the demanding professional examinations for tax advisors and auditors remain a deterrent for many potential candidates, contributing to a shortage of qualified specialists in the market.
RSM Ebner Stolz urged adjustments in how junior professionals are trained and supported, arguing that the profession must make pathways more accessible while maintaining rigorous standards. Partners said the combination of career freedom, client responsibility and varied work should be emphasised to attract entrepreneurial candidates.
The partnership described the record year as an inflection point that enables further investment in specialist teams, technology and training while preserving its partner‑led structure and client accountability model.
