Mr Cameron has joined forces with fellow professionals Michael McAllister at Johnston Carmichael, Linda Kelly at French Duncan and a further eight colleagues from firms across England to launch the Payroll Bureau Association (PBA).

The PBA is designed to represent payroll specialists by providing a strong support network, including lobbying HMRC on legislative and technical issues, and promoting professional qualifications to enhance standards.

The new group is also focused on bolstering the numbers of people opting for a career within payroll where there is a current skills shortage in the UK.

The new organisation, which has already signed up 180 members working within the payroll profession across the UK, will hold its inaugural meeting in early June before developing a detailed operating framework.

Neil Cameron said: “I’m delighted to join like-minded industry colleagues to launch the Payroll Bureau Association, an exciting and progressive development for our profession. This new organisation will serve as a means of raising standards and attracting more people into this field, which is crying out for new talent.

“The implementation of the UK Government’s Covid-19 furlough scheme underlines the importance of the payroll function, which has never been more critical within companies and organisations.

“Most employers now find themselves in a position where they need the highest professional standards from their payroll providers to ensure they are on top of legislation and deadlines. This new group will do that while also sharing knowledge and providing support, helping bring the payroll profession into line with other client accounting services.”