What is your role within RG?
I am a Director in the Business Tax Team.
Tell me about your career to date…
I started my professional career in accountancy working for a small local firm as a bookkeeper. I then joined Ryecroft Glenton over 30 years ago as a trainee accountant, studying towards the AAT, ATT and then ACCA exams.
Having previously shown an interest in tax I was asked whether I wanted to move across to tax and study for the CIOT exams. That move was nearly 30 years ago, and I have been helping clients navigate the tax system ever since.
What does your current role involve?
Whilst I am a member of the Business Tax Team my role in the practice is wide reaching, with the advice I provide covering the full business life cycle, from inception to compliance/tax planning throughout the life of the business, through to exit. Working alongside my corporate finance colleagues I provide transactional tax support on acquisitions, disposals, management buy outs, employee ownership trusts, employee share reward schemes etc.
I also provide compliance and advisory support to several of our high-net-worth individual clients, including advice on succession, wealth retention and IHT planning.
What makes RG different?
From a client perspective being their ‘trusted adviser’, harnessing a wealth of experience across our service lines and collaboratively working with our clients is what sets us apart. This is why we have so many long-standing client relationships, often spanning generations within a family.
I also believe that internally we also attract the right people, who are not just interested in their day-to-day role, but also in understanding what our other service lines do, which enables us to work collaboratively to identify tax or risk saving opportunities for clients.
My most notable achievements to date would be….
Family and professional qualifications aside, I would say that from a professional perspective having the opportunity to be part of a team supporting clients through high profile/value transactions which were technically challenging and stimulating.
I am also proud to have been a volunteer for Tax Help for Older People for over 16 years and to be able to continue to help with the valuable work which they carry out.
Tell us about your day so far….
I wake early and go to the gym first thing, before heading into the office at 7:30am.
The highlights today were:
- Providing tax advice to shareholders who are looking to exit their business, which included CGT advice on initial and deferred consideration, and how we can offer support from a transactional perspective.
- Discussions with an existing client on the corporation tax returns for the group, including discussions relating to R&D projects carried out during the year, whilst discussing upcoming changes to the tax system and how this may impact on their business and personal tax position going forward
- Providing advice to shareholder who are looking to implement an employee share reward scheme, including discussions around implementation and vesting conditions to be included in the share option agreements.
I end the working day by checking my emails before leaving to collect my son from school.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
Generally enjoying family life. My wife works for the NHS and often works unsociable hours which allows me to inflict my poor cooking skills on our children.
Post Covid I have rediscovered the garden and try to spend as much time there where possible, either gardening, listening to the wildlife or reading a book.
And finally, leave us with one interesting fact about yourself…
I have anosmia (lack of a sense of taste/smell) which may explain the poor cooking skills!