Tax compliance services

John Brassington

John is based in our Tax department where he specialises in providing tax advice and planning for personal tax clients and ensuring all personal tax compliance requirements are met. With his many years of experience John is in an ideal position to advise our clients on the tax implications of their affairs, offering tax planning opportunities to structure their tax more efficiently.

John ‘s experience stretches across many of the direct tax areas and he is involved in helping clients with not only their personal tax, but also with partnerships, corporate and trust tax needs.

With the ever changing tax legislation John has found that his in depth knowledge of his clients helps him be a trusted reference point in their tax affairs.

Away from the office, John is willing to watch almost any sport, although he says his days of actually taking part in sporting activities are long behind him.

Jonathan Farrow

Jonathan advises on structuring personal and business affairs for non-UK High Net Worth individuals and businesses, particularly from Europe, Africa and the Far East. Jonathan regularly travels abroad to meet with clients and being fluent in French and German means he can engage with clients who speak English as a second language. He has also studied Chinese Mandarin and is now studying Spanish to further improve his language skills.

Jonathan works with clients who are looking to invest in the UK and provides assistance in the process of setting up their investments, homes and new business here in the UK. Providing such assistance has proved key to many clients moving to the UK.

Supporting international clients and their UK based businesses is a key focus of Jonathan’s work.

Jonathan is company secretary of MGI Worldwide, an international network of independent audit, tax, accounting and consulting firms. Having a direct involvement with MGI Worldwide means that Jonathan is ideally placed to advise UK business. Please see our International pages for more information about MGI Worldwide.

Outside of work, Jonathan has run numerous marathons worldwide from New York to Rome and is a golf enthusiast.

Steve Baxter

Steve is a qualified Chartered Accountant and heads up our Audit and Assurance department where he oversees the preparation and completion of financial statements for a range of small and medium-sized businesses across a range of sectors. He takes a technical lead in applying changes to accounting regulations making sure our clients keep compliant.

Steve is intrinsically involved in our audit work and has responsibility for the smooth running of the firm’s audit engagements, from the planning through to the execution and completion of an assignment. He helps provide consistency of work across our clients.

Steve’s skills extend to working in the regulated areas of Solicitors Accounts Rules assignments and working with charities. His other clients involve international groups and a wide range of companies and LLPs.

Away from the office he enjoys both playing and watching football.

James Clerkin

James began his tax career in 1999, having attained a degree in History at UCL and post-graduate diplomas in Law and Legal Practice at the College of Law. He has built up extensive tax knowledge in a variety of areas, including corporate tax structuring and planning, business acquisitions and disposals, HM Revenue enquiries and disclosures, capital tax planning, de-enveloping UK residential property, tax on separation and divorce and Stamp Duty Land Tax reliefs.

He has developed a particular interest in the taxation of UK resident non-UK domiciled individuals, advising clients on pre-UK arrival tax planning and tax-saving opportunities such as Temporary Workplace Relief, Overseas Workday Relief, Business Investment Relief and the judicious use of Trusts as well as the UK’s various anti-tax avoidance rules.

He has 25 years tax experience, much of which has involved advising international clients with complex tax affairs, at both personal and corporate levels.  His work includes pre-UK arrival tax planning for non-UK domiciled individuals immigrating to the UK, utilising tax reliefs, setting up tax efficient trust structures and corporate restructuring. He also advises clients leaving the UK, particularly in relation to the Statutory Residence Test and the Temporary Non-Residence Rules. Much of our wok originates from the MGI network, which greatly enhances our international tax offering.

Outside of work, James still enjoys the occasional game of football but these days mainly enjoys watching his children participate in athletics, cricket, rugby and football.

James Beecher

James advises individuals and companies, both in the UK and overseas, on all aspects of audit, accountancy and taxation matters. He advises international clients, particularly from India and Africa, on how to structure trade and investments offshore, as well as assisting clients in establishing operations in the UK. James’ clients cover a broad range of activities from personal consulting companies, OMB’S, to subsidiaries of international groups, each with their own different accounting needs.

Many of James’ clients operate to tight reporting deadlines, being part of large listed groups or to meet more complex treasury management needs. With his team, these needs are met and delivered on a timely basis.

James works with clients to support their accounting functions, increasingly using cloud based software such as Xero and Quick Books on line. Working with the client, specific management reporting is provided which includes providing advice and assistance with the compliance of VAT, which can be a complex area.

As well as assisting with the establishment of branches or subsidiaries in the UK, James also advises on structures using offshore trusts and companies where appropriate for the client.

Outside of work, James focuses on fitness and enjoys running and pilates.

Rebecca Brabrook

Rebecca heads up our Management accounts department which includes our book-keeping services, management accounts preparation, VAT returns and related advice. She also has responsibility for our on-line accounting service, which is provided as part of our Management accounts section.

Rebecca has much experience in accounting for VAT across a broad range of businesses which supply both goods and services. For our Internationally connected clients, Rebecca is familiar with the cross- border VAT accounting needs requiring registration both here in the UK and abroad, the reverse charge procedures and the additional reporting in the form of Intrastat and EC Sales List (ECSL) forms.

Rebecca works closely with our clients providing them confidence that their accounting needs are met and to allow them to concentrate on what they are good at, namely running their businesses.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys travelling and making cupcakes for her family and friends and coming up with different ideas and flavours.

Sarah Squires

Sarah works with a wide range of clients and has a wealth of experience of small and medium-sized businesses here in the UK, but also includes auditing international groups of companies. Sarah’s focus is to assist her clients in defining and achieving their goals. By her close involvement she is able to identify and tackle the challenges facing these businesses as well as dealing with their statutory duties with regards to accounting, auditing and tax.

Where Sarah works closely with her clients she is in an ideal position to provide advice on matters that are important to them including planning for the future, how to do their management accounting, tax planning and providing VAT support and assistance.

In addition to Sarah being a Chartered Accountant and Registered Auditor, Sarah is experienced in the regulated areas of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Accounts Rules and Charities, which are specialist areas for the firm and require her detailed knowledge in these areas.

Sarah’s involvement with her clients and her relationships with other professional contacts has given her the opportunity to work on various due diligence assignments involving small and medium-sized companies, providing reports and advice based on her findings.

Outside of work Sarah likes to keep fit, although socialising with friends and family does take priority.

Tracey Wickens

Tracey advises on our UK corporate clients, from start up entrepreneurial companies, OMBs, UK subsidiaries of international groups and parents of large international groups.

Being both a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, Tracey is ideally placed to provide guidance for UK companies as they start and grow through to maturity. As a result of over 25 years’ experience in working with UK companies, Tracey has become the firm’s technical resource for Audit & Assurance matters, with knowledge spanning across many different industries and business activities.

Tracey works with her clients by developing growth strategies and tax planning for effective management of costs and profitability. This is facilitated by attending management meetings with clients, as required, to help develop their strategies and providing advice by phone and email.

Tracey has responsibility for the firm’s forensic work, which includes both business valuations and due diligence work. This includes work on business acquisitions, valuation for matrimonial matters and where there has been fraud suspected within a company.

Outside of work, Tracey is a qualified rugby referee. She also manages and coaches youth netball and plays herself. In addition, she has been known to do a bit of running too.