Nine tax specialists will be based at Affinia’s Ipswich office following a recruitment drive that has brought 10 people into the accountancy group’s expanding tax practice.
The appointments add experience in corporation tax and personal tax at a time when businesses and individuals are assessing the implications of the Autumn Budget, announced on 28 October.
Among the new arrivals is Andy Buchanan, who returns to Affinia after 12 years at BDO. He has more than 30 years’ experience advising private clients on complex tax matters and will lead the group’s Private Client Services compliance work across its 33 UK offices.
The recruitment also includes specialists working with Suffolk’s owner-managed businesses, larger corporate groups, entrepreneurs and families dealing with inheritance and succession planning.
Chris Farrow joined in September as an associate director and now leads the corporation tax team across Affinia’s East Anglia offices. With more than 20 years’ experience, he advises on corporation tax, company reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions and capital allowances. He is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians and the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Corporate tax manager Damian Joy previously spent 10 years at a top-10 global accountancy firm. His work covers tax compliance, capital allowances, acquisitions and group restructures for owner-managed businesses and multinational companies.
Fellow corporate tax manager Kit Townley brings more than seven years’ experience, including research and development tax relief, the use of losses and simplifying company structures. Away from the office, he volunteers with Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue.
On the private client side, Kieran McMorran joins as personal tax manager, advising individuals, trusts and estates, particularly on succession planning. He holds qualifications from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chartered Institute of Taxation and STEP, the professional body for trust and estate practitioners.
Eleanor Harvey joins the Ipswich office as an assistant manager. She has worked in tax for more than 20 years, including 12 at a top-five accountancy firm, and specialises in the taxation of individuals, sole traders and partnerships.
The Ipswich private client team also welcomes Jack Rowland as a tax semi-senior and Kemi Omoni as a tax trainee.
Alongside senior appointments, the recruitment includes roles at trainee and semi-senior level, bringing staff at different stages of their careers into the growing tax team based in Ipswich.
Another appointment is Caroline Batts, who joins Affinia’s London private client team as an associate director. A chartered tax adviser with 25 years’ experience, she has worked for a private bank and a top-five accountancy practice, advising high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and clients with international tax affairs.
Rob Thomson, Affinia’s head of tax, said: “Bringing Andy and this team into Affinia gives us considerably more corporate and personal tax expertise in East Anglia. They know the region and many have spent years working with businesses and individuals here, which matters when you are dealing with decisions that can have long-term financial consequences,” he said.
“The recent Autumn Budget has prompted many questions from individuals and businesses about what any tax changes mean for them in practice. Having more senior specialists based in Ipswich means we can help local companies understand those changes and decide how they should respond.”
The expanded team will support businesses reviewing their tax position, considering investment or restructuring, and planning for ownership changes. Private clients will be able to draw on advice concerning their personal circumstances, including succession and estates.
Affinia says the additional capacity will allow its regional practice to handle a wider range of work for established companies and individuals, including cases where a business decision has consequences for an owner’s personal tax position. Advisers will also deal with ongoing tax compliance, alongside more complex transactions and longer-term financial planning.
The hires build on Affinia’s existing Ipswich presence and come as the group continues to grow nationally. It is now one of the UK’s 20 largest accountancy firms, with 33 offices, about 1,600 staff and more than 25,000 clients. Annual revenue exceeds £160 million.
Affinia works with owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs and mid-sized organisations. Its services cover accountancy, tax and business advice.
