Private Client Tax Director

Overview of Firm

PKF is the 12th largest accountancy brand and the 12th largest audit practice in the UK. We are also an active member of PKF Global, an international network of legally independent accounting firms that gives us an on the ground presence in 150 countries around the world with access to more than 20,000 people across 440 offices globally.

We provide a full range of audit, accountancy, tax and advisory services, and are experts at simplifying complexity. We are particularly well-known for working with complex clients with challenging issues in fast-moving and highly technical areas, such as the insurance industry, the global capital markets and the not for profit sector. Our aim is to understand people, the organisations they run, and what matters to them, so we can simplify complexity and help them achieve their ambitions.

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Introduction to the Division

Tax Division

The division provides VAT, Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing, Personal Tax, Global Mobility and Employment Tax compliance and advisory services to a wide range of clients and prides itself on the quality of service, high degree of professionalism and personal approach that is offered to each and every client.

The division has a growing number of Corporate Clients, with the team regularly involved in a number of transactional pieces of advisory work, across a variety of sectors and covering a variety of taxation issues. These can impact both the company and individuals, for example, demergers, restructuring, acquisitions and disposals.

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Responsibilities

Purpose and aim of the role

The role requires an ambitious, confident individual, with a strong academic background to join the Private Client Tax Team as a Private Client Director.

As a Team we have a very broad range of clients, including a number of HNW and UHNW individuals and family groups. Their tax affairs cover residence and domicile issues, UK and offshore Trusts, self-employed, company directors, landlords both resident and non-resident, with UK and overseas properties, partners of LLPs and LLCs.

The successful candidate will be a member of the Team, responsible for assisting the Partners in servicing clients, delivering private client services, managing people and functions within the team.

The role will involve an oversight of some private client compliance work, a variety of advisory services. and business development. Establishing and successfully developing client relationships will be a core part of the role.

The team is growing and promotion opportunities would be available in the future for a successful and ambitious candidate. Upon completion of probation, the successful candidate will be the primary relationship contact for a number of clients, and they will be expected to grow and develop the opportunities from these relationships, whilst also developing new ones, supporting and contributing to the growth of the team.

Client Responsibilities

To be responsible for a portfolio of clients, providing compliance and consultancy advice; responsibilities might include the following:

• Liaising with clients and colleagues
• Handling client queries
• Sign-off of letters/computations of returns prepared by the staff and reviewed by managers.
• Delivery of advisory work on a wide range of tax planning issues, such as Trust & Estate planning, International aspects including pre-arrival and pre-departure planning, pension planning, profit extraction and issues for owner managed businesses.
• Manage WIP and billing for own clients, ensuring commercial recoveries
• Responsibility for ensuring procedures are adhered to for clients on your allocation.
• Participating in and assisting with Business Development opportunities, including attending new client meetings, and contributing to the regular articles that the Team produces for external newsletters
• Responsibility for some administrative requirements and projects required to ensure the smooth operation of the Private Client Tax team.

Special work/adhoc assignments

• Opportunities to train staff on Private Client matters
• Investigation and resolution of Private Client queries

Opportunities will be available for the successful candidate to grow, take ownership of and be fully accountable in respect of new service or sector offerings.

People Management

The post-holder will be responsible for managing staff and will manage direct reports, including mentoring them on their career journey.

PKF Littlejohn LLP believes strongly in encouraging the personal development of each member of staff and the Firm supports and provides internal and external training courses as well as professional updates on technical and non-technical subjects. In addition to managing their own development, individuals are expected to encourage and take an active role in the training and development of trainees.

Opportunities

Career progression at PKF Littlejohn LLP is meritocratic. The Private Client Tax team is growing; there is therefore ample scope for progression. Career progression is reviewed at the annual appraisal.

Person Specification

• ACA/CA/CTA or equivalent
• Proven skills in PC work gained in practice
• A good understanding of PC principles
• Able to explain complex issues in a way non-PC experts will understand
• Up-to-date technical skills and experience, across a broad range of clients and areas of PC tax
• Ability to manage a client portfolio profitably.
• Excellent written English
• Ability to support with tax advisory matters and report writing.
• Good Excel skills
• Experience of CCH (including Tax Return element of software) preferred
• Experience of Virtual Cabinet would also be useful