Andrew Brookes - CTA

Head of Employment Tax Solutions

About

I head up the Employment Tax Solutions Team at Menzies, helping clients engage and reward their people as tax efficiently as possible without risk.  I work with businesses in all sectors because all businesses need people.

Much of my time is spent helping clients get their processes and documentation right to ensure they are on the right side of the employment / self-employment line for their business requirements, or helping clients with PAYE, CIS or NMW challenges from HM Revenue & Customs.  Having said this, the more pleasurable aspect of my work is helping clients to maximise use of the available reliefs and exemptions so they can offer more to their people without additional cost to the business.  This helps clients attract and retain key personnel allowing this business to thrive.

I am really pleased about a client recently introduced to us for a second opinion over their tax position.  The client’s primary concern was that they would go to prison, not the amount potential tax settlement they faced, and consequently they were unable to sleep.  My first step was to explain the rules and assure the client that a custodial sentence was unlikely in these circumstances.  This immediately reduced stress levels and improved the wellbeing of the client, allowing us to focus on the tax problem and how to correct this as efficiently as possible.

Away from work I try to spend as much time as possible outdoors with my favourite activities being skiing, cycling, walking, dinghy sailing and kayaking.  The only problem is finding the time to fit all of this into!

How can I help you?  Removing risk from your business will add value as well as removing the potential cost and stress of an expensive tax settlement to HM Revenue & Customs if there is a successful challenge.  I would urge businesses to review their current position and ask themselves the question – am I happy that I have structured everything as effectively as possible so that I maximise the tax breaks and I am not vulnerable in the event of an HMRC review?  Unless the answer is an unequivocal “yes”, perhaps we should talk?