Biography:

Halil
Vice President of Tax | Tax Lawyer | Author | Lecturer

With over 13 years of extensive tax experience across Europe and the Middle East, Halil has guided international companies through complex tax landscapes in Europe and the MENAP region. His career blends advisory expertise with nearly 5 years as an in-house tax advisor, where he provided strategic guidance and successfully implemented effective tax solutions.

Halil also spent 8 years working at Big 4 firms, KPMG and PwC, where he gained invaluable experience advising clients on a wide range of tax matters. This foundation helped him build a strong technical background and the ability to address complex tax challenges with confidence.

In his most recent role, Halil established and developed a comprehensive tax function in response to the UAE’s introduction of Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing, and Pillar 2 rules. His work included designing compliance frameworks, optimizing corporate structures, and embedding tax processes into business operations. This hands-on approach showcases his ability to translate complex regulations into practical, actionable solutions.

Halil holds a Bachelor’s in Dutch Law, a Master’s in International and European Taxation (Direct Taxes) from the University of Amsterdam, and a Post Master’s in Indirect Taxes from Maastricht University. He is the author of Fundamentals of GCC VAT, a reference for tax professionals in over 20 countries, and is currently working on a new book in the Direct Tax space. Additionally, he lectures at Middlesex University Dubai and the University of Amsterdam.

Known for his thoughtful and collaborative approach, as well as his ability to build meaningful relationships, Halil is valued by peers and professionals across the UAE, GCC, and Europe.

Biography:

Karen is a solicitor, as well as being a CTA, with 30 years' experience in defending claims against accountants. In that time she saw where claims commonly arose and developed a good understanding of risk, and that led her to writing a well-regarded book on risk management for accountants and tax advisers, and to ultimately passing the Institute of Risk Management exams.

Karen then set up her own business advising professionals on how to manage risk in their own businesses, giving advice in a practical and pragmatic way, to help people avoid the traps that so many unwary have fallen into over the years.

She is a popular and regular speaker at industry events on risk issues, and has set up a 'RiskBites(c) club' to help people with a risk helpline and monthly risk training and discussions.

Biography:

Phil Vernon is the Head of Business Rates projects at PwC, and has been advising clients on local property tax issues for the last 15 years. He was formerly Head of Business Rates for Liberata UK, who provided an outsourced revenues service for Sheffield City Council.

At PwC, Phil provides public and private sector clients with advice on complex rating matters, provides legal analysis on points of law and advises clients on how rating practice interacts with rating law. Phil also assists corporate clients in their rating appeals, up to and including Valuation Tribunals and the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Phil has been an Honors member of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) since 2002 and has 30 years experience in local taxation law and practice.

Biography:

Claire has specialised in employment tax for over 20 years. During this time she has worked with a wide range of clients from owner managed businesses to listed companies. Claire is currently a Partner at Azets and has previously worked in other professional firms, as well as in industry.

Biography:

Ian has been in the payroll profession for over 30 years, processing payrolls from all sectors, large and small. He moved from hands-on exposure in 2011 to become involved in educating the profession. His wide-ranging experience and up-to-date knowledge ensures he can impart this information to UK professionals through course material, social media, newsletters and face-to-face presentations.

However, educating the profession cannot be achieved without knowing how the profession works on a day-to-day basis and involvement with hands-on administration is essential. So, today, Ian operates as a consultant and advisor and is involved with a vital aspect of the payroll and reward environment, that of working with the software that does a lot of the hard work for the profession.

The return to being involved in a hands-on environment has not stopped his desire to inform, educate and train the UK payroll profession. Indeed, this is now better-achieved, as he can draw on real processing situations.

Ian approaches education and communication very much from the perspective of how this will impact the software, the employer and the worker. So, whilst the legislation is vital, compliance and effective communication are paramount.

Ian is Companion of the Institute for Certified Bookkeepers (ICB), committee member of the British Computer Society (BCS), a committee members of the ICAEW’s Tax Faculty and a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP).

Biography:

Career:
1994-now
PKF Munkebo Vindelev

• Audit and assurance
• Tax and counselling
• Responsible for company’s Caseware Platform
• Auditor of small and medium-sized companies
• Auditor of a number of foreign owned subsidiaries
• Auditor of companies with activities abroad

Education:

• 2011 Appointed State Authorised Public Accountant
• 2007 Master of Science in Business Administration and Auditing Copenhagen Business School
• 2001 Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Financial and Management Accounting), Copenhagen Business School

Biography:

Jenny Tragner is a Director and Head of Policy at ForrestBrown, leading the technical approach for the firm on all aspects of R&D tax relief.

She is an experienced chartered accountant and ATT fellow with a wealth of expertise in all aspects of R&D tax. She specialises in supporting businesses with complex cases involving R&D reliefs, including dispute resolution and tax advisory projects.

She began her career at KPMG in 2002 and has specialised in R&D tax for the past 15 years. In this time, she has advised many of the UK’s most innovative companies.

Jenny is an expert in R&D tax policy and has contributed to numerous consultations on R&D tax relief over the course of her career.

She co-authored the Tolley’s Tax Digest on R&D tax relief and is a regular contributor to publications including Taxation and Bloomberg Tax. In November 2022, Jenny was invited to give evidence to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee inquiry into the incentive. She also contributes to TolleyGuidance Corporate module.

Biography:

Ian Maston is a Partner at Gabelle LLP. He is a non-practising Solicitor and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He has spent almost 20 years advising on all aspects of inheritance tax, trust taxation and estate planning. He is the author of Tolley's UK Taxation of Trusts and Hutton on Estate Planning, and provides specialist monthly tax updates to tax practitioners and lawyers through the Monthly Tax Review.

Biography:

Morag is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants in England and Wales and an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Governance, with almost thirty years’ experience in advising clients on accounting and tax matters. Morag has a wealth of experience and knowledge, specifically of the healthcare sector [private and NHS], with over 25 years working with clients across all aspects of healthcare provision.

Based in Armstrong Watson’s Leeds office, Morag is a partner and head of the specialist Healthcare Services Team. Morag leads by example and ensures her team all adopt a proactive approach to developing and managing robust client relationships. “Understanding our clients’ aspirations enables us to share timely and relevant advice with them, and where appropriate, affording time to implement mitigating action to minimise any potential financial risk”.

With regards to the healthcare sector, Armstrong Watson is a member of AISMA [Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants], a strategic partner to the MDU / DDU, listed as a specialist medical accountant and tax advisor with Medics Money and a member of the UK200 Healthcare Group, all of which demonstrate our expertise in this field.

Morag contributes to Tolley’s Tax Planning and to TolleyGuidance OMB.

Biography:

With more than 20 years of experience in both industry and consultancy across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia, Rubeena specializes in cross-border taxation and transfer pricing in Africa and the Middle East.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and qualified in International Tax and Transfer Pricing at the Chartered Institute of Taxation UK.

Rubeena is the author of the Mauritius country guide in Tolley’s Global Mobility/Employment Taxes.

Biography:

Mala is a Chartered Tax Adviser and non-practising Solicitor and Accountant. She trained with a top ten professional services firm where she worked in the tax investigations department and gained experience in a wide range of personal and corporate taxes. She joined the tax investigations team at a boutique tax consultancy and developed her portfolio before moving to a tax investigations firm.

Mala specialises in preparation of disclosures to HMRC and resolution of tax enquiries and CoP8 and 9 Investigations. She has experience in a range of situations – self-employment, property, owner managed businesses, non-UK domiciled individuals – and taxes; direct income taxes as well as PAYE, VAT and SDLT.

She is a well-known tax author, having had several articles published by the professional press including Taxation Magazine, Bloomsbury Professional and Tax Adviser. She also regularly lectures online and in person for the CIOT, AAT, ICAEW and CIMA, including at CIOT and CIMA conferences.

Mala was a finalist in the “Best Rising Star in Tax” category as part of Tolleys Taxation Awards 2020. The Awards are known for identifying excellence in tax. Being shortlisted for the award demonstrates Mala’s commitment to the tax profession as well as her technical excellence as supported by testimonials from clients and other tax experts.

Mala founded the London Tax Society in 2017 and actively encourages networking and technical development for young professionals.

To contact Mala, please email: mala@londontaxnetwork.co.uk or call 0203 953 6660.

Biography:

Wouter Brackx is a Partner with Moore Belgium. For over twenty years, he has been giving VAT advice to domestic and international clients on operational business matters and restructurings.  Prior to joining Moore Belgium in December 2020, Wouter worked with PwC (2000 to 2010) and was a Partner with PKF-VMB (2011-2020).

Wouter primarily works for dynamic businesses/groups with international activities, mainly in the areas of manufacturing & distribution,  leasing, services and technology.  He is pragmatic, hands-on and has a strong solution focus, based on know-how.

Wouter is an expert in VAT planning (avoiding unnecessary VAT costs/registrations), VAT risk identification & mitigation, VAT cash flow optimizations (supply chain), VAT automation and international VAT compliance coordination. He also provides assistance in obtaining advance rulings from the Belgian Ruling Commission. He and his team also have significant experience in due diligence work for private equity funds.

Biography:

Sarah specialises in all aspects of real estate fund taxation including fundraising and advising on equity investments into real estate.

Her experience includes:

• complex high-value real estate transactions;
• structuring a variety of different investment platforms domiciled in a diverse range of jurisdictions; and
• acting for institutional investors and private equity real estate funds.

Sarah is a member of the Investment Association's Tax Committee and the Stamp Taxes Practitioners Group.

Biography:

After finishing her A Levels, Juliet joined a small regional firm where she completed her AAT and ACA qualification before moving to a small firm in London where she became CTA qualified. While in practice she worked across the taxes and disciplines preparing accounts, auditing, VAT returns, corporate and personal tax, and work with trusts.

Juliet joined Tolley in 2017 having spent over 10 years with another well-known training provider. She teaches a range of subjects including Owner Managed Businesses and Inheritance Tax, Trusts and Estates.

Biography:

Debbie trained as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand in London before moving into exam training in 1998 and becoming CTA qualified in 2000.

Debbie has taught tax and accountancy across various qualifications for over twenty years and was a member of the ICAEW tax exam team for a number of years.

Debbie joined Tolley Exam Training in 2004. She teaches across the ATT and CTA qualifications and is involved in material production.

Biography:

As a member of the ICAEW and CIOT Nick specialises in technical corporate tax planning and company reorganisations advising on a variety of projects from mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts and demergers to venture capital schemes (EIS/SEIS) and employee incentives including share schemes.

Nick is a regular writer for various tax journals with articles published in Taxation, Tax Adviser and ICAEW Taxline. He also contributes to Tolley's Tax Planning.

Presenting regular lectures to fellow professionals through various CPD providers including MBL, CPDStore and a variety of CIOT branches.

Nick is host of the Jerroms Miller Tax Hour podcast.

Biography:

Chris joined the Tolley Exam Training team in 2012 to teach on a range of tax exam courses including ATT and CTA.

Chris started his career with Deloitte where he qualified as a chartered accountant and then progressed to do his CTA exams where he was a Stanley Spofforth Medal winner.  He then spent a number of years with Kaplan.

Chris is a well-known personality in the tax world, particularly in the North-East, where he has taught tax on a wide range of exam courses and CPD events. He was a committee member of the North East Branch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (having previously been Chairman).

He teaches mainly on Taxation of Individuals and Owner Managed Businesses and is Head of the Newcastle centre.

Biography:

During a long career, mainly spent training students for the ATT and CTA examinations, Simon has played a small role in starting the careers of many a tax professional. During the last 18 years at Tolley he has spent most of that time leading the Tax Examinations business but has now relinquished that position to return to presenting courses again.

Prior to joining Tolley he spent time as a student at Arthur Young (now EY) where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, and Financial Training (now Kaplan) where he discovered a love of all things tax, which made studying and passing the ATII (now CTA) exams that little bit easier. He returned to EY in 2000, to work in their National Tax Training Team before joining Tolley in 2006.

Simon joined the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) Council in 2018 and is the Association’s immediate past President. He also serves on their Finance Steering Group, as well as a number of working parties.