Biography:

Simon McKie is the Chairman of McKie & Co which won the ‘Best Tax Consultancy Team’ award in the 2012 and 2015 Taxation Awards and the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners award for ‘Boutique Firm of the Year’ in 2009/2010 and was most recently shortlisted in 2019.

Simon specialises in private client taxation providing bespoke tax advice to solicitors, accountants and private clients themselves.  This includes inheritance tax planning, advice on domicile and changes of residence status, offshore trusts, the remittance basis, the making of voluntary disclosures to HMRC and the review of existing tax structures.  In addition, he has a particular expertise in the management of complex tax legislation and the provision of expert witness reports.

He is the joint author of Tolley’s Estate Planning and McKie on Statutory Residence.

He is a member of both the Private Client (UK) and Private Client (International) sub-committees of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and a member of the Technical Committee of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners.

Biography:

Philip is an experienced Transfer Pricing director. He is a subject matter expert with experience in both industry and advisory. Having worked in financial services and the technology sector, he prides himself on providing pragmatic advice which is both easy to implement and provides suitable substantiation. He has experience advising clients across multiple sectors and has recently worked with a government to formulate transfer pricing policy. He has worked with multiple tax jurisdictions worldwide.

Biography:

Dr. Asif Zaman, alongside his academic career, also runs a private consultancy part-time. He is the founder and the CEO of EATAS Consulting LTD, UK (A Corporate Education and Training Consultancy). EATAS Consulting specialises in facilitating organisations adapting to the dynamic and complex business environment and advises corporates on organisational development, management, and leadership training to develop human capital.

Dr. Asif Zaman holds an MBA from the University of Wales, Institute Cardiff (UWIC), and a PhD in Corporate Finance / Islamic Banking and Finance from Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Affiliated professional bodies:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA), UK since 2011
• Academic Fellow of The Association of International Accountants FAIA(ACAD) since April 2015
• CMBE (Certified Management and Business Educator) by CABS (Chartered Association of Business Schools) since March 2020
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) (CIMA - Candidate), since 2017

His expertise lies in Islamic Banking and Finance, Corporate Finance and accounting, sustainable finance, and FinTech and Digital Finance.

Dr. Asif Zaman has over 20 years of extensive business management experience in diversified industries. His entrepreneurial expertise ranges from sales, retail, and project management to the property development sector. Before entering the world of academia, he successfully managed many small and medium-sized enterprises within the UK and internationally. He has worked with industry professionals in the financial sector for commercial and private lending.

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:

I am a lawyer with a specialist focus and master's degree in Labour Law. I have more than 10 years of experience in the employment/labour area, advising companies in the hiring, maintenance and termination of employment contracts. I am the contributor to the Brazil country guide for Tolley's Global Mobility: Employment Taxes.

Biography:

Sarah started her career as a Chartered Accountant working for Coopers and Lybrand, Birmingham in first audit and then tax, winning prizes in her ACA exams. Sarah quickly realised that her vocation was in training and after doing some internal tax training at Coopers joined BPP in 1993 where she was able to take a full time training role. She helped to establish a new BPP training office in Birmingham in 1993. Moving North in 1996 Sarah was involved again in opening another successful BPP training centre in Glasgow.

Sarah taught both accountancy and tax courses for all professional qualifications at BPP in Glasgow until 2010 where she was also responsible for managing and delivery of the ATT and CTA programme .She has gained an excellent reputation for her clear, informed and enthusiastic tax lectures.

Having sat the CTA exams in 2009, again winning prizes across the board; in 2010, Sarah joined the Tolley Exam Training team and is now involved in both writing and teaching across the CTA and ATT Qualifications. Sarah is now based at our Newcastle location.

Biography:

Dave Cooper has specialised in tax and NIC matters for over 40 years. He originally worked for the Inland Revenue as an inspector of taxes until the mid-1990s. Subsequently he moved into the Big-4 accountancy profession, and latterly he has run his own niche consultancy practice, focusing mainly on employer payroll obligations and associated tax and employee benefit matters. Dave joined the Tolley tax team in 2021 as an employment taxes writer.

Biography:

Tracey is a Partner in the Tax team at Osborne Clarke.

Part of Tracey's practice is advising on employment tax matters, especially in the recruitment sector, having advised in this area for many years. She often writes on the subject.

Tracey is also a chartered tax advisor.

Biography:

David Dorgan has established himself as one of the leading lawyers in Jersey combining strengths in private client and trusts, corporate and finance work.

He has a significant specialism in private and commercial trusts and foundations, focusing on providing technical advice on their establishment and on-going administration which is tailored for the practical and commercial requirements of clients. He has extensive experience of drafting bespoke and complex trust instruments and foundation regulations for high and ultra-high net worth individuals and families, preparing bespoke will trusts and providing documentation for SPV, philanthropy, charitable and non-charitable purposes.

David also has considerable experience in corporate and finance matters, in particular transactions involving trustees refinancing or selling and/or purchasing trust fund property and/or high net worth individuals or families entering into entrepreneurial ventures. He has also provided opinions to foreign courts, foreign revenue authorities and institutional lenders on complex issues relating to trust and corporate issues.

David is ranked by Chambers and Partners and Legal500 saying that he “is particularly timely in the delivery of his services, and has a keen technical and business acumen, ensuring advice is appropriate and cost-effective.” and that “He has a pragmatic and commercial approach on difficult matters and is very good at understanding the issues and coming up with reasonable solutions…His drafting is excellent and he can also liaise with other advisers and third parties with a good commercial view for the client.”

David graduated with a Master of Laws degree and qualified as a Jersey Solicitor in 2006, as a Jersey Advocate in 2008 and as a Jersey Notary Public in 2011. He is a member of the Jersey Finance Working Groups for Trusts, Foundations and Charities, is a full member of STEP and holds the Islamic Finance Qualification from CISI.

Biography:

James Kessler KC is particularly interested in taxation of foreign domiciliaries, offshore entities of all kinds, and trusts, wills and charities. Other interests include prosecution of tax crime in complex cases, particularly along the avoidance/evasion faultline, and freedom of information.

James has practiced as a barrister since 1985 and was appointed QC in 2003. He is also a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland.

He is in Band 1 in Chambers Directory in the Private Client Tax category, with a reference to "acumen and remarkable thoroughness of thought".

James is one of the founders of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, for whom he drafted the STEP Standard Provisions, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

James has received the Geoffrey Shindler Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession (STEP Private Client Awards, 2011).

James is a contributor to Tolley’s Tax Planning title.

Biography:

Barbara trained as a lawyer with top-tier firms in Brazil, gaining over 15 years of experience in tax law, with deep expertise in both national and international taxation. As the Head of the Tax Department at Andersen Ballão Advocacia, she leads a team of professionals advising on a wide range of tax matters, including corporate taxes, national and cross-border transactions, VAT, and tax disputes.

Barbara specialises in tax planning, M&A transactions, consultancy, and resolving complex tax litigation, with extensive experience advising multinational companies, individuals, and various industries, including technology, retail, oil and gas, and finance. Her expertise extends to key areas such as international tax structuring, transfer pricing, direct and indirect taxation, helping clients navigate the complex Brazilian tax system.

She holds bachelor's degrees in Law from UNICURITIBA and in Accounting Science from the Federal University of Paraná. Barbara also obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) in Domestic Taxation from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), and an LLM in International Tax Law, with distinction, from Queen Mary University of London. In recognition of her academic achievements, she was awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship for 2022/23.

In addition to her legal practice, Barbara is a published author and a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. Her articles have been featured in renowned tax publications, and she regularly delivers lectures and workshops on taxation in leading post-graduate programs in Brazil.

Barbara is recognised for her technical excellence and strategic thinking, having contributed to innovative solutions in major tax disputes and cross-border tax planning. She has played a significant role in fostering tax debate and education, serving as a mentor and role model for young professionals in the tax law field.

To contact Barbara, please email: barbara.neves@andersenballao.com.br / barbaradasneves@gmail.com or call +55 41 3221-7777.

Biography:

Liz is both a solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser and advises on both domestic and international tax issues particularly, but not exclusively, with real estate at its heart.

She advises on acquisitions, structuring, disposals and reorganisations across the hotel, leisure and retail sectors, logistics, offices, residential and mixed use. Her clients range from buyers, sellers, joint venture parties, investors, management teams, corporate groups, lenders, trustees and intermediaries.

Clients value Liz for her pragmatic and thoughtful approach that gets to the bottom of complex issues quickly and efficiently, her ability to demystify complex tax rules and her energy and enthusiasm.

Liz contributes to Tolley's Property Taxation.

Biography:

Gavin Little is Head of Tax Services at Interpath Advisory (an independent advisory practice created from KPMG UK's disposal of its Restructuring practice). Prior to joining Interpath Advisory Gavin spent 17 years at KPMG leading its Restructuring Tax team from 2014 to 2021. Since 2006, Gavin has provided tax services in the restructuring market specialising in insolvent and solvent restructurings, ranging from small family owned companies with external debt of c. £10 million to large multinational groups with external debt in excess of £1 billion. As a result of his practical experience Gavin is a market leading specialist in insolvency related tax matters, loan relationships and distressed M&A.

Biography:

Stéphane Schwedes has more than 30 years of experience serving international clients in France from incorporation to large local businesses. He is a French chartered accountant and auditor (expert-comptable & commissaire aux comptes). Stéphane is German and French, and fluent in English.

Stéphane’s expertise is knowing how to explain to foreign entrepreneurs how to deal with French complexity and specificities.

Most of his experience was gained during 30 years at PwC of which he is a former partner.

Stéphane is author of the France country guide for Tolley’s Global Mobility/Employment Taxes.

Biography:

Lynne is an expert in personal taxation with over 15 years' experience. Lynne joined Tolley from BDO, where she worked in the private client team and the national tax training department, having previously worked for Grant Thornton and Arthur Andersen.

Whilst in practice, Lynne handled compliance and planning matters including entrepreneurs' relief planning, capital gains tax deferral, non-domicile planning, estate planning and corporate restructuring for inheritance tax.

As well as being the in-house writer for the Personal Tax module of TolleyGuidance, Lynne has written for Taxation, Tax Adviser and Taxwise I and is a tutor for Tolley Exam Training. She is also a former Chairman of the ATT/CIOT London branch.

Biography:

Mira Rajanti is a VAT Tax Manager dedicated to helping businesses master the complexities of value-added taxation. With working experience from the Finnish Tax Administration and the private sector, Mira possesses a broad understanding of Finnish VAT legislation and tax practices. Mira is happy to assist businesses with various applications, tax audits, appeals, as well as VAT registrations and reporting. She contributes to Tolley and PKFs Global and EU VAT title.

Biography:

Andrea is a Professional Support Lawyer in the Tax team at Herbert Smith Freehills. Andrea is responsible for keeping clients and those within the firm up to date with the latest legal developments, including new case law and changes to legislation and practice in tax law, principally through the provision of training and drafting publications. Andrea's practice area covers all aspects of tax law, including corporate, real estate, finance and disputes tax. Andrea also contributes to Tolley's Tax Planning.

Biography:

David Heaton FCA CTA has specialised in employment taxes, national insurance (social security taxes) and tax investigations since the late 1980s. After senior positions in Big 4 firms and partnership for 13 years in a national firm, he became a sole practitioner in 2014.

His main focuses are:

• PAYE
• employment status and temporary/agency workers
• employee share incentives
• share valuation for tax purposes
• expatriate/migrant workers
• tax investigations

He was the original author and for many years the editor of CCH's British NIC Guide, but he is now the editor of Tolley's National Insurance and a contributor to Taxwise, Tolley's Tax Planning, Simon's Taxes and Taxline Tax Planning on employment taxes and NIC matters.

As a lecturer for professional institutes and training businesses he is known for his down-to-earth and often irreverent style. He was briefly a member of HMRC's GAAR panel, invited because of his nationally recognised expertise in employment taxes, but he resigned after a press expose that revealed that he advised clients and fellow professionals as well as HMRC.

He has chaired the ICAEW's Employment Taxes & NIC Committee for many years and is a past chairman of the Institute's Tax Faculty. He is also a member of two relevant technical sub-committees of the CIOT.