Accountants appoint corporate tax director

Accountants Haines Watts has strengthened its leadership team and its offering in the South West with the appointment of Clare Boden as corporate tax director.

She joins the SME accountancy specialist from Evelyn Partners after previous roles with the likes of Ernst & Young and Dyson.

She brings expertise from real estate, tech and construction sectors to her role which will see her advising owner managed businesses in respect of corporate tax planning, restructuring and transactions.

The new arrival to Haines Watts follows the promotion of Conor O’Sullivan to director late last year, leading the company alongside company partners Andrew Jordan and Matthew Bracher.

Mr Bracher, who was himself elected to the Haines Watts national board in October last year, said Mrs Boden’s arrival will boost the company’s comprehensive offering for entrepreneurial clients across the UK.

“It is particularly now, in the difficult economic climate, where Clare will be able to advise clients on potential tax savings and incentive schemes such as research and development, Patent Box claims and effective structuring of corporate interests,” he said.

“Furthermore, her experience from her time at Dyson has provided her with a practical and insightful knowledge of how to deal with multi-jurisdictional tax regimes and the tax issues resulting from rapid growth and expansion.

“Clare adds not only a sound and practical knowledge of providing entrepreneurs and owner managed businesses with proactive, tax effective advice in the South West and Wales, but her diverse skill set enhances the Haines Watts tax team nationally.

“This is great news for the existing, and future, clients of Haines Watts as well as the organisation itself. I am very much looking forward to working with Clare and watching our corporate tax offering develop and grow.”

Mrs Boden will be based at Haines Watt’s offices in Bath Street, Bristol, but will be working with clients across the country.

She said the company’s client base and the empathetic approach to their needs is what initially attracted her to working with Haines Watts.

“It was the direct engagement with clients and the team ethos that Haines Watts has with clients that attracted me to the role,” she said. “Having a background in larger firms, it is refreshing to work with a team that really has the interests of the clients at heart. I am looking forward to being able to use my experience to really provide some positive benefits to the clients of Haines Watts.”

Mr Bracher was one of five appointed to the national board of Haines Watts last autumn. As group managing partner he is now responsible for driving growth at the national level, as well as helping oversee greater sharing of skills and knowledge around the joint client base and helping collaboration between the South West’s regional offices.

Nationwide, the SME accountancy specialist is now targeting 20 per cent annual growth for the next three to five years in order to maintain its top 20 national ranking.

In Bristol alone, an office of some 55 staff is seeing turnover increase by around 20 per cent this year.