A 50 per cent increase in tax work undertaken in 2015 has led to further recruitment at international accountancy firm Mazars in Birmingham.
Ritchie Tout, tax director, and Steve Dennett, corporate and international tax senior manager, will be working across the Birmingham and Milton Keynes offices.
Mr Tout trained with KPMG, moved to Grant Thornton and for the last 15 years has been with PricewaterhouseCoopers dealing with all aspects of the taxation of private businesses.
He has a particular focus on the tax treatment of anything share-related, including fiscal share valuation.
He said: “With tax rules becoming ever more complicated, it is important private businesses have the proper support.
“Private businesses are the backbone of the UK economy and are so often ignored when the tax rules are being written. We need to give them the help they need to make sure they get a fair deal.
“Having dealt with private businesses at all points in their lifecycle from pre-revenue start-ups through to multi-billion pound IPOs, I am confident that the knowledge and experience of the local Mazars team in the private business sector can deliver an effective solution to any client challenge.”
Also a KPMG trainee, Mr Dennett has worked in tax for over 15 years, dealing with a broad range of clients from small owner-managed businesses up to FTSE 350 listed companies. He is a specialist in advising the UK operations of large overseas groups, having extensive experience of the tax aspects of group reporting.
He has had a number of roles as a tax manager in industry including Avon Cosmetics, Office Depot and Goodyear Dunlop, taking in VAT, payroll taxation and R&D tax credits.
He said: “I feel that the opportunities within international tax are very strong at the moment, given the level of scrutiny on international tax issues in the financial community, and the wider media.
“I chose Mazars on the recommendation of several former colleagues who had a lot of positive things to say about the culture and values of the firm.”
Mr Dennett was educated at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield, and Oxford University.
Mazars tax partner Phil Waller said: “Both are experienced operators and will be a significant asset to the tax team.
“Tax is ever more high profile in today’s environment – the complexities mean industry’s need for advice is constantly growing.”
In Birmingham, Mazars grew from 113 to 135 staff in 2015, and has now taken extra space on the eighth floor of 45 Church Street. The firm already exclusively occupies the tenth floor.
