Tell us a bit about your career so far
My journey into accountancy is maybe slightly different to most people. I originally studied for a PhD in mathematics after finishing my degree, but never fell in love with it, or the life of an academic. A chance conversation with an old school friend who had joined Hazlewoods the previous year led me to an interview to join the Farms and Estates Tax team, and I’ve never looked back. I joined as a graduate in 2019 and completed my ACA qualifications in 2022.
What is it like being an accountant in the agricultural sector right now?
Tax, be that income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax, is always on our clients’ minds.
Following the changes announced in the October 2024 budget, many of our clients, both farmers and business owners, are understandably nervous about the future, which is very different from what they had been planning prior to the announcements. The draft legislation, which is covered in this issue, largely backs up the initial announcements by the government, giving little comfort.
Detailed estate planning, looking at both the impact now, in particular on income, and in the future, looking more at the inheritance tax perspective, has therefore become incredibly important for a large number of our clients, and has become the centre of a lot of our work since late last year.
Why Hazlewoods?
Although I grew up in a small Gloucestershire town, I do not have an agricultural background. However, the Farms and Estates team at Hazlewoods is full of people who have extensive industry knowledge and are part of the tight knit agricultural community, which has given me a great insight into the inner workings of our farming businesses.
Our team is incredibly supportive and is ever evolving to meet the needs of our clients. It is great to be part of a team which has a great reputation in the sector, as this leads to some very interesting work and clients, and our clients are very much at the core of everything we do.
I really enjoy being able to build personal relationships with clients, getting to know about their goals, personal lives and their families, as these are one of the main drivers of any work we undertake.
