Say hello to...

This month the spotlight is on our Tax Assistant, Emma Thom, who joined the Acumen family in 2020.

 Can you tell us about your background?

I studied BA (Hons) Law and Management at university. I particularly enjoyed the legal side of my degree and it taught me valuable skills which I use at Acumen such as interpreting legislation and reading case law. Once I graduated, I travelled around Australia and Asia and when I came home I felt really motivated and excited to start my career in this type of industry.

What do you hope to achieve at Acumen?

I'm looking to expand my learning and understanding of tax, continue my career and pass my tax exams. I'm over halfway with my exams and I hope to become CTA-qualified soon which will benefit my career and expand my overall understanding. I hope to be able to help clients get the most out of their business and ensure they know about any tax changes coming up so they can plan for the future so they know what to expect going forward.

What challenges does Acumen face?

Communicating with HMRC has become challenging - it can take longer to resolve any queries and makes it tougher to support our clients in the best way possible. HMRC are also starting to move a lot of their services online which means we must all be ready for the changes. Personally, juggling full time work and studying for exams has been challenging but I know it will all be worth it when I'm qualified!

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I love the fact there's always something new to learn. This means that everyday is different which keeps it interesting. It's great when something comes up that I've been learning in my tax exams because I can put my knowledge and new skills into practice.

What are you most commonly asked by clients, and what's your response?

How can I save more tax? I think it's important to reassure clients we're doing all we can to make their businesses as tax efficient as possible so they can have peace of mind, especially given how unusual the last few years have been for us all. There's so much information out there on which tax reliefs can and can't be claimed and we help to simplify things for clients and explain what would be most helpful for them.