As an experienced chartered accountant, Ian heads up the business client division at our Ely office, where he is a resident partner. He helps clients run and improve their SME businesses. As a self-confessed 'techie', he has developed a particular interest towards tech start-ups.
Outside of work, now that his rugby playing days are behind him, Ian tries to stay fit through running and kayaking.
As we approach the end of the first quarter in the run-up to Brexit D-day, we are now beginning to see what practical steps SME businesses are taking in preparation: Businesses with a significant production source or market presence within the rest of the EU are strengthening their presence there. Creating a subsidiary based…
Companies that are developing innovative new products, services or systems have long understood the generosity of the R&D tax relief rules. These give a notional 130% uplift to eligible costs in the company’s corporation tax computation. Such eligible costs include ‘employee costs’, which hitherto has included all ‘reimbursed expenses’. This has always seemed overly generous…
As the Summer season progresses, SME businesses local to Ely will be considering whether or not they wish to enter the area’s premier annual business awards competition this year. Those that have entered one of the 12 categories in previous years have benefited from networking with other entrants, free publicity within the Ely Standard over…
Post Brexit: What cutting of red tape might SME’s expect? After almost a full year of foreplay, formal Brexit negotiations with the EU will eventually commence next week. Looking ahead one step further, what can SME’s expect post Brexit? And will the UK Government use this opportunity to further advance their stated policy of reducing…
General Election: Which manifesto helps TechCo’s ? With the 8 June general election fast approaching, directors of technology companies will be scanning the main manifestos to consider which party is potentially offering the most useful new policies for their business: Conservatives (link to 84 page manifesto) Running a balanced budget by the middle of the…
As we are now potentially within 2 years of Brexit, it seems natural to speculate over what changes we should expect. As tax is a key component of our fiscal policy, to finance the public purse and influence our behaviour, various tax commentators are now dusting off their crystal balls. Within the EU, tax has…
Brexit: New tariffs, what new tariffs? Now that Prime Minister May has written to the EU, triggering Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, Brexit moves one step closer and SME’s slowly begin to wonder, “how might this affect us”? For your average local family business, the main areas of concern will probably be:…
What’s in it for Technology Companies? Philip Hammond’s first Spring Budget announced a handful of steady-as-she-goes measures. The new announcements that will catch the eye of technology companies include: From 6-Apr-18, the tax free allowance for personal dividend income will reduce from £5k to £2k pa, For tax advantaged share schemes: clarifying the EIS and SEIS…
Ely Business Awards 2016: Whitings judge and present top award. Congratulations go to Soopa Doopa Branding Limited, well deserved overall winners of the 2016 Ely Business of the year awards. Full list of finalists and winners Photos from the awards ceremony in Ely Cathedral The firm judges, sponsors and presents the top (winner of winners)…
SME Growth: Will BREXIT spoil the party? SME’s are generally focused on growing the sales side of their business, to improve bottom line profitability. Having bounced back from the double-dip recession, then flat-lining for a couple of years, it looked like proper growth had once again returned to our local businesses: (Source Data) And then came…
