Exams Prove Not Taxing For Local Chartered Accountant
A partner with a Bideford-based Chartered Accountancy firm, has passed all of the Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) taxation examinations with flying colours, on the first attempt. Jonathan Gifford, partner with Haines Watts North Devon LLP, is the only professional in North Devon to have achieved this success in the last five years.
As a result of his examination success, Jonathan is now a fully qualified Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Tax (CIOT). Membership of the CIOT is by examination and it is recognised as the gold standard of UK taxation education. Members are subject to the Institute's professional standards and are supported by the organisation’s London head office and worldwide network of 40 branches.
Jonathan (31) joined Sully & Co (Bideford) in 2005 and four years’ later qualified as a Chartered Accountant. The firm became part of the Haines Watts Group in 2011 and Jonathan was promoted to partner the following year. He has a specialist knowledge of owner-managed businesses including in the agricultural sector. He relishes protecting clients from HM Revenue & Customs enquiries or investigations and has extensive experience of tax effective business incorporation.
Jonathan Gifford, Partner Haines Watts North Devon says: “The area of taxation is becoming more complex and HM Revenue & Customs are having to be increasingly forceful having been given more power than ever to collect taxes. Many are put off sitting the Chartered Tax Adviser exams due to their rigorous nature and therefore, I am delighted to have passed my examinations on my first attempt. There are very few qualified Chartered Tax Advisers in Practice and the in-depth knowledge I have gained complements the qualifications and experience I already have. The CTA qualification helps give clients peace of mind that their adviser is both able to help them comply with the rules, whilst importantly, helping them arrange their personal or business affairs to minimise their tax burden.”
John Edwards, Managing Partner Haines Watts North Devon says: “I am absolutely delighted with Jon’s newly acquired qualifications which were well-deserved as CTA tax examinations are particularly difficult and challenging. He worked extremely hard and this great result has added to a very successful 2014 for the firm. In addition to Jon becoming a fully-qualified Tax Advisor, Haines Watts was voted ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year – Small, Medium Size Entities (SMEs’), at the annual Financial Directors (FDs) Excellence Awards. The award was recently announced on the back of the Haines Watts group winning ‘Auditor of the Year’ in the SME category for two consecutive years. These exciting developments clearly demonstrate that our smart thinking and broad range of accountancy services is valued and respected by our clients across the region.”
