Supporting local communities

Charles Handy, writing in 1994 in ‘the Empty Raincoat’, examined what he called the corporate contract, identifying six interest groups of a business: shareholders; financiers; employees; customers; society; and the surrounding community.  Inequality of opportunity (and wealth) has probably increased since then, with some businesses favouring one interest group and disadvantaging others.  

With our consultancy we aim to help families to pay ‘the right amount of tax’, by which we mean a fair amount, after using all available exemptions and reliefs.  We do not promote, nor recommend that our clients should use, highly artificial tax schemes.  Equally, we hope that our clients can avoid the ‘heffalump traps’ that litter our tax code: curious features that can trigger unexpected tax liabilities.

 

We have served on committees of our professional bodies, especially The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and take seriously our duty to observe the professional standards of STEP and of The Chartered Institute of Taxation.

    Apart from that, as a business we try to ‘do our bit’ to support the community. This year, as last, we are raising money for:

    • Shelterbox and
    • University of East Anglia.

    We like Shelterbox for their ability to send emergency materials to disaster areas quickly, anywhere in the world.  They provide shelter, essential items and technical assistance to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people recover and rebuild their homes, offering practical support families need to get back on their feet.  Find out more at www.shelterbox.org or call on +44 (0) 300 0300 500.

    The University of East Anglia is local to us.  We supported the life of their music faculty many years ago and still keep in touch with them.  All universities are in a difficult place just now, supporting students who cannot get even part-time work to supplement their finances, and not only that, UEA is also continuing to advance vital and life-changing research, creating new opportunities for talented students to study at university, and contributing to the ongoing fight against COVID-19. By giving to UEA’s Where the Need is Greatest fund, you can guarantee your support will make a difference. Get in touch with them at giving@uea.ac.uk or contact the Development Office at UEA, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ.

    Where there’s a will there’s… a happy beneficiary!  Remember that gifts to charities are free of tax and, if large enough, may reduce the rate of tax charged on the whole estate.  We can help with getting the wording right in a will or codicil.  It is often not an expensive exercise.

      Let’s work together