Tax code of conduct

Our goal is to help our clients achieve their aspirations:

• We provide a range of tax compliance and advisory services to assist our clients in meeting their legal and regulatory obligations in respect of taxation and in applying appropriate tax efficiency in the business decisions they make.
• We help our clients manage their tax risks, taking account of their wider compliance and corporate governance obligations and the commercial and reputational risks they face.
• Our business conduct is governed by statutory requirements, professional standards and other external rules and regulations. Our people comply with these statutory requirements, standards and regulations in the course of all our work.
• Our ‘code of business conduct’ summarises our approach to legal, regulatory and business matters generally.

Our client base

We expect our clients to adopt a high standard of integrity and conduct:

• We have an established set of procedures to ensure that potential and continuing clients are legitimate, apply suitable integrity in their business and other affairs, and intend to comply with their legal and regulatory obligations in relation to tax.
• When accepting or continuing to work for clients, we consider a number of factors including, but not limited to: the sector(s) and location(s) in which the client operates; their ownership structure; their reputation and that of their owners and management; and, any other relevant ethical, professional and regulatory requirements.

Our approach

We will act in accordance with applicable laws, give proper disclosure as required by those laws, strive to apply the highest possible technical standards and comply with all professional standards, including in particular those of integrity and objectivity as set out by the professional bodies of which we are members:

• All tax advice in support of positions taken in a client’s tax return is based on a credible interpretation of tax law.  Differing interpretations of tax law are discussed with the client, but clients must consider and balance the various risks that may apply and determine which basis to adopt.
• We will advise clients that they should provide sufficient details to enable Tax Authorities to make further enquiries if they so choose.
• Our tax planning advice will always be provided on a bespoke basis, based on a full knowledge of the actual facts and circumstances, following appropriate discussions with the client.  We will discuss the wider commercial, legal, tax technical and other risks involved in our advice, including the reputational risks arising from how other parties and stakeholders may judge the client’s actions. We will not make recommendations that do not fit with a client’s facts and circumstances.
• In order to maintain our objectivity, in particular we will not act as principal or counterparty in any tax planning arrangements with our clients.