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One minute with... David Marcussen

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What are you working on at the moment?
 
A multitude of things. A number of company sales, equity fund raises, group restructures, wealth tax structuring for an ultra-high net worth individual, specialist corporate tax for share valuations and leases; setting up employee share plans, tax issues for complex trusts and estates and non-dom planning around the proposed 2017 changes.
 
Tell us about the focus of your practice. What do you differently?
 
Marcussen is a UK based tax consultancy delivering tax solutions to some of the largest, most successful and most interesting businesses and entrepreneurs and HNWIs in the UK. Our approach is a little out of the ordinary in that we focus on finding solutions where others sometimes only see problems. This pioneering approach lies at the heart of what we offer and it is why so many of our clients are adventurous, entrepreneurial individuals and businesses.
 
How do you think the tax profession will evolve over the next five to ten years?
 
There will undoubtedly be more automation of the tax compliance function which isn’t necessarily going to reduce the amount of tax compliance work but will massively change the services tax advisers are going to have to offer. There will be less form filling and number crunching and more analysis and consultancy work. Also, tax consultants are going to have to start focusing more on delivering value to their clients in the form of proactive and strategic tax advice, rather than just selling chargeable hours for routine form filing and tax calculations that will ultimately become automated.
 
Can you share a practical tip?
 
I start from the point that there is always a way to solve a tax issue. All tax challenges however complex are only a series of simple hurdles not barriers – so if you break the big conundrum down into its constituent parts, all of which become simpler when looked at in isolation, the route to the solution becomes clearer and more achievable.
 
Is there a recent tax development that has caught your eye?
 
Yes, the proposed changes in taxation of non-dom individuals in the UK. This tax development poses a significant impact for many of our clients. Whilst on first impressions the changes look negative, they are potentially massively positive for a number of non-dom individuals, enabling them to continue to shelter a lot of their income and capital gains from UK taxes, whilst also being able to remit significant funds to the UK, tax free.
 
Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
 
No. You take the rough with smooth, every experience offers an opportunity to learn and grow.
 
You might not know this about me…
 
I’m a racing driver. I live at two ends of the spectrum, tax consultant by day, racing driver by night. 
 
Issue: 1372
Categories: One minute with
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