One minute with .. Elspeth Orcharton

How did you end up in tax?

I was a CA trainee and found audit work uninspiring; so transferred to the only other department on offer! I learned a lot out on audit though. I had enjoyed tax at university and by moving to tax was lucky to be taught by John Whiting who was a young tax training Partner at the time.

The best piece of professional advice you would give?

Trust your instinct. If you don’t think you’ve the full picture you probably haven’t or if something doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t. Ask the questions and dig a bit more. This is perhaps more a commercial point than to expect sense will always be found in the tax legislation. Instinct is what accumulated knowledge and experience gives you if you let it.

Is there a recent development in tax that concerns you?

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