Jim McMahon

Having started my tax career with HMRC, or plain old Inland Revenue as it was back then, before branching out into private practice and industry and then joining Balfour+Manson in October 2000, I have seen many changes in tax. Tax was definitely simpler back when I started!

I head up the Tax department dealing with the day to day tax issues that clients face. The experience gained from having been involved in tax for over 46 years enables me to advise on a wide range of tax issues, ranging from the completion of tax returns to more complex investigation cases. 

Whilst the main focus of my work is on personal tax, the knowledge gathered over time enables me to advise on a variety of taxes, including trusts, estates, CGT, and IHT. My previous experience with HMRC, latterly doing accounts investigations, gives me an insight into how HMRC think and operate which can often be invaluable, particularly in disputes with HMRC. 

I also operate a complete computerised payroll system for clients and, in addition to dealing with the normal calculation and payment of wages, we handle all regulatory requirements associated with running a payroll including the online filing of all records, pension provision under Automatic Enrolment where required, and Pension Regulator reporting.

The best thing about my job is the variety of the enquiries. Thankfully, tax is a field that is constantly changing, rates and allowances as well as regulations, so it keeps me on my toes!

When I am not at work you will find me either walking the dog or on the golf course. In an ideal world I would be able to do both at the same time but unfortunately not many golf courses allow that.