Tax advice vs tax planning: How to get tax advice in the UK
When it comes to gaining tax advice you can do so in the form of accountancy or financial planning. There is a big difference between the two. We often use an analogy of a car to explain the services that we offer. An accountant is your rear-view mirror, reviewing what is behind you and how best to deal with it. A financial planner is the windscreen; we look up the road to the future and plan how to get you to where you want to go. In practical terms, your accountant will administer your tax affairs, such as helping you complete tax returns. Your financial planner will provide tax advice around every area of your financial plan from investments, property, pensions and through to legacy planning. A tax adviser will help to mitigate your tax position moving forward, through suitable tax efficient strategies. In reality, the optimal situation around tax advice, is when your accountant and financial planner work closely to ensure the road behind and the journey ahead are as smooth as possible, something we pride ourselves on when giving personal tax advice.