About Us

Robert Astley

Tax Consultant

Robert has been working in tax for 10 years, since graduating from University College London in 2000 where he read Biochemistry. Robert has extensive experience in tax planning for ultra high income individuals, with clients primarily in the financial services industry and medical sector.

Robert’s career began via the Graduate Trainee Program at the London Offices of a Top 20 firm but he has also worked outside the UK. Robert’s experience has given him a broad range of skills in personal taxation and compliance, including tax planning and mitigation strategies.

Indicative of his proactive and client focused stance, Robert is keen to ensure that his clients take all available steps to retain the wealth they have worked hard to generate. He is held in high regard by those who know him and work with him.

Email: robert.astley@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4836

Julian Brooks

Tax Consultant

Julian trained with KPMG and he worked in their London Private Client group for 7 years prior to joining TAP. He is a Chartered Tax Advisor with over 8 years experience in advising High Net Worth Individuals, specialising in advice for Senior Expatriates.

Julian is well versed in a range of tax mitigation strategies with a particular focus on international issues and the taxation of non-domiciled individuals. He has worked extensively with individuals leaving and coming to the UK, and with offshore planning structures. His client base is largely comprised of hedge fund managers, private equity executives and investment bankers.

When he is not planning his forthcoming nuptials, Julian is a keen sportsman and film enthusiast.

Email: julian.brooks@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7655 6951

Michael Bull

Tax Consultant

Michael prefers not to mention that he now has over 25 years experience in tax. His career started with the Inland Revenue and has progressed through training and experience gained with two of the Big 4 UK tax firms and another of the top 10.

Whilst his considerable experience has been primarily focused on private client matters, Michael has a depth of knowledge that encompasses corporate matters, trusts and estates and the use of tax mitigation strategies and planning.

He has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation for more than 10 years and takes a keen interest in the continued development of UK tax policy and case law, often attending relevant new cases to learn first-hand how the courts interpret complex tax legislation.

Michael works closely with a wide variety of professionals, including leading law firms, accountants and IFAs advising them and their clients on complex tax matters and potential planning opportunities.

He is married with three young daughters.

Email: michael.bull@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4833

Katie Driver

Office Administration

Having graduated with a BSc in psychology, Katie previously worked in charity fundraising and also spent three years in finance recruitment for a FTSE 250 company.

She is now responsible for managing the office, ensuring we are all in the place we are meant to be at the time we are supposed to be there, bookkeeping and accounts recording, as well as client administration for the business.

Without Katie, the office slowly ceases to function and will undoubtedly grind to a halt if she is ever taken ill. Her taxation experience is growing but her particular strength is managing client relationships for the business networks and private clients we work with.

Outside of the office, Katie is something of an amateur foodie and enjoys globetrotting to the furthest (and preferably hottest!) destinations she can find.

Email: katie.driver@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4837

Jamie Favell

Tax Consultant

Jamie is a Chartered Tax Advisor and has worked in private practice for ten years. He has a broad experience of advising Private Clients in all aspects of their tax and business affairs, including tax planning and mitigation strategies, together with all compliance matters.

His experience includes an international focus, in particular non-domiciled individuals and the special rules applicable to non-resident sportsmen and entertainers appearing in the UK and other territories around the world. Jamie’s client base is comprised of High Net Worth Individuals, entrepreneurs’, principals in the financial services industry, medical and dental practitioners, professional sportsmen and actors.

Jamie is married, with a young son and is a self confessed fantasy football addict.

Email: jamie.favell@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7655 6952

Nick Hocart

Non-Executive Director

We are delighted to welcome Nick on board as Non-Executive Director. Nick is currently Head of Business Development at Xenfin Capital, a global currency house, and is also Director of Fundraising and Operations for Provaat, an internationally registered charity. He brings of wealth of personal and professional contacts, as well as a good understanding of UK taxation and business issues, having spent 8 years as a private client tax advisor, specialising in high net worth and expat client matters.

In his youth back in Australia, Nick was a professional drummer. Now thankfully, the drum kit is gone and he is married with a young daughter.

Email: nick.hocart@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7655 6959

Aidan James

Tax Consultant

Aidan has been working in personal tax planning for over 15 years, having initially trained with a Big 4 firm. He spent 5 years working in Jersey where he focused on tax planning strategies for private individuals in the UK. He returned to London in 2005 and set up his own firm which has operated very successfully in this specialist area.

His experience has given him exposure to the cutting edge of tax planning and as a result he is well placed to advise clients at a practical level on what they can expect from HMRC, as well as what planning choices may be available to clients at any given time.

Aidan is a firm believer taking a proactive approach to taxation and often works with other tax professionals to help them to provide planning opportunities to their clients and to ensure that as the Inland Revenue require, they pay “the right amount of tax”.

Aidan is married and recently became a father for the first time.

Email: aidan.james@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4831

Heather Miller

Tax Consultant

Heather’s career in tax began four years ago following a stint in the retail banking arm of HSBC. She initially trained in the Private Client Tax team of a Top 10 accountancy firm and is currently studying for her Chartered Tax Adviser qualification. She is well-versed in all aspects of personal tax compliance.

Heather is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians and, when she doesn’t have her nose in her study books, also regularly writes technical articles for various trade publications including Taxation magazine.

When not in the office Heather has a penchant for musical theatre, a somewhat worrying addiction to shopping, and tries to book as many luxury holidays each year as she possibly can.

Email: heather.miller@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7655 6953

Alec Smith

IT Administrator

Alec has been working in IT for 4 years and has experience in a wide range of different IT infrastructures. After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University in Computing, Alec worked for a major authority in the UK constructions industry, providing support from the sales teams throughout the UK and even the mining offices two miles under ground.

Alec joined TAP in February 2009 and has worked closely with James Spooner to develop innovative and bespoke IT systems, for us and our clients, as well as maintaining a strong, secure and highly capable infrastructure for the many services we provide.

Alec is well travelled having spent a year on a round the world trip. He enjoys playing charity gigs with his band and running marathons.

Email: alec.smith@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4832

James Spooner

IT Manager

James has 9 years experience in IT, and has worked for a broad range of industries including travel and finance. After graduating in Computer Science at University of Wales, Aberystwyth, he spent several years working in the travel industry developing multi-million pound turnover B2C and B2B websites. During this time his team developed several award-winning industry innovations in the fields of e-ticketing and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

Since transitioning to the tax world in 2007 his work has concentrated on bespoke systems across multi-level business hierarchies and secure portals for remotely accessing sensitive documents.

In addition to software development James is well versed in hardware and network set-up and management and has developed the IT infrastructure for several tax companies from the ground up.

When away from the keyboard James enjoys classic films (especially film noir and early musicals), visiting art galleries, going to the theatre, and travelling.

Email: james.spooner@taxadvisorypartnership.com
Telephone: 020 7492 4834