Tax has always been a big part of my life. I met my husband while training in tax (we even had a tax-based reading at our wedding!) and I’ve worked for both KPMG and Grant Thornton in the past. I decided to join ForrestBrown because I fancied a change of culture – after years of traditional corporates, I wanted to work somewhere where I had more autonomy, and where effort and achievement were really rewarded.

It was a big change I was after, and it was a big change I got. My role can see me travelling across the UK, I can be in the office, I can be out at meetings, managing claims – there really is no typical day. One constant, though, is the great people around me, both at ForrestBrown and our clients themselves. It’s a really fun place to work and clients are generally so happy that you’re saving them money that you feel you’re really adding value – it was a great moment when I was able to tell my first client their claim had been a success.

Although I came from a tax background, I still really appreciated the training I was given when I joined. I’ve now finished my technical Learning Lab sessions and am aiming to start running a few myself. I’ve already started training our new tax associates, plus presented at workshops for the accountants we work with.

I’m brand new to tax. Before joining ForrestBrown I was actually a primary school teacher here in Bristol, but decided I wanted to make the move into accounting. I heard ForrestBrown was somewhere I could develop my accounting skills and get qualifications in a fun, supportive environment, so it seemed like a great move.

I’m a tax associate, so I help tax managers make claims for our clients, who do research and development in a whole range of different industries. My part in the process can involve anything from writing reports detailing clients’ innovation to analysing a company’s accounts and calculating the tax benefit due – every day is different. Not having worked in tax before, I’ve had to learn a lot quickly, but thanks to the Learning Lab that hasn’t been a problem. I’ve felt supported the whole way and I was really proud when I completed my first claim.

I joined ForrestBrown in December 2016 and I haven’t looked back since. I’d graduated the year before and was working in an admin role at Coutts Bank when I decided to make the move to ForrestBrown – I’d been waiting for a training agreement and it seemed like a brilliant opportunity.

As soon as I walked through the door for my interview I was struck by how modern and agency-like the office was. It was pretty obvious that this wasn’t your average tax firm and that’s exactly what I liked about it. There’s a real family feel here and obviously the location of the office is great, too – Bristol is a brilliant place to live (and there’s a great Italian restaurant just over the road).

I find R&D tax really interesting. It can be challenging, but it’s a great learning experience – I’m actually responsible for my own client list. It’s nice to know I’m doing “good tax”, too. I feel great when I submit an R&D claim knowing that the money is going to help my client continue to innovate and grow.

After almost nine years on the Global Mobility Team at PwC, I was ready for a new challenge. ForrestBrown’s fast-growing, ambitious culture really appealed to me – it was somewhere I could see myself making an impact.

My role is varied, but my mission is always the same: to help innovative businesses grow by harnessing the benefits of the government’s R&D tax credit incentives. Day-to-day, I do whatever it takes to deliver great service, whether that’s meeting with clients, spending time in their organisations or crunching numbers. I really enjoy the difference my work can make to an emerging business’ growth – I actually helped one client adjust their original claim and they were able to benefit from 10x the amount of credit they’d originally identified.

We work hard here, but the culture is still fun and relaxed. It’s a very social workplace, helped by our Bristol location. I’m Bristol born and bred, so a little biased, but I’m always amazed by the number of things there are to do here – from sports teams and events to restaurants, pubs, clubs and outdoor pursuits. It’s buzzing.

After starting my career as a developer, I led technical teams at digital agencies for ten years before I joined ForrestBrown. I fancied a change and spoke to Simon, ForrestBrown’s managing director, about joining as a technical specialist. I was excited by the opportunity to work closely with a huge variety of different companies doing interesting and innovative work – I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d be able to get such great exposure.

My role isn’t what you might expect to find at a traditional tax firm. We’re lucky to work with a range of different clients, and I love getting to know what they’re doing and how they’re doing it – I hear new things every day. The best thing is knowing that we’re making a real difference to our clients’ businesses. A number of times we’ve made successful claims and the clients have told us that they’ve been able to reinvest that money into more R&D – I know that’s the whole point of what we do, but it’s brilliant to hear of the real, tangible benefits.

Bristol is a hotbed of technical and creative talent, so it’s a great place to be based. It’s vibrant, with lots of foodie and going out options, but it’s also small enough that you feel like you can really get to know the city – that’s why I actually prefer it to London.

I joined ForrestBrown as an executive assistant, making the move from another accountancy firm. I was initially attracted to ForrestBrown’s vibrant culture, as well as the opportunity to develop my career.

The nature of my role means I get exposure to a lot of different things. As well as supporting a director, I work with both the marketing and new business teams. It means every day is totally different and that I have a great overview of all the different elements of the business.

I wasn’t from a tax background originally, so I found the intensive onboarding process to be really helpful. I took part in the Learning Lab, which covered all sorts of different modules, and I’ve also been able to learn from the people around me. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and there’s always something new happening. I’ve enjoyed the responsibility I’ve been given, too. I was involved in developing and launching a new client satisfaction survey, which was a great way to test my project management skills.

I’ve been at ForrestBrown since 2014. I’d been working in tax at a number of different organisations before I joined, but I wasn’t dealing specifically with R&D tax credits – that was a new challenge. The culture at ForrestBrown was very different to that of companies I’d worked at previously, which was one of the main reasons I joined. It’s exciting and fun, and, although it can be intense, the autonomy you get is truly liberating.

I see my role quite simply: as helping innovative companies recoup their investment in R&D. This involves a number of different activities, from meeting with clients to making decisions on methodology and processes internally – we’re always looking for ways to improve and grow.

I was recently promoted to senior tax manager and my new role has given me the opportunity to develop as a professional and manage my own team. Not only have I taken advantage of training sessions in both technical and soft skills, but I’ve also been able to develop my own network of innovative businesses in Exeter and Northern Ireland. It’s something I’m very proud of.