Jamie Rogers

JOB: Associate in taxation services
EMPLOYER: Rider Levett Bucknall
QUALIFICATION: BSc quantity surveying, Liverpool John Moores University

After graduation I started work as a quantity surveyor and after a few years chose to specialise in property tax. I then worked for a big four accountancy firm where I gained experience in property taxation. I have recently returned to a leading international property and construction consultancy practice where I work as a chartered surveyor, having qualified through the taxation APC route.

My role

Most property and construction projects are eligible for tax breaks in the form of capital allowances and land remediation relief (tax breaks attributable to the clean up of brown-field land). If these savings are considered at an early stage, tax breaks can improve the viability of a project; this is particularly important in the current economic climate.

'The savings a tax adviser can find are invaluable to clients in times of recession.’

We often get involved towards the later stages of projects and analyse the expenditure incurred to work out how much tax relief clients can get. We then produce reports substantiating our client’s claims and submit these to HM Revenue & Customs.

I like...

... how we can analyse historic projects where money has been spent in more affluent times and identify where tax breaks have not been claimed. These retrospective savings can be invaluable to clients in times of recession. I also enjoy liaising with senior figures; it gives you a real understanding of how their organisation works.

The tough bit is...

... convincing clients that their accountants won’t necessarily have enough knowledge of the construction process and this niche area of property taxation to maximise the tax relief available.