Claritas Tax appoints associate partner and head of indirect tax

Claritas Tax, the independent tax advisory firm with offices in Birmingham and Manchester, has announced the appointment of Richard Smith as associate partner and head of indirect tax.

The firm said his skills and experience will help Claritas to drive its growth plans, build on existing and new client relationships and respond to the fast-changing needs of clients. Smith will bolster the VAT advice that is already delivered to Claritas’ entrepreneurial client base.

Smith said: “After many years working in senior leadership positions within the big four environment, I am delighted to be joining such a vibrant, dynamic, and award-winning tax team whose growth trajectory to date has been extremely impressive.

“Claritas’ ambitious expansion plans mirror my own and I feel privileged and excited to be able to join the business and take on the role of leading and developing its Indirect Tax function.”

He added: “The VAT landscape remains complex and challenging to navigate and one of my key objectives will be to build and maintain trusted advisor relationships to ensure clients mitigate their VAT risk and effectively manage their compliance obligations.”

Matt Hodgson, partner, added: “I’m absolutely delighted that Richard’s joined us. It’s rare to find someone with such a wealth of experience in the world of indirect tax and with the vision and appetite to build such a service line with us. Richard’s appointment is a real statement for Claritas as we continue to recruit high-calibre people and build upon our full-service tax offering to the mid- market.