Paul Captieux isn’t fazed by figures.

To coin a phrase from a well-known Government TV commercial, tax isn’t taxing for Paul – on the contrary – he’s made a career out of it.

For the past two decades, Paul has worked as a taxation specialist. Three months ago, he brought his expertise to the West Yorkshire accountancy firm, Clough & Company.

Originally based in Bradford, the company – which has a branch in Keighley – relocated its head office to Cleckheaton where Paul is heading up the company’s new tax advisory practice, Clough Taxation Solutions LLP (CTS).

The practice is an expansion of the specialist services Clough & Company offers under its brand umbrella.

Paul is heading the practice’s eight-strong team, delivering tax advice to clients throughout Yorkshire, seeking new business and developing his team, which he’s hoping to expand along with the company’s client base.

The satisfaction he gets is from helping customers reduce their tax bill which, in light of the current challenging economic climate, is a welcome relief for cash-conscious companies.

Paul fell into the role accidentally. His favourite subject at school was geography, but instead of following it as a career, after studying for a degree in maritime geography at Cardiff University, formerly the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Paul looked into accountancy instead.

“I’d always enjoyed geography, so I went to Cardiff University and did it because it sounded interesting. But being from Sheffield, and 80 miles from the sea, it was no use to man nor beast!” says Paul.

He considered teaching, and even contemplated becoming a police officer before settling on a number-crunching career. “I’d always been good with numbers and I was good at writing reports and essays,” explains Paul.

He secured a training contract with an accountancy firm in Taunton doing audits and general duties, but discovered he had a particular interest in taxation. “I knew I wanted to be a specialist, so I fell into it almost accidentally,” he says.

The yearning to return to his Yorkshire roots forced him to leave the firm in Taunton. He qualified and worked for a number of high-profile accountancy firms in his home county before securing his niche role with Clough & Company’s new taxation practice.

Steven Gash, Clough & Company’s managing partner says: “All our services are client-driven, which means that we listen to what our customers want and then we develop the services we provide. This is exactly what will happen with CTS – it’ll enable us to continue to service our existing clients.

“We are delighted that Paul is joining us to head up CTS as our existing clients will benefit from Paul’s wealth of experience and expertise. The new business will help us to strengthen our existing client relationships and to attract new clients and build new relationships for the future.”

Paul says the qualities candidates looking to follow him into this type of career are “an eye for detail, the mental stamina and perseverance and they need to enjoy problem solving. They also need to have good written and numeracy skills.”

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