Tax advisory firm RCK Partners installs Innovation Advisory Council
Specialist tax advisory RCK Partners has launched a new service aimed at supporting the UK’s research and development landscape. The Innovation Advisory Council will bring together cross-industry expertise to help clients access tax credits and support when developing new ideas.
CEO James Gibson, commented, “RCK was founded with the mission of supporting innovative business in navigating the R&D landscape. We have assembled a group of business leaders who bring a wealth of experience to our clients, in their respective sectors and across their extensive career experience. The R&D industry has experienced turbulence over the last few years and in an ever-changing environment, we need to stay one step ahead, and the IAC helps us achieve exactly that, with the adviser’s respective experience at our disposal.”
RCK Partners is a firm of chartered tax advisors based in the City of London, specialising in tax incentives including tax relief, capital allowances and business rates relief. With a team comprised of former HMRC inspectors, a lawyer, and accountants, RCK has built a team with extensive HMRC experience alongside consultants with strong academic and vocational backgrounds. This expertise goes toward every claim RCK submits to HMRC, which is first reviewed by their in-house compliance and review team.
In a rapidly changing business environment, where recent reforms have reshaped the R&D tax landscape and innovation continues to accelerate, the Innovation Advisory Council (IAC) enhances RCK’s advisory capabilities to help clients stay ahead of regulatory and market developments. This strengthened offering and deep sector expertise ensures a stronger advisory offering for businesses in those sectors RCK serves, who in turn can maintain a competitive edge in an evolving innovation ecosystem.
Commenting on the announcement, Group CEO Sophie Spells added, “This is an exciting milestone for RCK and as champions of growth and innovation, RCK’s role in enabling businesses to realise the full value of R&D tax incentives are critical drivers of innovation and investment. With the IAC’s assistance, it will support RCK’s clients in meeting diverse needs across their respective industries. Importantly, this council will strengthen our commitment to strong governance and advisory excellence by providing deeper insight into the industries we serve, proving invaluable in strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader.”
The Innovation Advisory Council includes expertise from a wide range of former or current executives from beyond RCK’s staff, too. Carla Stent is present as a consultant on behalf of MCS Advisory, having formerly been chief operating officer at Virgin. Darren Purkis, CFO at VodafoneThree, previously held senior finance positions in Marks & Spencer Plc, Kingfisher, Warehouse Fashions and Borders Books. And MB Christie, non-executive director at Open Banking, MONY Group, and Social Finance, previously led digital product transformations at Financial Times, Rightmove, Tech Nation and Simply Business.
Rounding off the council are Rebecca DeNiro; Rakesh Sharma; Jitesh Sodha; Stephen Harrison; Andrew Carwardine; Phill Davies; Don Williams; and Stephen Loftus. The IAC will work alongside RCK’s existing non-executive directors including, former Chancellor Philip Hammond and former General Secretary of the Labour Party, Iain McNicol – while being chaired by Spells.
