Tolley's Taxation Award Categories
Best international tax team
This is open to firms of all sizes. The winning team will be UK based and can deal with any aspect of international tax, either business or personal, not separately covered in the other specific award categories.
Best tax investigation team
This award seeks to find a top-quality team which specialises in tax investigation and/or dispute resolution work, providing effective solutions to clients and managing the difficult demands of enquiry work. The judges will be looking for a team which stands out as offering the best level of service, the greatest levels of technical ability and which can provide supporting evidence of success. Because of the nature of the work, testimonials may be anonymised, but the originals should be available for confidential verification.
Best in-house tax team
This award is designed to recognise the important position of in-house tax experts in industry and business in dealing with the tax affairs of their employer. It is also open to in-house teams in the public and third sector. Past winners have shown versatility and technical depth which added value either in furthering strategic objectives or maximising shareholder value, or both.
Best single office practice
This is open to any tax or accountancy firm run from a single office (regardless of the number of principals or employees) offering a general tax service direct to clients. As well as applying the criteria applicable to the regional tax practice category as appropriate, judges will be looking for evidence of the extra level of personal service and commitment which these practices can offer their clients. Firms which have one main office and one or two small satellite offices may be eligible to enter this category but should seek the advice of the award organisers before putting in an entry..
Best tax practice in a regional firm
This award is for tax and accountancy firms which, while not having a national presence, operate from more than one main office and provide a general tax service direct to clients (tax consultancy teams have a specialist category). Judges will apply the general criteria to the client tax service as a whole, whether this is provided by a specialist team or the whole practice, and the entry should be prepared on this basis. Judges will be looking for levels of service, growth, innovation and/or client satisfaction which mark this practice out from their peers.
Best independent consultancy firm
The judges will be looking for independent firms who work is predominantly tax consultancy rather than a traditional compliance and advisory practice. The category is not for consultancy divisions of larger tax practices or for firms whose expertise falls within one of the other specialist categories. Judges will be looking for a high degree of specialist knowledge and innovation.
Best VAT and/or indirect tax team
This award will go to a team that has proven specialist skills in providing exceptional advice in the field of indirect tax. The winning team may cover the entire spectrum of indirect taxes or specialise in one or more niche areas. Past winners have shown either a wide range of services or a very high level of expertise in a specialist area, an in-depth knowledge of their field, and an innovative or exceptional service.
Best digital innovation of the year in tax
This award is to acknowledge the increasing important of the digital agenda. The judges will be looking for an innovative approach to problem solving and/or taxes management through digital platforms. Stand-alone software packages are eligible for entry but the judges’ preference will be for solutions which integrate software with business decision making and the giving of advice.
Tax writer of the year
This award will go to the individual who has shown a proven ability to write knowledgeably about technical tax issues in the professional press, on line or in book form. Past winners have shown an ability to tackle complex issues in a manner that is accessible to the tax community as a whole. The judges will be looking for insight, thought-leadership and analysis. Entrants should make a PDF submission of no more than 20 A4 pages comprising an explanation of why the person should win and examples of work during 2017.
Tax commentator of the year
This award is open to individuals who makes incisive comments on topical tax matters, whether in print, on line, though social media, or via broadcast media. In particular the judges are looking for individuals who stimulate interest in taxation outside the traditional tax community. Entrants should make a PDF submission of no more than 20 A4 pages comprising an explanation of why the person should win and examples of work during 2017.
Taxation's rising star
This award will go to an individual who, while not yet at the height of their career, is rapidly making a name for himself or herself in the tax world. It is open to those specialising in any tax discipline, and anywhere within the UK tax profession. Entries should show that the nominee is already making a real contribution well in excess of their peers, and is recognised by others as one who will be a high flyer for the future. There is no formal upper age limit to this category, but it would be unusual for the judges to make an award to somebody who was aged over 35.
Best human capital/employment tax practice
This is a new award which recognises this important sub- discipline within taxation. The judges will recognise that teams working in this area will offer more than pure taxation advice, but they will favour teams which have taxation at the heart of what they do. The award is open to standalone specialist firms or teams within larger firms. The judges will be equally impressed by teams looking at international issues and those with a predominantly UK focus.
Tax personality of the year
This award honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of tax in the past year. The judges are looking primarily at the achievements in the past 12 months but will also take into account other work done in previous few years. Past years show that this is the award where judges are most likely to override the set criteria and choose a surprising winner in order to accurately reflect the most important tax issues of the year. Nominees are often put forward by their peers, though you may also nominate yourself, but a full written nomination is always preferable. The judges reserve the right to add further names during the judging process.
Lifetime achievement award
This award recognises an individual who has made a sustained and significant impact in tax during the whole of their career, as opposed solely to achievements in the last year. The judges will consider the unique qualities which have earned this individual the respect of their colleagues and peers. Past winners have normally been acknowledged current, or very recently retired, leaders within the tax profession. Nominees are often put forward by their peers, though you may also nominate yourself, but a full written nomination is always preferable. The judges reserve the right to add further names during the judging process.
Best transfer pricing practice
This is a new award to recognise the critical importance of transfer pricing work. It is open to specialist firms and teams within larger firms. The judges will be looking for teams which take an integrated approach to the many strands of transfer pricing work and in particular those who have devised innovative solutions to transfer pricing assignments.
Best financial services tax practice
This is a new award which acknowledges the fact that financial services tax is now a discipline in its own right. The winning team, which is likely to come from a large firm but which could be a specialised boutique, will be dealing with a wide range of tax issues in sectors such as banking, private equity , venture capital, insurance or asset management.
Best Corporate tax practice
This award will go to a team working predominantly on UK corporates. The judges will be looking at the way the team helps clients to manage tax and reputation risk, supports efficient compliance and reporting processes, and advises on significant tax planning assignments.
Best Private client tax practice
This is intended for a practice which predominantly looks after HMWI clients. It is open to practices of all sizes. The Judges will recognise that wealth management involves more than managing taxation and entries are open to firms that provide broader wealth management services provided that tax is an important and distinct part of the service offering.
Best New tax practice
This award recognises that start up practices may not yet be read to compete on equal terms with their long-established counterparts but which have started to establish themselves in the market place. New in this context means commencing on or after 1 January 2014. The judges will be particularly looking for wholly new firms but will consider applications from existing firms general practice or law firms who have set up their own tax practices within the last 3 years.