Prime assist charity with unique tax arrangement

An environmental charity has been able to navigate the complexities of a unique VAT request thanks to our team.

Here at Prime, we work with more than 50 charities, from small clubs and associations to charities with a turnover of more than £1 million.

HMRC support

One of those charities is Hubbub Foundation, an environmental organisation which needed additional support surrounding VAT and tax due to its complex business model.

Hubbub Foundation is an award-winning charity and social enterprise which encourages greener ways of living, working in partnership with businesses wishing to better their environmental impact.

Due to the charity working with grants, donations and trade services, all within one business, VAT and tax are complicated and the Hubbub Foundation has expressed its gratitude to the team here at Prime, who helped the charity come to a unique arrangement with HMRC about how it should manage its tax.

Filling the skills gap

We have been in partnership with Hubbub Foundation since 2016, during which time our team have stepped up to help whenever the charity required our assistance.

Such was the case when our audit and accounts assistant manager Natalija Carlsson stepped in to provide assistance in finance, payroll, management of accounts and bookkeeping for a four-month period while the charity awaited a new head of finance.

Alex Robinson, Hubbub Foundation CEO, said: Natalija had done our audit the previous year and understood not only how the charity worked but also how we as individuals worked.

From the minute she started, she provided continuity within the business. Not only this, but Natalija actively identified ways to improve our systems, including financial reporting and finding efficiencies in our accounting software.

All the while, Natalija was continuously thinking about how she could make a seamless transition for when the finance director joined, ensuring they could hit the ground running; a smooth and thoughtful handover.

Keeping services green

Jeremy Kitson, director at Prime, said: We really enjoy working with Hubbub Foundation and providing support with their audits and advice with complex financial situations.

Here at Prime, we are actively trying to implement greener working practices, which is why we enjoy working with charities such as Hubbub Foundation so much.

We love what the charity does and are proud to be able to help them in whatever way we can.

Prime Accountants Group has announced Morgan Davies as our new managing director, succeeding the long-serving Kevin Johns.

Morgan formally takes over the role on September 1 as part of our advanced succession planning, which has been taking place behind the scenes for some time.

Kevin Johns

Kevin has worked for Prime for 31 years and has been its managing director since 2015.

As well as holding the positions of Solihull BID chairman and vice-president of the Solihull Chamber of Commerce, Kevin has spearheaded Prime’s fundraising efforts, which have seen the business raise tens of thousands of pounds for charities such as Solihull Life Opportunities (SoLO) and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Morgan Davies

Morgan is one of the four original founding partners of Prime from 2007 and steps up from his role as director overseeing our audit and accounts department.

While Kevin is stepping down as managing director, he will continue to work with his portfolio of clients and remains on the senior leadership team.

To facilitate Morgan taking on his new role, fellow directors Jeremy Kitson and Paul Guise will take over his responsibility for audit and accounts.

Succession Planning

Kevin, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year’s Honours list in 2019 for services to Solihull, said: “I’ve planned to gradually retire over the next few years, so handing over to Morgan now means we will have a far more controlled and better transition.

“I’ll still be part of the leadership team, I’m still looking after my clients but I just won’t be leading on the day-to-day anymore.

“I said when we marked my 30^th anniversary with Prime that I’ve been leaving for a long time! This is long-term succession planning and a natural progression in any business. I’m passing the baton to someone in Morgan who is exceptionally capable and well-positioned to keep the firm on exactly the right path.”

The promotion comes in a milestone year for Morgan, who has worked for the firm for 20 years and has been in practice for 30 years.

He said: “This is part of a succession plan we have worked hard on. I’ve been audit and accounts lead ever since I’ve been here at Prime, which is effectively half the firm, as well as being part of the senior leadership team.

“The experience that gives you is seeing every element of the business up close. It’s a natural fit, we work closely together and I have supported Kev for years.

“The culture of this company is to develop people and empower them to succeed and grow, and this demonstrates that with aplomb. As I move up to managing director, two very capable directors in Paul and Jeremy move up to audit and accounts – it’s good for everyone within the pyramid at Prime.”