Our Accounting Services

What our clients say about our accounting services...

We have been clients of Wilkins Southworth for over 11 years during which we have saved a significant amount of tax compared with our previous accountant. During a recent lengthy HMRC enquiry into our affairs Chris showcased his skills and it was in large part due to his knowledge and robust approach that it ended with a great result. We have no hesitation in recommending Chris as the cleverest accountant we know.

Mark Homer & Rob Moore

Progressive Property

Chris Wilkins and his team were recommended to us from one of the largest property groups in the UK who also use his services. I have to say we have been awestruck at his knowledge and approach. Having previously used a very high-profile London-based accountancy firm we have come to realise there are levels to this game, and Chris is premier league. We recently asked Chris to help advise us on a large business deal that involved multiple parties, legal firms as well as fractured relationships. Chris was a class-act and significantly strengthened our position whilst not antagonising the other parties in the process - thank you!

Warren J

As soon as I started working with Chris, my tax bills have shrunk (and continue to) in a dramatic fashion. Anyone who is serious about paying less tax (and doing so legally) would be a fool not to at least speak with Chris Wilkins and his team…

Steve Bolton

Bolt Group

Chris is a legend – the most expert accountant I have ever met!

Andy Wake

I have worked with Chris Wilkins and Wilkins Southworth as my accountants for many years. My company South East Pipes Limited has just had a successful outcome to a tax enquiry that has been going on for four years due to Chris’ perseverance and professionalism I would highly recommend Chris Wilkins and Wilkins Southworth.

South East Pipes Ltd

I have been a client of Wilkins Southworth for over 25 years and can easily attest that they are the most competent and professional firm I have ever done business with. Chris Wilkins has a refreshingly straightforward manner and an amazing eye for detail. I have recommended Wilkins Southworth to many business associates and they have all thanked me for it - there really is no-one better. Unless you like paying a lot of tax then you should use Wilkins Southworth.

Richard Davies

Managing Director, CHX Group

The firm of Wilkins Southworth has kept our accounts in good order for some six years now. The advice received on partnership formation and tax planning has been of great benefit to our business. Their attention to detail and thoroughness of audit has produced well-managed accounts and timely tax returns. As a result we have a confident future in uncertain times.

Malcolm R MacDonald RIBA FRSA

Blissett MacDonald

Hamley Developments Ltd appointed Wilkins Southworth in 2007 to look after our small property company accounts. Chris, James and the team have always been on hand when needed, offering timely, professional advice and have been a pleasure to deal with. We would have no problems recommending them to other potential clients.

Nigel Bowthorpe

Hamley Developments Ltd.

Not only have I found him expert on the subject of English taxation, but his ability to investigate and work with Eastern European systems is also outstanding. His attention to the minutiae of a paragraph or sentence gives him the aptitude and knowledge to have the upper-hand on any tax-official to the great benefit of his customers...

Charles Cole, Chairman

British Romanian

Having been with you now for over 17 years and worked closely together during this time, I feel very well placed to say how satisfied I am with your service and thankful for your guidance over the years, much of which has been invaluable especially given that I am essentially a sole trader. I very much look forward to us all continuing this healthy working relationship into the next decade.

David Redshaw, Director

LONDON FINDER LIMITED

Since appointing Chris as my accountant and tax advisor, I have been continually impressed by his remarkable ability to provide clear advice that simply saves tax - loads of it! I've recommended him to countless clients and will continue to do so.

Nick Carlile, Director

Platinum Portfolio Builder Limited

Chris has an extremely extensive knowledge of the tax industry and ensures that I consistently receive very favourable tax bills. My end-of-year accounts could not possibly be handled any better...

J. Johnstone

Johnstone Electricals - Leeds

The first thing that struck me about Chris Wilkins was that he bothered to get to know our business inside out. His first meeting with my partner and I was nearly 1½ hours long and Chris wanted to know the nuts and bolts of our business and how we ran it, from inside out. Because of this, he really knew where the costs were incurred and how. As we had been with our former firm of Chartered Accountants for some time it was a very difficult decision, but because we were recommended by a very dear friend, who is also a client of Chris, we decided to go ahead. At this stage, our accountants had already prepared our annual accounts, worked out our tax bill and had sent it to us to sign. Our friend said our tax bill, in the tens of thousands of pounds, seemed very high, so we asked Chris to look at it. After Chris had been appointed, he explained what he was going to do. He would:

Research HM Revenue & Customs’ Business Income Manuals (BIM) to see what additional expenses could be claimed – He did and found one specifically on a Stud Farm that saved us a few thousand pounds straight away!
Research relevant tax cases to justify claiming expenses that our previous accountant had disallowed – He found a very similar case to our situation which meant that we could claim tax relief on thousands of pounds!
Review our business expenses to see if we were incurring expenses which were tax deductible – He did and found even more relevant expenses!

The culmination of all this was that Chris revised the very same accounts that our Chartered Accountant had assessed and managed to reduce our tax bill by nearly 60%! My partner and I could not believe it and are so grateful to Chris and his team.

We would whole heartedly recommend Wilkins Southworth.

Caroline Corbin – Kentford Farm Stud Limited

Code of Practice (COP) 9 Enquiry

Dear Chris,

This is a brief note to say what a relief it was last week to have the final meeting with HMRC to conclude seven years of enquiries. And many thanks from me for all of your efforts.

It was really helpful that you were able to take over the whole enquiry and to see it through to a successful conclusion. If they had taken over the completion of the report themselves it could have tripled the penalties.

Your negotiating skills with the inspector were brilliant and kept them on side whilst allowing the extra time needed to conclude business affairs.

Wilkins Southworth have a very professional approach in dealings with HMRC and it was clear that the inspector was pleased to deal with your firm and to close his file on the case.

We can now get on with our lives – thanks again for your help with what had become a difficult HMRC Enquiry.

Mr W, Property Consultant

Steve Bolton, Founding Partner, Platinum Partners Group, author ‘The 7 Biggest Mistakes Made by Property Investors and How to Avoid Them’

Dear Sir
I would initially apologise for the obtuse nature of this enquiry but ask that you please bear with me.

Some time ago now I was fortunate enough to witness a sadly what is quite a rare sight, that being an accountant putting up a clear and reasoned case before a body of General Commissioners. So surprised was I that I wrote down the name of the firm on one of those new fangled electronic organisers but sadly in the section where (when it recently failed) the information was consigned to oblivion.

I did remember that the name of the firm was of the double barrelled variety and based in Barnes and I am therefore writing to enquire whether you in fact represented a client before the General Commissioners that met in Hammersmith Town Hall in the not too distant past, whereupon I would be very pleased to make your acquaintance and introduce some UK colleagues to you who are in need of solid representation on a continuing basis.

If I have got the wrong firm or person then my sincere apologies for troubling you.

David Thornton, Switzerland

Chris
I find you, James and the whole team professional, clear speaking and a pleasure to deal with. Please give Sarah my best wishes for her retirement.
Warmest

Eugene

Chris
Please can I appeal to you to reconsider your position and take us back as clients. I don’t say this out of desperation but more out of appreciation for the superlative way in which you have dealt with our affairs over the years.
Best Wishes

Dave

I am hugely grateful to Chris and his team at Wilkins Southworth for the excellent result achieved regards an HMRC investigation that we have been battling for the past 4 years and had reached First Tier Tribunal (FTT) Level. Without his help, advice, professionalism & continuous support through the investigation, I am utterly convinced we would not have achieved this 100% success. Chris remained steadfast & thoroughly determined throughout, despite having to replace the original Capital Allowance consultant & continue with the case through ADR and up to FTT when even the insurers had said we would not reach a positive outcome. Not only did we overturn the Revenue’s decision & achieve a total victory, but we had our full claim re-instated and got all monies back. Thank you for all your efforts.

Wilkins Southworth are extremely diligent and also flexible and committed to providing what our business requires, at the right time for us. I needed urgent, substantial information and they delivered incredibly quickly and in time, the value of that cannot be quantified. I do recommend Wilkins Southworth to contacts on a regular basis…

‘I was referred to Chris by my solicitor over twenty years ago. In that twenty year period, I have left the country to work, returned to the country, been non-UK resident, UK resident, employed, self-employed, and pretty much everything in between. I have had some of the most senior roles in property companies that you could imagine at director level and I am now a senior partner in another large property company. Throughout this whole twenty year period, Chris has managed to grapple with every tax problem that I have thrown at him, be it UK tax, overseas tax, the vagaries of my partnership positions, capital gains tax etc. Not only has he managed to come up trumps on every occasion but above and beyond that his inventiveness and knowledge of the tax system never ceases to astound me. Each year he manages to come up with a different way of dealing with my multifarious tax issues and every time the answer is to my advantage.

Not only is it to my advantage from a tax perspective but Chris has saved me substantially more in tax than the fees he has been paid over this time frame – win, win!

I would recommend him to anyone that wants a proactive accountant with a great tax brain.’

I am writing to commend the services of Wilkins Southworth who have been looking after my limited company and my personal tax affairs for more years than I care to mention. Chris and his team seem to give unceasing attention to detail which means that no stone is unturned with regards to my tax affairs. He is able to remind me of expenses that I have incurred that I had long since forgotten but which are tax deductible. I wouldn’t fail to recommend Wilkins Southworth to any of my friends and I am delighted that I am in such good hands.

Mrs O

Chris Wilkins and his team have successfully resolved a series of errors made by my previous accountants and successfully negotiated a fair outcome with HMRC. Chris provides calm and clear advice as well as clearly having excellent skills in managing tax reviews and working to resolve any issues quickly and efficiently.

Charles Fallon

Since inception in 2000, Wilkins Southworth have supported and guided the directors of London Finder Ltd and our private individual tax affairs without fault.

In particular, having recently sold a property investment this year, that was purchased in 1999, Chris and his team tirelessly defended our position regarding the capital gains tax liability which resulted in a positive outcome. Despite HMRC’s lengthy investigations following the initial return, Wilkins Southworth were able to convince them that the supporting documentation backed up all the facts as they had been presented. Without them at our side, I don’t think we would ever have arrived at the same conclusion. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude and would continue to recommend their services to others.

London Finder Ltd

My business partner and I were recommended Chris at Wilkins Southworth when we were structuring our partnership. Firstly, Chris was always on hand to provide feedback when required, but above all his knowledge and understanding of business structures both from a contractual and a taxation perspective gave us enormous confidence when we were entering negotiations with potential investors and partners. For anyone starting their own business or looking at strategic changes to an existing one I would highly recommend Wilkins Southworth.

Chris K

Wilkins Southworth were recommended to our business a few months ago through one of their existing clients.

In this short period that I have got to know Chris he has consistently demonstrated huge expertise in supporting, guiding and advising our new business with his vast experience in his field.

He has helped us on so many different levels and his invaluable support has already created in my mind a long term relationship for our business.

I have already made one business referral to Chris and his firm, and I will undoubtedly make more.

In addition to that he is a thoroughly decent bloke and a pleasure to deal with.

Henry

Since joining Wilkins Southworth the team there have managed to mitigate both our Corporate and Personal tax liabilities to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds. They are an extremely knowledgeable practice, headed up by Chris Wilkins who has a deep appreciation of all forms of tax and how to account for it in the most efficient manner possible.

What Chris and his team don’t know about the specialist area of property both in terms of residential, investment & commercial is probably not worth knowing.

We have only been with them just over a year and already they have clearly shown they are head and shoulders above all the other accountancy firms we have engaged with previously. They have corrected previous bad advice and we now feel we are set up with the best possible company structure and guidance to continue in both our business and personal journeys. I have no doubt that Chris and his team will continue to create wealth for us both from a corporate and personal perspective.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Wilkins Southworth to all my business and personal acquaintances.

Spencer Bowley, Bowley Consultancy Limited

Chris Wilkins has provided me with a friendly, informative and professional service for the past 25 years. He has an excellent reputation and is always available to discuss any queries, even at evenings or weekends.
Chris offers highly competitive rates and excellent service. I would thoroughly recommend him.

Michael Watson

Both of our primary points of contact, accountant James Wade and office manager Sarah Hedley-Cheney, are always prompt and friendly in communication and have a deep understanding of our group’s financial needs and set-up, meaning they can offer truly personalised service.

James knows all of our companies inside-out and uses this knowledge to go ‘above and beyond’, giving us advice on how to make our accounting and bookkeeping more efficient. He’s a ‘nuts and bolts’ man who is skilled in making the amazing ideas of Chris Wilkins and our directors a reality… Sarah meanwhile knows the group as a whole and is experienced in billing our accounts across multiple companies, in what can be a daunting financial set-up, making sure everything is allocated correctly.

Lisa Barnes, Financial Controller, Positive Life LLP

I have used a number of professional advisers and accountants in the past and struggled to find someone with a breadth of knowledge, proactivity and attention to detail that delivered real commercial value that justified their fees.

Since moving my accounts (by recommendation) to Chris Wilkins I am delighted to say that my expectations have been exceeded and I now have someone who has a clear understanding of my financial goals and who plays a proactive value added role in helping me achieve those goals…

Steve Hogan, Director, Finch Property Limited.
Formerly European Central Services Director of Coca Cola plc.

Wilkins Southworth Chartered Accountants London

Client Testimonials