The quality of our people is key to our success. Each of our employees is unique and brings a breadth of experience and perspective to our firm and our clients.
Combining our individual skills maximises our knowledge and targets your needs with the expertise to support you.
We emphasise professional training and personal development and all our staff are encouraged to develop their full potential in a supportive yet challenging environment.
We are also a training office for students and many of our current staff have trained with the firm.
Begbies has a team of approximately 40 professionals, including 10 partners based in the City of London and in Cranbrook, Kent.
Our internal structure, with a high ratio of partners to staff, enables clients to benefit from quick partner response and senior managers are always available in the absence of the main partner contact.
Partners
Robert Maples, ACA
Robert is the firm’s managing partner. He joined Begbies in 1982, qualifying in 1985 and was made a partner in 1988. He works across a range of sectors with experience in tax enquiries and forensic work.
Christopher Bates, FCA
Chris joined Begbies in 2003 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006. He is also an affiliate member of STEP, having acquired the STEP Advanced Certificate in UK International Tax for International Clients in 2013.
Chris enjoys working with entrepreneurs and has expertise in the available tax reliefs such as EIS and R&D tax credits. He undertakes audit, accounting and tax work across a varied client base and has built up specific expertise in property, media, fine art and professional services.
Katherine Dee, FCA, DChA, CTA
Katherine joined Begbies in 1999 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 and a Chartered Tax Advisor in 2014.
Katherine specialises in the not-for-profit sector, including charities, CICs, membership organisations and professional trade bodies. She also has considerable experience of property companies, personal taxation and pension scheme auditing.
Michael Firman, FCA
Michael qualified in 1970 and was a partner in a medium sized West End of London practice between 1976 and 1981, before founding Price Firman.
He has the knowledge and experience to advise both corporate and personal clients. Specific areas of expertise include start-ups, acquisitions, UK subsidiaries and branches of foreign entities, disposals, reconstructions and reorganisations, corporate finance and company, partnerships and personal tax planning.
Chris Pexton, FCA, CTA
Chris trained with Jolliffe Cork, an international firm which became part of Grant Thornton. Upon qualifying as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser, he spent some time working in the airline industry before returning to practice, becoming a partner in Coulthards Mackenzie heading up their London office prior to the merger with Begbies in 2017. A general practitioner, Chris has broad experience in auditing, accounting and taxation for companies, partnerships and charities.
Stephen Richards, FCA, ATII
Stephen qualified in 1979, and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. He joined our merger firm Price Firman in 1994, having previously been a specialist tax partner with a chief international practice.
His expertise includes all aspects of personal tax with particular emphasis on tax planning and trusts, for individuals domiciled in the UK or elsewhere.
Jeremy Staines, FCCA
Jeremy also trained with our merged firm Hope Agar and was made a partner there in 1995.
He works with small and medium companies and is an expert in corporation tax and auditing.
Jeremy likes to solve clients’ problems and help them succeed. His hobbies involve travelling and gardening but as a busy Dad, with a family of six, he doesn’t have much time for anything else.
Virginia Underhill, FCA
Virginia qualified in 1982 and heads the firm’s auditing, financial compliance and accounting department. She joined the firm in 1994 having previously been an audit and technical specialist with a major international practice.
Virginia’s expertise covers full audit compliance and systems-related work for larger clients; management accounting, forecasting and budgetary controls; and the preparation of accounts for smaller companies and partnerships.
Daniel Valentine, ACA
The managing partner in our Kent office, Daniel joined us in 1988 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1992.
In addition to being a general practice partner he has built up specialisms in charities, trusts, landed estates and professional practices.
He is a trustee of several charities and sits on the board of governors of a local Academy.
Colin Wain, FCA, CTA
Colin Wain specialises in tax, particularly small business taxation. He joined one of our merger companies, Hope Agar from university in 1986, and became a partner there in 1995.
Colin is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation the professional body for Chartered Tax Advisers (CTA).
Consultants
Michael Church, FCA
Tax advisers
Three of our senior management and staff are qualified members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the professional body for Chartered Tax Advisers (CTA).
Investment adviser
Roy Goodman, DipFA
Please contact us for further information about how we can help.