Annabel
Jagger

HOW I HELP

Preparing their tax returns. Ensuring the tax that clients are due to pay is correct and paid on time. Resolving complex tax matters.

WHO I HELP

High-net-worth individuals. Business owners. Non-residents. Self-employed individuals.

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Works closely with our Business Advisory Services team.

“MY JOB IS VARIED & DYNAMIC; I LOVE RESOLVING THE CHALLENGES THAT ARISE.”

Annabel Jagger’s role as an Assistant Manager in our Private Client team is varied, an aspect of the role that she loves. Annabel has a large personal tax portfolio which consists of a mixture of different kinds of clients, for whom she ensures the correctness of personal tax returns and tax bills. This can include complex areas such as loss relief, EIS investments, residency analysis, company liquidations and much more.

As well as her portfolio, Annabel also has a number of trust clients that she looks after. She really enjoys doing compliance work and is expanding into more trust advisory work such as looking at IHT planning and how people can make gifts in tax-efficient manners.

Annabel particularly enjoys the challenge of resolving more complex tax matters that require careful thought and significant research to ensure that her clients are paying the correct tax and reporting matters correctly.

FRIENDLY & RESPECTFUL

“My definition of an ideal relationship is one of great mutual respect but one that is friendly. I love getting to know my clients, and once you have shown that you can do the work to a high standard, you can start to build a relationship which is about much more than just getting the numbers correct.”

VALUING EFFICIENCY

“I think my clients value efficiency and I always try my best to work in the most efficient manner I possibly can, whether that is asking for assistance from one of the technical team, delegating to a junior, or running with the task myself.”

THE JOY OF A CHALLENGE

“With clients I love a challenge. I like getting something really demanding and technical and coming out with the right result. It is such a great feeling when a client rings you after a big piece of work to thank you for all your efforts.”

A STRONG BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE

“I like getting to know the colleagues around me, and really appreciate how we can all work together for the mutual benefit of our clients. We have such a breadth of knowledge between us – we always know who the correct person for the job is and there is always someone willing to help, no matter what level they are.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF FLEXIBILITY & COMMUNICATION

“I am technically-minded and a bit of a quiet perfectionist. A good personal tax manager needs to be really good at communication and also really flexible because we want people to feel totally comfortable talking to us about what can often be very personal matters.”

BALANCING EFFICIENCY & RELATIONSHIPS

“Utilising tech is a really important part of the job that enables much higher efficiency. However, I think my role and personality more generally are more suited to a hands-on approach. I like doing the work and understanding the numbers rather than purely letting the software work it out all the time. I think you learn more that way and also can explain it better to a client. I certainly prefer face-to-face meetings over virtual meetings, as it’s easier to gauge the individual and build a connection, and that makes the relationship better which, in turn, makes me better at my job.”

DEALING WITH GOOD & BAD CHALLENGES

“There are lots of challenges in my area of work, some good, some bad. The good challenges are the technical ones; if someone has a really complex residency assessment or a plethora of complex asset sales then getting the right answer is thoroughly enjoyable. This almost always involves asking for help and collaborating with my colleagues.

Then for me, the bad challenges are when you have a client that doesn’t see the value you are providing and convincing them that you are on their side and doing the absolute most for them. In addition, when you have people who do not wish to pay for the services they have asked for. We quote the prices we do because there is pretty much no accountancy question that we cannot answer. Communication is the biggest instrument of success when it comes to this.”

CONTINUALLY LEARNING

“The thing that excites me the most about my career is that I get to keep on learning. Every year I get to be involved in something different and my client base throws me new challenges all the time. The job is super dynamic, and I genuinely cannot remember being bored at work since taking on my portfolio.”

WORKING HARD EVERY DAY

“The AAB Group value that speaks to me the most has to be that ‘clients are our passion.’ That is what makes us all come to work every day and give 110%. I feel so motivated to do a good job for each and every single one of my clients and help them in any and every way that I am able.”

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“This may sound odd but I think emotional intelligence is my biggest strength. It gives me the determination to do the best job I can do, and try as hard as I possibly can. I am also very empathetic and sometimes that’s what a client needs; some reassurance and to know someone cares and is looking out for them. Client relationships are the backbone of my role – yes, the numbers matter, but you also have to connect with your client to be able to best understand how you can help them and their future.”

APPRECIATION

“I think anytime a client says something along the line ‘thank you for all your hard work.’ This makes me feel really valued and it’s great to be appreciated by the people you have tried so hard for.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

“There’s this perception that it’s all just about the numbers. When really, it’s not – it’s about the people. In fact, some of the best accountants I know didn’t study maths or economics or accounting; it’s about passion for the job, common sense, and the desire to do a good job. I’m not a maths wiz – but my calculator is!”