Accountants Celebrate Success of Award Winning Team Member

West Cornwall Chartered Accountants, Walker Moyle, are celebrating this week with the great news that one of their team has achieved some of the top results in the country for their professional taxation exams.

Andrew Symons, who is based at the firm’s Penzance office, is currently studying for the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) professional qualification. He has passed two specialist tax exam papers and in doing so has been awarded two national prizes. The first is for gaining the highest score on the ‘Taxation of Individuals’ paper and the second prize is for the student with the highest total marks in two exam papers taken in the same sitting. His taxation skills have been further acknowledged, by also being the only person who sat the ‘Taxation for Individuals’ paper, to achieve a distinction grade.

The CIOT is the leading professional body in the UK for advisers dealing with all aspects of taxation. 1,398 candidates, including Andrew, sat a range of CIOT exams back in May of this year. Of those who took the Taxation of Owner-Managed Businesses exam only 34% passed, with 52% passing the Taxation of Individuals paper, which demonstrates how hard these exams are and how great Andrew’s achievements have been.

On receiving his results, Andrew said, “I am absolutely thrilled not only to have passed the two technical advisory papers, but also been awarded the Ronald Ison Medal, LexisNexis Prize and distinction.  The Chartered Institute of Taxation prides itself on being the ‘gold standard’ of UK taxation education and it is a great honour to be recognised in this way.  I hope that I will be able to use my knowledge to assist Walker Moyle’s clients in meeting their tax obligations and planning for transactions in the most tax efficient manner possible.”

Commenting on his success, Paula Thomas, Director said “Andrew has worked very hard for these exams, so it is great to see his success. As a result of passing the exams Andrew will join Michael Crookes and me in being able to offer our clients a comprehensive tax planning and compliance service, providing the technical skills and detailed knowledge to manage our clients’ tax affairs effectively”.

Unfortunately there’s no rest for Andrew though as he now starts preparing for his last CIOT exam in November, which is a general tax awareness paper. However, once he has passed this exam he will become a Chartered Tax Adviser and is looking forward to having evenings and weekends to do anything which doesn’t involve studying for exams!

Andrew will receive his awards at the prestigious CIOT awards and admissions ceremony which will be held in the spring next year.