Chris Lonergan has joined specialist tax relief firm Catax as its new Partnership Development Director to further strengthen its partnership team.
Chris joins Catax from SalesLevers, a specialist in driving sales performance, where he was Head of Sales Performance Consulting from 2018.
Prior to that he was Head of Business Growth Consulting at chartered accountants Haines Watts for five years, which was his third stint with a Top 20 accounting firm.
In Chris’ new role, he will be responsible for helping accountants build collaborative partnerships with Catax. This will enable accountants’ clients to take advantage of Catax expertise on research and development (R&D) tax credits, capital allowances, and Patent Box in a professional and ethical way.
Mark Tighe, CEO of tax relief specialist Catax, commented:
“Chris’ vast experience working in accountancy firms means he is well-placed to build new working relationships and further develop existing partnerships at Catax.
“R&D tax relief, in particular, couldn’t be more important to firms carrying out research and development right now, in the middle of a global pandemic. Accountants are able to draw on our expertise by collaborating with us on behalf of their clients to ensure they receive what they are entitled to in tax relief, in a timely way.
“We are delighted to welcome Chris to the team and look forward to seeing partnerships grow as we move forward.”
Chris Lonergan, Partnership Development Director of tax relief specialist Catax, commented:
“Having worked at three ambitious Top 20 accountancy firms in business development and as a fee-earner, I can see what Catax are trying to do from all perspectives.
“Catax offers a flexible partnership programme suitable for firms of all sizes and levels of expertise.
“Numerous smaller firms do not or cannot yet offer advice on the tax reliefs we specialise in. This increases the risk that clients won’t take advantage of these schemes, giving their competitors a greater edge.
“Many mid-sized and larger accountancy firms do have a good level of knowledge but are often so snowed under with client work that they miss key elements of claims. In extreme cases this can result in their clients facing time-consuming challenges from HMRC.”
