- "In the last 20 years our business has changed considerably…and as the focus of our business has changed, Bird Luckin have moved with us."
Alex Tanner, George Tanner (Shalford) Ltd - "Bird Luckin has looked after us incredibly well for over 60 years, they are pro-active and innovational - meeting all our needs to help us achieve our aims."
Richard Stubbings, Cliffords Limited - "I can honestly say that Bird Luckin are the best firm of accountants and auditors I have ever dealt with - and I don't say that lightly!"
Colin Webb, Walthamstow Stadium - "It's important for us to know that we will always be able to contact the right people to give us the right advice and support."
Jane Bennett, Bennetts Funeral Directors - "Although we deal mainly with one Partner … we also know that if we need to contact someone else who is a specialist in another area, we can get the advice we need quickly and easily"
Jeremy Ruggles, J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd - "Bird Luckin got us to a stage which would have taken us months - if not years - to reach on our own, and they got us there in a matter of weeks"
Matthew Sullivan, SNC Ltd - "You can be a good accountant, but if you don't have an understanding of the industry it can be very difficult. "There are two or three people we have regular contact with at Bird Luckin who know our business well, and it makes a difference.""
Robert Church, W A Church (Bures) Ltd - "The work which Bird Luckin has done for Boddingtons over the past few months has helped shape our future direction for the better."
John Warner, Chief Executive, Boddingtons Ltd - "Bird Luckin has acted for us since our inception 10 years ago. They have a very 'can do' yet highly professional attitude - we are very appreciative of their support and advice over the years."
Marlon Fox, Outlook Property Ltd
Parents could hold onto child benefit by paying more into pension
Thousands of families look set to lose their child benefit if the Government goes ahead with plans to remove the subsidy for higher earners.
The Government has yet to reveal details of the changes, but when announced in October 2010, Chancellor George Osborne referred to the plans as 'tough but fair', and designed to affect couples or single parents where one person's income is above the higher rate of £42,475 (£35,000 + personal allowance of £7,475).
But critics claim that this will end up hitting single wage families harder. As the proposal stands, a couple where both parents earn below the threshold would be allowed to keep the benefit, when this could easily total more than one parent earning above the higher rate threshold.
NFU Mutual claims that 180,000 families with one earning parent could be affected by the change, due to come in from April 2013, but that those families could be better off paying more of their salary directly into their pension, which would take them below the threshold, and mean that they could keep the child benefit.
According to NFU Mutual, the amount that 143,000 of the families affected would have to pay into a pension to take them below the threshold, would be less than the child benefit received (more than £1,750 a year for a family with two eligible children).
Commenting, Sean McCann, personal finance specialist at NFU Mutual said: "We're still waiting for the Chancellor to show his hand on this issue but we know that change to the child benefit system is coming for families paying 40% income tax.
"Losing child benefit payments could make a big dent in many household incomes, but for many parents, putting a little more into the pension in order to bring down earnings below the higher rate threshold could help to make the most of their income.
"The tax efficiency of pension contributions could be key to these families from April 2013 but it's likely that, as ever, being tax savvy and taking financial advice will be as important this year as next."
According to reports, the Chancellor and Prime Minister are seeking to make the benefit reform fairer, but the absence of any definition of 'household' in tax law, will make this complicated, the Low Income Tax Reforms Group claims.
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