- "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
A quarter of higher rate taxpayers fail to use pension tax relief
One in four higher rate tax payers say they do not contribute to a pension scheme, despite the tax reliefs available, research from Prudential has found.
The national study said this equated to around 216,000 UK employees who are missing out on up to £438 million a year in pension tax reliefs and a boost to their retirement savings.
Questioning those earning between £42,275 and £149,999, 21 per cent said they could not afford to contribute to a pension scheme, while one in eight (13 per cent) said they 'did not see the point' in saving for retirement.
A larger number (17 per cent) said they did not know why they had not contributed into a pension a scheme.
Prudential estimates that an average higher rate tax payer - those paying income tax at 40 per cent- who contributes £425 a month into a pension fund would receive a tax relief of £85 a month, equating to £1,020 a year. An additional £1,020 a year in higher rate tax relief could also be claimed.
Prudential's tax expert Matthew Stephens said that 'turning down what is effectively free money simply does not make sense'.
"Pension saving offers valuable tax reliefs to all workers and particularly to higher rate taxpayers. Basic rate 20 per cent tax relief is available at source plus up to an extra 20 per cent from HMRC for higher rate taxpayers," he said.
According to Prudential, around 58 per cent of the estimated 900,000 higher rate taxpayers in the UK contribute to defined contribution pension schemes, with a further 15 per cent being members of either non-contributory or defined benefit schemes.
Last year, the Treasury gave £32.9 billion worth of tax reliefs to those saving into registered pension schemes.
Currently, the maximum amount of contributions that can qualify for tax relief is £50,000, after being reduced from £255,000 at the start of the 2011/12 tax year.
Matthew concluded: "It is worrying that so many higher rate taxpayers say they cannot afford to save into a pension despite earning healthy salaries. The good news is that it is never too late to take action on saving for retirement and we urge all workers to seek advice on long-term retirement planning."
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