- "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
Recession to cull numbers of top rate taxpayers
The economic downturn looks set to reduce dramatically the proportion of people who pay income tax at the 40 per cent rate.
Figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have revealed that those expected to fall into the 40p tax bracket will decline from 3.89 million in 2007/08 to just 2.9 million in 2009/10, a fall of over a million.
The level of tax take from higher earners is also predicted to drop, down by £15.9 billion from £91 billion to £75.1 billion.
The threshold for those paying 40 per cent in income tax has been raised for the present tax year from £34,800 of taxable income to £37,400, a move that will cut the proportion of taxpayers in the higher band.
However, the increase in the earnings threshold by itself does not account for the drastic drop in the estimated tax take.
The recession and the credit crunch have been scything both earnings and jobs, particularly in the financial services sector.
If the forecasts are accurate, the public purse could be badly hit. Figures suggest that the government is reliant on the tax returns generated by higher bracket taxpayers.
In 2008/09, the 40 per cent tax band represented 40 per cent of income tax paid, delivering £59.5 billion in addition to the basic rate that was also contributed by higher earners.
Even though the 40p rate will only generate £53.6 billion this year, that still amounts to 39 per cent of the total income tax take.
HMRC has calculated that the overall number of people paying income tax will drop from 32.3 million in 2007/08 to 30.9 million in 2008/09 and to 29.3 million for 2009/10.
Basic rate tax payers will rise from 23.8 million to 25.4 million during this period, although the amount of tax they will produce is expected to fall from £67.2 billion in 2007-08 to £65.1 billion this year.