West accountancy firm Bishop Fleming’s technical tax director Andy Richens has agreed to spend more time as an adviser to Chancellor George Osborne’s Office of Tax Simplification (OTS).
Mr Richens, pictured, was seconded to the OTS last year an adviser on small business taxation issues. Now he has been asked to extend his time on the project. 
As a result, he will now spend the majority of his time helping develop recommendations to improve and simplify the UK’s tax system, but will continue to provide a consultancy service to clients of Bishop Fleming, which has an office in Bath.
The firm’s head of tax Andrew Browne said: “This development is a huge accolade for our approach to serving the taxation issues for owner-managed businesses, which was recognised by the firm’s national Best Tax Practice award.
“Andy is an acknowledged expert on those issues, and the OTS is making great progress in getting the Treasury to make changes. We are thrilled that his contribution has been recognised by the Treasury, and that he will continue to be part of our tax team.”
Andy Richens added: “It is the ambition of everyone in my profession to have the opportunity to influence taxation changes, so I welcome this invitation to increase my role with the OTS.
“But I have no intention of severing my close ties to Bishop Fleming and its commitment to the region’s owner-managed businesses.”
Mr Richens has been the firm’s technical tax director since 2004 and works with its tax specialists across its offices in Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro, and Worcester.
