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Tayside first for taxing exams
EQ are delighted to annouce that Lyndsey Orrock, who joined the firm 11 years ago straight from school, recently became the only Tayside success story in this year's Chartered Institute of Tax examinations. Lyndsey has undertaken numerous examinations since joining the firm, firstly training as an accounting technician and from there she studied towards a professional accountancy qualification, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), qualifying in August 2004.
Only 156 people of over 1,000 who sat the exams in the summer met the criteria to become a member of the CIOT, Lyndsey being the only one from Tayside.
David Morrison, our Tax Partner, said, "Everyone at EQ is delighted with Lyndsey's qualification as a Chartered Tax Adviser which is a great testament to her hard work but also to the level of training provided to all of our staff. In these difficult times, proactive tax planning can provide huge cashflow benefits to our clients and Lyndsey will add significantly to the expertise which we already provide. EQ is committed to further enhancing the quality of its service through the excellence of its staff as we seek to maintain and enhance our reputation as one of the leading providers of taxation services in Scotland."
Prize to recognise Mark’s efforts
An EQ employee has been recognised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland for his efforts in passing his exams to become a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Mark Barron, who is based in the firm’s Forfar office, has won The Best in Class Prize from ICAS, and will receive his award at an Awards Ceremony and Prizegiving in Edinburgh in May.
This is the latest milestone in a varied and eventful career for Mark, who gained an honours degree from Glasgow University before becoming a full-time athlete, competing at elite level including world championships in ‘Laser’ class sailing. Mark then coached and managed various sailing squads, including the Paralympic Sailing Team for the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.
Mark returned home to Alyth and joined EQ in 2006 and completed his professional training contract in autumn 2009. He looks after a broad range of clients, primarily in the agricultural sector.
Ex-footballer kick-starts accountancy career
A former footballer with Dundee United has set himself a new goal after embarking on a radical career change ...accountancy!
Just weeks after securing a prestigious award for training accountancy staff, we are welcoming Sean Fleming to our flagship Dundee office. Sean, a Trainee Accounts Technician, trained with Dundee United from the age of 12, then went on to captain the under-19 team, and also won the Scotland Caps at the under-16 level. On leaving school at the age of 17, he undertook a three year apprenticeship with the Club.
Sean, from Perth, has since decided on a career change and we are pleased to welcome him to EQ.
Re-accreditation for Mark Wilken
The partners of EQ are pleased to confirm that Mark Wilken, a manager in the EQ Agriculture Division in Forfar, has been re-accredited by Lantra as an adviser under the Farm Business Adviser Accreditation Scheme for Scotland (FBAASS).
The FBAASS scheme was established by the Scottish Executive and is the foremost quality assurance scheme for professionals delivering whole farm advice in Scotland.
Only accredited advisers are allowed to deliver whole farm advice under the Whole Farm Review Scheme, which is operated by SEERAD to provide grant aid of up to £2,400 for business advice to farming and crofting businesses in Scotland.
The FBAASS scheme was introduced in 2004 and Mark has been accredited since the scheme was implemented. Accreditation must be renewed annually and is only awarded to individuals who can demonstrate a sufficiently high standard of service delivery. Mark graduated with a BSc in Agriculture from Aberdeen University and worked for ten years for a national firm of agricultural consultants before joining EQ and qualifying as a chartered accountant.
Since the pilot scheme for Whole Farm Reviews was launched in October 2003, he has completed in excess of 30 reports for farming businesses throughout Scotland, operating within many diverse farming sectors.
The assessors reviewing Mark's work were impressed by the high level of service he provides and had no hesitation in approving his re-accreditation.
Graeme Davidson, a partner in the Forfar office said, "As a firm we are committed to providing high quality accountancy, tax and consultancy services to the agricultural sector. I am therefore delighted that Mark's expertise has been recognised by this accreditation scheme".
