Private Client Tax Manager / Senior Tax Professional

Mercer & Hole — St Albans

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the friendly and dynamic tax team at Mercer & Hole in our St Albans office. This role is ideal for an experienced private client tax professional who enjoys building strong client relationships, delivering high-quality compliance work, and contributing to advisory projects alongside partners.

You will take ownership of your own portfolio of clients, manage annual compliance obligations, support complex tax planning matters, and play an active role in staff development and wider departmental success.

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The Opportunity

In this position, you will work closely with partners and a diverse portfolio of private clients, primarily high-net-worth individuals, including sole traders and partnerships. While much of the client base is UK resident, the role also offers exposure to more complex matters, including non-residency, non-domicile issues, and planning for individuals moving to and from the UK.

You will also work on matters involving UK and offshore trusts, particularly where clients are beneficiaries, making this a varied and intellectually rewarding role within a highly respected firm.

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What You’ll Be Doing

Client Portfolio Management

• Manage the annual tax compliance requirements for your own portfolio of private clients.

• Review Self-Assessment tax returns prepared by junior team members before client approval and electronic submission.

• Oversee the collection of information required to complete tax returns, coordinating with clients and third-party advisers where necessary.

• Handle routine client correspondence promptly and professionally.

Tax Compliance & Advisory

• Advise on and manage a broad range of personal tax matters, including:

• Income Tax

• National Insurance

• Capital Gains Tax

• Inheritance Tax

• PAYE coding reviews

• Assist partners with advisory work, including preparing reports and technical input on:

• IHT planning

• Residence matters

• UK trusts

• Business structure planning

• Support work relating to HMRC enquiries, including:

• Correspondence on s9A enquiries

• Preparing disclosures under the Digital Disclosure Facility

Client Relationships

• Act as a key point of contact for clients on both routine and ad-hoc matters.

• Communicate confidently by email, telephone, and in person.

• Prepare for and attend meetings with existing and prospective clients.

• Set budgets for follow-up work and ensure assignments are delivered on time and within budget.

Team & Department Contribution

• Train, support, and supervise members of the tax team.

• Work independently while demonstrating initiative and sound judgement.

• Monitor your own time budgets and chargeability.

• Bill clients quarterly, including making reserves and escalating any concerns to partners.

• Contribute to internal departmental management meetings.

• Represent the firm at networking events to support business development.

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What We’re Looking For

Qualifications & Experience

• CTA qualified as a minimum requirement

• At least 5 years’ private client tax experience

• Strong background in personal tax compliance and advisory work

• Experience working directly with private clients and senior stakeholders

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent client-facing skills with confidence in meetings and regular communication

• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to meet deadlines consistently

• Ability to work independently and use initiative effectively

• Good people management and staff supervision capability

• Strong commercial awareness

• Proficient in Word and Excel

• Comfortable using systems such as CCH and SharePoint

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Why Join Mercer & Hole?

Mercer & Hole has been independent since 1905 and has grown into a highly respected top 40 accountancy firm. We are also recognised as a top 50 UK firm for both private client tax and financial planning.

Led by 27 partners, many of whom trained within the Big Four, our firm combines technical excellence with a genuinely personal approach. With around 300 employees across four UK locations, including our flagship office in the City of London on Lombard Street, we pride ourselves on delivering expert advice in a way that is clear, practical, and tailored to each client.

Our clients range from individuals and entrepreneurs to SMEs, larger corporates, and international businesses. What sets us apart is not only our expertise, but our commitment to understanding what matters most to the people and businesses we work with.

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Our Broader Expertise

Mercer & Hole supports clients across a wide range of specialist services, including:

• Audit and accounting
  _{(please note: audit services are not provided to listed entities)}

• Tax compliance and advisory

• Business and strategic advice

• VAT, including partial exemption matters

• Virtual Finance services, including:

• Bookkeeping

• Management accounting

• Financial modelling

• Payroll

• World Class Finance process and controls reviews

• Regulatory returns

• Valuation services

• Mergers and acquisitions support, including financial due diligence

• Private client services and exit planning

• Raising finance

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An International Perspective

We are proud to serve a varied and international client base. As founding members of The International Accounting Group and TAG Law, we are connected to a global network of over 16,000 professionals worldwide.

This international reach strengthens our ability to support clients with cross-border issues while maintaining the personal, partner-led service of an independent firm.

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Our Values

We are committed to attracting and retaining people who share our values and contribute positively to our culture.

Together

• We are the firm with the family feel

• We express gratitude

• We smile

• We are humble and confident

• We have fun

Resilient

• We recognise that change is constant

• We stay open-minded and agile

• We assume positive intent

• We embrace a positive mindset

Understanding

• We believe every individual matters

• We listen and show respect

• We lead with honesty, integrity, empathy, and kindness

Supportive

• We care about what matters to our people

• We treat each other with kindness

• We encourage one another to fulfil our potential

Thrive!

• We aim to be the best

• We innovate

• We deliver exceptional work

• We strive to exceed what our clients expect and deserve

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Why This Role Stands Out

This is more than a compliance role. It is an opportunity to join a firm where you can work closely with partners, build meaningful client relationships, contribute to complex advisory work, and help shape the development of junior team members.

If you are an experienced private client tax professional looking for a role that combines technical challenge, client exposure, and the culture of a supportive, ambitious firm, this could be the ideal next step.