1. Sam, tell us a little bit about yourself
I am originally from the UK and I found myself in Ireland after meeting my partner – and now fiancé – while working in London. We are currently planning our wedding.
Outside of work, I love hiking. I have two Labradors, Isla and Fia, and I can’t think of anything better than going on a long hike with both of them.
I’m originally from Liverpool and am a big football fan. I’m also really into DIY. I recently paneled our stairs and built a window seat and loved both of those projects
2. What is your role at Fenero?
My title is Personal Tax Division Manager and I’ve worked with Fenero for three and a half years now. I’m a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor and I manage a team responsible for the delivery of Fenero’s income tax return and personal tax advisory services.
We submit thousands of tax returns each year and are responsible for the accurate preparation and submission of tax returns to Revenue. As well as contractors, we also offer our tax return services to a wider range of other self-employed and self-assessed clients.
We’ve recently taken steps to further develop our services to landlords and sole trader clients and it’s an area of the division I’m really looking forward to growing as well as our tax return service. I’m also involved in Fenero’s tax advisory service. So, as part of the service I provide tax advice on all taxes as well as guiding individuals through Revenue compliance interventions. However, the majority of my time is spent tackling the most challenging tax returns as well as supporting the team, managing the timeline of work and monitoring quality.
3. What was it about Fenero that attracted you and what do you like most about working at the company?
Before I even joined Fenero, I’d actually heard really good things about the company. Then when the job did become available, I conducted a bit of research and it really reinforced what I’d already heard. I felt the company’s values really aligned with my own. And very soon after joining, it became apparent that these values were present. It’s about being better every day, maintaining balance, ambition, camaraderie and candor with each other, and preserving a stellar customer experience.
It’s also a company that really cares about its staff. The company is growing too and there are always new roles being created. There are various divisions being expanded and created, so there’s always scope for progression. It’s really exciting. Yet, the defining factor is that I work with some brilliant and very talented people. The people not only make a difference to their clients but to their colleagues too.
4. What does a typical workday look like for you?
A normal day is pretty varied but typically I’d spend the beginning of the day catching up on emails and Google Hangout chats – it may be a technical forum where we discuss tax issues. Alternatively, it could be one of our town hall meetings.
Next up, there would typically be some client work. This could be completing a tax return or providing some tax advice for a client. I may have previously arranged to call someone interested in our services and in that case, I’ll go into how our tax service operates, and answer any tax-related questions they might have.
I typically reserve operation management tasks until later in the day. We try to maintain a quick turnaround time for tax returns and this is achieved by effectively managing and monitoring the timeline of work.
Alternatively, I might be introducing some new quality control measures which require my time. Sometimes this means delivering a workshop-style meeting with a team member.
Then, at the end of the day, I typically record our progress, where we are with the tax returns and generally take stock of what we have done for the day.
5. And finally, what is your motto in life?
The first is to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I think in order to grow, you do have to venture into a space where things aren’t easy and you’re being challenged. However, I don’t think it’s a good place to be constantly. If you can do one or two things a day that take you to that place, then I think you’re on the path to growth.
And then the second would be that time is our most fundamental currency and to spend it wisely. We all have a limited amount of time. It’s important to reflect every now and then on how we’re spending it. We need to ensure that we are spending our time doing what we love..
