An Interview with Justine Howard

What do you do for KPMG?

I am a Senior Tax Manager at KPMG in the Isle of Man and I specialise in UK private client tax advice from an offshore perspective. My aim is to provide concise, useful and practical advice to high net worth individuals, family offices and offshore trust and company service providers to ensure that they not only fully understand their UK tax obligations, but that they continue to manage their tax affairs and any existing offshore trust and/or company structures in a tax efficient manner. My areas of expertise include complex residence and domicile issues, the taxation of trusts, HMRC investigations and enquiries and UK property taxation. I have also been a key member of our Corporate Social Responsibility team at KPMG for the last 5 years fundraising for a number of Isle of Man based charities.

What do you love most about your role?

First and foremost the people! We have the most incredible and friendly tax team at KPMG and this is further supported by our colleagues in the UK, the Crown Dependencies and globally. However, I also love my role because it is always changing and evolving. This keeps things interesting and means I'm constantly challenged and learning new things! I also love the personal nature of my job - the advice I give directly helps real people and real families and I can give comfort and peace of mind in what is a highly technical area for the majority of people.

How has your business adapted in light of the current COVID-19 crisis?

KPMG's focus has always been on the safety and well-being of its employees during this difficult time and each passing week is easier than the last as we all continue to learn and adapt. I have been surprised how quickly our staff have adjusted to remote working and in particular, how quickly we managed to switch to online meetings and webinar based training and presentations to ensure that our clients know that it is business as usual. However, it is a rapidly evolving situation and we are aware that this means constantly monitoring the situation and responding to everything we are seeing and hearing from our clients, within the government, our community and globally.

Why did you join PCD?

I had been invited to a couple of events as a guest and found them very useful. Events that focus specifically on private client issues are few and far between so it is refreshing to be able to go to these events and know that everyone there is in the same boat. I have found them particularly helpful in connecting with a variety of specialists in a number of locations that have ultimately proved extremely valuable in my day to day job.

Will you be attending a PCD webinar in the near future?

Most certainly! I look forward to attending the next webinar entitled "Private Client Litigation with Stewarts" on 21 April 2020.

My top tip for working from home is...

…to take proper breaks and make sure you get outside at least once a day for some exercise and fresh air. It is all too easy to work strange hours when you've got your office set up in your spare bedroom (or even your bedroom!) and even easier to just grab a quick lunch and get straight back to work but sometimes this means you never see the light of day which is not good for the mind, body or the soul!

On a weekend, I am most likely found...

…doing yoga, going for long walks in the country and relaxing with my family.