About Us

Charity Advice: Taxation: VAT: Charity Law: Governance: Training

Allan Hargreaves is the driving force behind Charity Advice. Initially he trained for Ministry in the Church of England at Kelham Theological College, St Aidan’s College Birkenhead, and the University of Manchester.

He then joined the Inland Revenue. After initial training in personal taxation, was assigned to the Inland Revenue Training Centre and taught personal tax. On closure of the Training Centre in Liverpool, completed his Head Office tour of duty at Chief Inspector of Taxes (Claims) Branch Charity Division, specialising in the taxation of exempt bodies. These included: -

Trade Union Provident Benefit Funds
Unregistered and Registered Friendly Societies
Charities
Scientific Research Associations
Agricultural Shows.

After a tour of duty in a local Tax Office, he then returned to Charity Division in charge of the section examining title to relief in respect of the bodies listed above, and advised the Board of Inland Revenue on policy matters regarding exempt bodies, and anti-avoidance legislation. He was the Inspector in charge of liaison with the Charity Commission and the Registrar of Friendly Societies, The Capital Taxes Office and Registrar of Trades Unions, dealing with problems arising with those bodies and advising them of the Inland Revenue views.

He also examined the accounts of charities, conducted investigations and managed a section of the Charity Division.

Allan left the Inland Revenue and joined Peat Marwick Mitchell, (KPMG) becoming National Director of Charity Taxation.

He then joined Coopers and Lybrand, and, after 2 years, joined Binder Hamlyn’s charity unit in London to formulate the charity tax department. Allan has maintained client base throughout since leaving Binder Hamlyn representing charities in investigations with the Inland Revenue and Charity Commission, tax planning on development of charities and registration of charities with the Charity Commissioners

Currently a director of OMNIS TAX Consultancy Ltd, he is responsible for the charity advice, tax and VAT practice of the OMNIS group of firms and advises a number of charity clients that are household names, as well as small local charities. He mounts training sessions for trustees and senior charity staff members.