Effie Karamani joins as Associate Partner

We are delighted to announce that Effie Karamani has joined our Personal Tax team as Associate Partner to primarily focus on providing support across our strong private client division. Keep reading to find out more about Effie and her journey so far…

Welcome to Simmons Gainsford, Effie! Please can you tell us about your new role here and also give us a bit of background about yourself and your journey so far?

I have joined SG as an Associate Partner and my primary focus will be to provide support on the private client side. I am looking forward to building relationships within and outside the firm and developing our private client offering.

I started my career in tax almost 23 years ago, having graduated from university with a law degree. My first job was in an accountancy firm in Rickmansworth, which provided me with the best introduction to the world of tax. After qualifying as a Chartered Tax Adviser, I moved to a firm in London in 2004 to broaden my experience.

Over the years, I have dealt with a wide range of compliance and advisory matters covering numerous aspects of domestic and international personal tax. I have gained so much valuable knowledge and experience, not just on technical matters but also on other things such as the importance of being authentic, having empathy, emotional intelligence, perspective, resilience, adaptability and an appetite for learning. I try to apply this in everything I do.

I am fortunate to have taken inspiration from so many excellent advisers and great people in the industry and to have the opportunity to inspire and lead in my new role is very exciting!

What kind of projects have you been involved in and which industries have you covered in your career?

I have spent the greater part of my career at a Top 5 international accountancy firm and focussed largely on residence and domicile matters, remittance basis planning, offshore trusts, cross-border transactions and anti-avoidance legislation.

My client base has predominantly consisted of HNWIs, usually entrepreneurs, with a crossover into corporate and OMB tax. I also have a lot of experience with HMRC voluntary disclosures and enquiries, which can be challenging but also very interesting.

I spent a lot of my career building relationships with tax advisers and intermediaries around the world. Collaborating on mutual clients and navigating international tax laws has always fascinated me and been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

Finally, what do you enjoy doing most outside of work?

Being a mum takes up most of my time outside of work but it is the best job in the world! I love getting out and doing different things as much as I enjoy my quiet time reading a book or relaxing at home. A day of shopping, eating out and enjoying a great film or West End show is my idea of fun!

Have a question for Effie? You can contact her here.