Katie
Coleby

Who I help

Sole traders. Business owners. High Net Worth Individuals. Non-UK residents.

How I help

Inheritance tax planning. Tax planning opportunities. Tax returns. Tax compliance.

“The breadth of knowledge in our team is our greatest strength.”

Katie Coleby is a Private Client Assistant Manager, based in our Leeds office. Katie combines hands-on compliance work with thoughtful tax planning, preparing returns, answering client questions, and spotting opportunities such as IHT strategies that make a real difference.

Known for her friendly, approachable style, which helps clients feel at ease when seeking support. If she can’t resolve something herself, she’ll always guide them to the right place. With a sharp eye for detail and a commitment to accuracy, clients trust her to handle their reporting with care. She also plays an active role in developing junior colleagues, sharing her experience to help them grow in confidence and capability.

Building trust is always my first step

“I firmly believe that the strongest client relationships begin with understanding. By making the effort to learn about your circumstances and background, particularly when working with families or intergenerational wealth, I can offer advice that’s truly tailored. Anticipating needs isn’t just good service; it builds trust and helps us ensure the best outcomes. It helps my clients to feel more confident that I’m working in their best interests.

Mutual respect is the foundation of my approach. As an advisor, I respect my clients’ goals and concerns. And in return, I hope they trust that I’m doing everything I can to help them achieve what’s important.”

Clients are my driving force

“What really drives me is finding the right solution for clients. It’s deeply satisfying to spot an opportunity, whether that’s a tax planning strategy or a way to protect assets and help them put it into action. When someone tells me that my advice has helped them, whether that’s easing a burden or making things clearer, that’s what I do it for.”

Living our values

“One of our core values at AAB is that ‘collaboration is our superpower’. Here, no problem is tackled alone. Everyone in the team has their own strengths, and, no matter what the problem, there will be someone best suited to help. What I love most is how approachable and supportive people are. Whether you’re a senior partner or a junior colleague, someone will always take the time to help.

That culture of support doesn’t just benefit clients; it’s great for us as employees too. I had people guide me when I was more junior, and now I take the same pleasure in helping others grow. Seeing someone I mentored take on a new challenge, knowing I played a small part in that, it’s so rewarding.”

Constantly learning and growing

“I firmly believe in ‘yes’ as a mindset. The tax world evolves constantly, and whether it’s a new project, a tricky client case, or emerging regulations, I rarely shy away. I want to stretch my expertise, because that’s how I continue to offer meaningful advice.

I’m especially excited about where Artificial Intelligence and automation are heading. I see them not as threats, but as enablers. We’re seeing tools handle repetitive tasks, which frees us up to focus on value-added advice, the insight, empathy, and creativity that machines can’t replicate. That’s where I believe the greatest value lies: in the creative, human-led planning that machines alone can’t do.”

Overcoming challenges to achieve clients’ goals

“One of the biggest challenges in my job is keeping up with the ever-shifting tax landscape. With updated legislation and changing rules, it’s important that I make sure to stay on top of it all. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about spotting planning opportunities that genuinely benefit you.

There’s a belief that we’re here to make clients pay more tax. A huge part of my role is to prevent that. My goal is to make sure you don’t pay more than you need to, while ensuring everything is in line with the rules.”