Derek
Gemmell

WHO I HELP 

Entrepreneurial Business Owners. 

HOW I HELP 

Corporate Tax. Entrepreneurial Tax Advisory. Innovations Tax Advisory. 

SECTORS/SUPPORT 

Construction & Property. Oil & Gas. Technology. 

“GAINING HIGHER RETURNS.” 

Derek Gemmell is Head of Innovations Tax and heads up our Construction and Property team. He specialises in advising entrepreneurial clients on saving and making money by maximising the tax benefits available. 

Based in our Aberdeen office, but working across Scotland and the UK, Derek works extensively on Corporate Tax, Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Research and Development Tax Relief and Patent Box Relief. 

Derek advises clients on gaining higher returns through intelligent structuring and innovative tax advice delivered with a commercial focus. 

IT’S ABOUT THE BUSINESS OWNER. 

“I work with entrepreneurs, those owners that are willing to take risk to grow their business. It’s all about the business owner, their aspirations, their attitude to risk and their drive. 

I work with business owners at every stage of their growth journey from fast growth start-ups, people needing funding for growth, to business owners preparing to sell their business. The ideal client is a business owner who is willing to tell you everything about their business, what they are doing now and what their plans and aspirations are.” 

INNOVATIVE INVESTMENT STRUCTURES 

“I try and make clients stop and think about how they do things. I’ll challenge and question them and advise them on how to structure their business to save them money or make them money. 

I work with business owners that may have built and sold a business and then begin another or several other businesses. They have new ideas, other aspirations and it can create a fast and ever-changing environment, which is where we can really help them around structuring tax efficiently.”  

TAX ADVICE WITH COMMERCIAL FOCUS 

“My aim is always to deliver clients higher returns through intelligent structuring and innovative tax advice delivered with a commercial focus.  

Nothing is too difficult for us to tackle; we deal with complex structures and tax legislation. My job is to take complexity and give our clients clarity. I’m able to take information that can be confusing and deliver advice in a clear, commercial way. I use the analogy ‘it’s like taking a complicated encyclopaedia and turning it into a Ladybird book.” 

TAKING PROBLEMS AWAY 

“What really motivates me is taking people’s problems away. It’s a lonely world being a business owner, they make decisions every day and it’s about who they trust to discuss those decisions with. I like to think I’m that person and I’m able to provide support, advice and more importantly peace of mind.  

What excites me is meeting more business owners that I can do that for. For me, the biggest compliment a client has ever paid me is when they told me that I would be the first person they would ring for advice.” 

LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE 

“Not only do we look after our clients, but I’m proud about how AAB look after their people. We give everyone a day off to do something for a charitable cause that they are passionate about. We’re always looking for how we can improve the lives of our team members and communities.  

It’s very satisfying to work for an organisation that does that and it’s not because we have to do it, it’s because we want to do it to enrich the lives of our people.”