Helen
Furniss

Who I help

High net worth individuals. Professional practices. Barristers, Solicitors and Judges. Farmers. Company Directors.

How I help

Accounts preparation. Tax returns. VAT returns. Inheritance tax. Pension planning. Will planning. Reducing tax liabilities.

Sectors/support

Legal sector. Our Trust team.

“Clients are my passion & will always be my priority.”

Helen Furniss is a Senior Manager in our Private Client team, with a large portfolio of clients that she looks after and is the first port of call for. Her portfolio includes professional practices, high net worth individuals, and individual professionals in the legal sector – in fact, Helen heads up the Barrister team which looks after around 300 self-employed individuals. Helen supports her clients by preparing accounts, doing tax and VAT returns, advising on Inheritance tax, pension planning, and more.

With her extensive experience and expertise, Helen answers any technical queries from her colleagues and clients alike. One of her areas of expertise is software, with plenty of software-only clients. Passionate about continually making the most of available tech, at its inception Helen led the team on implementing Making Tax Digital for VAT ensuring everybody thoroughly understood the process and the software – in fact, Helen and her colleague were the first people to submit a VAT return using QuickBooks across the whole country.

STRONG, LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS

“I’ve been at Sagars nearly 27 years and a lot of my clients say that they look at me as a friend rather than just their tax or business advisor, and that’s good as it shows that you’ve built up a solid relationship. I like the fact that I’ve looked after so many of my clients for such a long time, as we’ve developed such strong mutual trust and rapport.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURACY

“Clients expect us to get it right – to be accurate, without a lot of fuss. They expect us to be friendly, but professional. But most of all, they expect us to give them solid advice based on accurate information and our own expertise.”

GETTING TO KNOW CLIENTS

“One of the most satisfying things about working with clients is learning about their field! It’s important to nurture an understanding of a client’s line of work and general situation because it helps us to give the best advice possible. But getting to know my clients is one of my favourite parts of the job. It’s also really satisfying when you know you’ve done a great job for your client and they appreciate you, and recognise the work you’ve put in to do what’s best for them.

When it comes to working with colleagues one of the most satisfying aspects is when a junior colleague has previously needed your help with an issue or has come to you for an answer but is able to handle the situation confidently themselves! It’s brilliant to see that development as they grow into their role.”

FLEXIBLE COMMUNICATION

“A lot of the clients I work with are very busy people, and some who are living on the other side of the world, so naturally it’s easier for them to communicate by email. But then on the other hand, I’ve got other clients who prefer to do face-to-face meetings. For me, I like a mixture and can see the benefits of both! I’m happy either way, so it’s dependent on how the client prefers to communicate.”

PRIORITISING CLIENTS

“Clients are absolutely our passion at Sagars – they will always be my priority, and I work hard to get the best for them, whatever the situation is. I think this shows in how many of my clients have been with me for many years – I’m always grateful that they trust me with some of the most important aspects of their life. Without clients, we wouldn’t have jobs! So, it is always my mission to help clients to achieve their goals, and be able to sleep soundly at night.”

LOYALTY & EXPERTISE

“I’m a very loyal person; I’ve always been loyal to the firm and looked after my clients to the best of my ability. I’m a team player too – I’m always willing to help develop the team. For all the 27 years that I’ve been at Sagars, I’ve always been happy to help bring the junior team members along, answering technical questions and giving advice.”