Crowe announces two partner promotions

04/04/2023

Paul Cox, Director within the Corporate Tax team, and Kieran Smith, VAT and Customs Duty Director, have been promoted to the partnership. Effective from 1 April 2023.

Paul Cox

Corporate Tax

Paul Cox is promoted to partner within the Corporate Tax team with almost 20 years of experience in the accountancy profession, including more than a decade of Big Four experience. He advances to partner from his previous role as a director at Crowe, having worked at the firm for six years.

Paul has a wide corporate tax background and specialises in helping clients to meet their tax compliance requirements, maximising tax reliefs, and carrying out bespoke tax efficient planning such as structuring for acquisitions and disposals. Paul enters the role with a history of advising inbound, owner managed and private equity backed businesses, as well as large corporates, providing tax advice and wider professional support on a full range of business issues. He has also spent time in industry and as part of M&A focused teams, giving him a wider understanding of the demands on finance teams beyond the key tax issues.

Kieran Smith

VAT and Customs Duty

With 23 years of experience, including three years spent working as a VAT inspector at HMRC, Kieran Smith steps up to partner within the VAT and Customs Duty team, with a particular focus on consulting in the not-for-profit sector.

Kieran works very closely with several non-profit organisations, including educational charities involving schools and academies, and in the care sector, helping clients to improve VAT efficiency and chart economic uncertainty.


His work ranges from VAT inspections to advising clients on matters such as partial tax exemption methods and the purchase of new buildings and other assets.

Paul Cox, Corporate Tax partner at Crowe said:

“Almost 20 years after beginning my career in tax and accounting, I’m delighted to be promoted to partner at Crowe. Given the economic challenges over the last few years and increasing tax complexity and burden, there’s no shortage of opportunities and risks to discuss – especially given the latest increase in corporation tax. Now more than ever, companies need to have an appropriate tax strategy to ensure they are equipped to navigate the changes ahead, and I look forward to assisting clients in this space.”

Kieran Smith, VAT and Customs Duty partner at Crowe said:

“While VAT celebrates its 50th anniversary this April, it continues to pose new challenges for a range of sectors that my colleagues and I are equipped to help with. We pride ourselves on being able to simplify the complexity of tax in order to assist our clients in making smart decisions and I am proud to have been part of the growth of the VAT team since joining the firm in 2006.”

Jane MacKay, National Head of Tax said:

“Having worked with both Paul and Kieran personally, I know that they are great additions to the partnership. Their promotion is well deserved and a testament of our growing Tax practice and commitment to developing and building market-leading teams.”

Nigel Bostock, Chief Executive at Crowe said:

“Aside from being great technical operators, the work of Kieran and Paul over the years has embodied the Crowe spirit, and their dedication to the firm and our clients is commendable.
Trusted advisors are never more important than in turbulent times. Across the firm, we are privileged to have a vast array of talent, adept at helping clients order their affairs despite the shockwaves the economy often brings. Paul and Kieran’s breadth of knowledge and experience make them a perfect fit to join the partnership .”