Paul started his career at the Inland Revenue, now HMRC, where he spent 14 years as a Tax Inspector, Employer Compliance & VAT Manager and PAYE Auditor. It gave him an inside view of how HMRC thinks and what it looks for when it comes knocking.

He then spent 11 years at a regional accountancy practice, advising clients on tax and guiding them through HMRC investigations from the other side of the table.

From there, it was a natural step into payroll. Paul took on a Compliance and Legislation role at an award-winning payroll provider, where he made sure processes were watertight and payroll teams were fully trained on every change.

After a short break, he was tempted back and joined Ascend as Head of Legislation and Compliance in November 2024.

Paul’s focus is on keeping Ascend and its clients on the right side of the rules. He tracks new legislation as it lands, turns it into clear guidance for the team and writes many of Ascend’s plain-English articles and guides.

For Paul, good compliance is about getting ahead of change.

“Employment law and payroll legislation are changing faster than I’ve seen in my whole career. The businesses that cope best are the ones that prepare early, long before a new rule becomes a deadline.
My job is to take the complicated stuff and make it simple, so our team and our clients know exactly what’s changing, what it means for them and what they need to do about it.”

That’s the approach he brings to every update: spot what’s coming, explain it clearly and make sure no client is caught out.