About Us

About UsThe firm was started in 1944 around a client base of farmers and landowners and has continued to serve the agricultural industry since.

We have significant expertise on the accounting and taxation requirements of agricultural businesses and landowners and over half of our fee income is from the agricultural sector.

Our farming client base extends from the Thames in Essex north into Norfolk and as far west as Oxford.

Many of the successors of the clients who joined the firm when it started are still with us and we continue to attract new clients in the agricultural sector, largely through word-of-mouth recommendations from our existing clients.

We enjoy low staff turnover and are therefore able to offer consistent levels of service and contact with staff who are familiar with each client’s affairs and are trained in the issues surrounding the agricultural industry.

The partners have dealt with farming clients since the early 1980s, having qualified with larger firms before gaining relevant experience at firms with substantial portfolios of farmers and landowners.

Both principals have worked in the tax investigation department of a large firm so we have the expertise and resources to deal with tax investigations whether simple enquiries into self-assessment tax returns or more in depth enquiries. We deal with many such ad-hoc cases for those who are referred to us as well as those arising on our own clients.

Our Principals

Richard Harman

I joined Spencer Fellows & Co in July 1991 having qualified with a Big 4 firm in London where my work involved audit and assurance assignments of large public companies and, subsequently, corporate recovery assignments.

I have worked with clients in the agricultural sector since 1984, firstly in a national firm based locally where I met Richard Worboys and subsequently at Spencer Fellows & Co. My work spans compliance matters such as accounts preparation and tax return production to devising tax structures with use of trusts, companies etc. I've also performed significant amounts of work in connection with tax investigations at all levels.

Richard Worboys

Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant I have worked in general practice but have specialised in the agricultural sector since 1989 when my role involved working closely with a firm of local land agents.

In addition to assisting clients with their accounting and tax compliance issues, I am involved heavily in tax planning assignments, sometimes involving the use of trusts and, occasionally, special-purpose companies. I also provide business management advice on matters such as the computerisation of systems and have recently set up and implemented a system of control for a cash-based business.

I believe VAT to be one of the more complex taxes on the statute books and regularly advise clients on the VAT ramifications of any new project.

Having lived and worked in the area since qualifying, I have built up long-standing relationships with my clients’ solicitors and land agents which is of great benefit when a significant project is in hand.

I aim to provide a first class, personal, service to all of my clients and believe this goal, shared by all at Spencer Fellows, means that we add significantly to our clients’ team of advisers.

Interested in working with us or have a
question about our services
Phone us +44 (0)1245 266831
Write to us Spencer Fellows & Co.
169 New London Road
Chelmsford
Essex CM2 0AE
Email us info@spencerfellows.co.uk
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