The accountancy firm has announced Simon will be its new partner and head of Indirect Tax.

Simon brings with him over 25 years of experience in the Indirect Tax space.

Many of those were spent with KPMG, and after joining the firm in 1999, Simon worked his way up to VAT partner and UK head of Indirect Tax.

He also spent two years at HMRC as a VAT anti-avoidance adviser, developing his unique skillset and technical knowledge.

With particular experience in the retail, automotive and leisure sectors, Simon was drawn to CP by the firm’s ambitious nature, brand and energy, and his arrival adds more impetus to CP’s lightning-fast growth journey.

Since partnering with Waterland Private Equity in 2022, CP has now tripled in size and become the fastest growing accountancy firm in the UK.

That title is the product of 28 per cent organic growth and a string of landmark acquisitions, including its transformational deal with Haines Watts London and its associated audit and advisory businesses last year.

Since joining CP, Simon has expressed his intentions to expand the Indirect Tax team and complement the wider firm’s continued growth.

He said: “After a brilliant stint at KPMG, moving to Cooper Parry feels like an exciting next step. I love the fast-moving, bold ethos of the business, and I see a lot of myself in everything CP stands for.

“We’ll be building out our Indirect Tax offering to reflect the growing size of CP, and we’ll be recruiting and expanding across the UK and into Ireland in the near future.

“Being a lad from Oldham with no university degree, I’m particularly keen to fine-tune how we develop the team and open doors for them, and CP’s culture is the perfect environment for that. So, if you’re an Indirect Tax expert looking to switch things up, let’s chat.”

Simon Baines, partner & National head of Tax at CP, added: “Simon is held in the highest regard in the tax world, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to CP. We’ve made no secret of our growth plans, in Tax and across the business, and it’s leaders like Simon that will help us take those to the next level, with a client service that keeps getting better and better to boot.

He’s also a great mentor, and I know our people will learn tons from Simon. Exciting times ahead, for sure.”