Tax adviser to private clients – Meet our expert James Amico

James Amico is a Private Client Tax Senior Manager typically based in the firm’s Horsham office.

James’ clients include successful entrepreneurs and business owners, those with large property portfolios, generations with inherited wealth, people from a city and financial background as well as wealthy families based across East and West Sussex and international clients with significant family business interests.

James focuses on understanding his clients’ goals and providing tax-efficient solutions tailored to their unique situations:

• Tax and Inheritance Tax (IHT) Planning: Advising on tax, IHT planning, trusts, and asset planning. 
• Complex Solutions: Providing considered solutions for complex situations. 
• Budget Changes: Helping clients plan for changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief. 
• Inheritance Tax Conversations: Facilitating discussions about death and IHT planning. 
• Client-Centric Approach: Understanding clients’ needs and offering bespoke solutions. 
• Business Control: Assisting business owners in retaining control while stepping back from daily operations. 

James explains: “My days are very varied as I might be advising local families on tax or IHT planning, trusts and more generally on asset planning but what often seems straight forward on the surface, may have several complexities, which needs to have a more considered solution.  I also have international clients with various family business interests here in the UK and overseas who are worth hundreds of millions. Families can accumulate significant wealth and assets over the years, and it is important for us to listen to what they want to achieve and then find a bespoke solution for them.

At the moment and following on from the budget, I am advising a lot of people who need to plan for the changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief, scheduled to change in April 2026. Sadly, for some people, the budget has really thrown their planning into chaos, as they are of the age where it is difficult for them to react positively to the changes or as tax efficiently as they would hope. It is a very worrying time for some of them. For many after a lifetime of hard work it seems unfair to them that the goal posts have now moved so much, which will have a great effect on their beneficiaries.

In my experience many people find it difficult to think and talk about their death and so having a conversation about Inheritance Tax planning can be incredibly hard for some people, but it is important, especially given the change in rules and time frame.

It’s therefore important for me to invest time to understand the client’s ultimate and individual needs – almost putting tax aside for a moment and asking them what they would like to happen and then discussing the options around it. We work with them to achieve what they want in the most tax efficient manner.

For those who have built and run a successful business their key goal might be retaining overall control of the business whilst stepping back from the day to day running of it. Everyone is different and we are here for all of them.

A great analogy is that life is like a huge jigsaw puzzle and for some people it is clearly laid out on a table with all the pieces in the correct place and for others it is in the box and jumbled up and they might be worried to take the lid off. We can take those pieces out of the box and help them to sort them, so that they have a clear path to achieving their goals. We always look at the bigger picture for them.”

James began his career with a top 50 law firm working with the private client tax team which he believes has given him a unique insight into client issues, both from a tax and a legal perspective. “Every decision can have legal consequences so understanding and balancing those with tax compliance is essential. We have a broad and varied team across all of our offices here at Kreston Reeves and clients like that they can come to us often with a number of issues and we are able to advise on the most effective solution for them all.”

Outside of work and when not being kept busy by his young family, James enjoys several hobbies including watching live football with his dad, following F1 racing, especially the Ferrari team, which is a nod to his Italian heritage, and he is keen to achieve greater self-sufficiency, growing more of his own fruit and vegetables.

To learn more about how our dedicated Tax team can help you and your family, contact us today.