The Birmingham office of business and finance adviser Grant Thornton has attracted two specialists to further strengthen its VAT team, making it one of the largest in the Midlands.

New senior manager Henry Cairns-Terry has spent around 20 years working with the region’s leading businesses. His extensive experience includes advising complex national and international businesses in manufacturing, distribution, property and construction as well as the not-for-profit sector.

His new role will capitalise on that expertise to benefit Grant Thornton’s growing portfolio of dynamic and ambitious private businesses, large corporates and public sector clients as well as developing the firm’s Midlands’ VAT practice.

Manager Gregg Pearman specialises in advising not-for-profit businesses, with an emphasis on the education sector. His experience over the last 12 years also includes the use of sophisticated data interrogation techniques in risk management, a role he will continue within Grant Thornton nationally.

Mike Sheppard, partner and head of Grant Thornton’s Midlands’ indirect tax practice, said: “In Henry and Gregg we have recruited two top quality and very well-respected specialists in the VAT arena, adding breadth and depth to delivering value-added indirect tax advice to Grant Thornton’s clients.

“As the UK economy remains challenging, preserving cash within a business remains a key focus for directors, as is minimising any possibility of non-compliance to tax regulations, particularly when HMRC is intent on collecting every penny of tax it can and enforcing potentially swingeing penalties when companies get it wrong.”