Today is International Women’s Day (8 March) and we wanted to mark the occasion by celebrating the contributions of two incredible women, who are both integral parts of the Scholes CA team.
Kayleigh Tipper, one of our Tax Managers, and Sandra Tulloch, our Payroll Manager!
Although all our team – male and female – are fantastic individuals in their own rights, Kayleigh and Sandra have both made outstanding contributions to our culture and our clients.
Sandra’s exceptional payroll work
Sandra works in our Orkney branch and will be celebrating her 15th anniversary as part of the team this year.
She keeps the payroll aspects of our clients’ businesses in exceptional order and works to a very high standard in everything that she does.
Sandra originally started with the firm in 2009 as a temporary contract to cover a maternity leave but both she and the directors were delighted when she joined us permanently.
During the pandemic and numerous lockdowns, Sandra really stepped up and gave her all – going above and beyond throughout.
She and the team handled over 200 payrolls and furloughs from the Orkney branch alone, taking on another 50 from our other branches.
She never complained, always keeping a smile and a cheery disposition regardless of the difficult and high-pressure situation.
“My brain was often a bit fried during Covid,” she says, “but between us, the team managed to stay on top of the constantly changing regulations and ensure our clients’ payrolls stayed compliant and accurate.”
In truth, she surpassed our clients’ expectations time and again and they were soon safe in the knowledge that Sandra could be relied upon no matter what the legislation threw at her.
She says: “I remember one period where HMRC was changing their guidelines almost hourly – it was tough, but we managed!”
For us, as directors, we’re always amazed at the dedication and commitment our team showed during this time – it makes us genuinely proud to work with people like Sandra.
Kayleigh’s tremendous tax contributions
Kayleigh is our resident Tax Manager in Orkney and has been a key part of our team since 2011.
Despite originally studying Business Management and Marketing, Kayleigh has completed training with the Association of Accounting Technicians and is part-qualified through the Chartered Institute of Taxation – she’s now our resident tax expert.
Like Sandra, she was instrumental in communicating with clients about changes in tax regulations and ensuring our clients received much-needed financial relief during the pandemic.
Our clients will know her as the first point of contact when it comes to their queries about taxation, submitting their tax returns, and getting refunds.
She says: “During Covid, our clients were often worried about their tax liabilities but, even though HMRC was sometimes overwhelmed, we managed to stay ahead of changes in regulations pretty well.
“I love working with clients, especially on complex tax matters, and I’m really proud of the contributions we made to the finances of our clients.”
Kayleigh is also instrumental in training and advising Scholes CA staff on the nuances and intricacies of tax.
“I’ve trained a number of the team on taxation issues, including some of the new starters, and I’m always so happy to see them pass the relevant exams and hear them communicate what they’ve learned to our clients.”
Again, as a director, it’s a pleasure to work with Kayleigh. She is a great addition to the team and we’re very proud to have her!
Happy International Women’s Day!
Whilst we have singled out Kayleigh and Sandra in this article, we’d like to point out that all the female members of the Scholes CA team deserve praise.
You do exceptional work and from me, Ivan and Ryan, we thank you for your commitment and dedication over the years.
Having said that, International Women’s Day is not just about championing the roles of women already in the accounting profession – it’s also about raising awareness.
Please read this article in which we explain our plans for International Women’s Day and our commitment to making our profession accessible to all.
