Ali Garner

Indirect Tax Manager // Derby

I’m Ali, I’m an Indirect Tax Manager based in the Derby office. I joined PKF Smith Cooper in June 2025 to support the growing Indirect Tax team on a range of clients and projects. The world of VAT and Indirect Taxes can be complex and no two projects are the same, Lord Justice Sedley said it best in the case of Royal & Sun Alliance, “it’s a kind of fiscal theme park in which factual and legal realities are suspended or inverted”, and I do love a theme park! Generally speaking, my job is to help clients understand their Indirect Tax obligations, help identify areas of improvement and provide support when needed. I love working with small and mid-sized businesses, family businesses, and people who might not have an in-house tax team to help with every day queries.

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I have experience across a range of sectors, from Education to some Customs work.

There’s a common misconception that advisory work is all about solving problems and helping clients get out of sticky situations. Whilst that’s part of it, there’s also ample opportunity to structure your operations to your advantage, whether that’s from a cashflow perspective, or to ease day-to-day administrative burdens.

I’ve got experience with both. I can help you get your ducks in a row, and take a look to see if there’s any easy wins or opportunities whilst I’m at it.

Experience counts

I studied Law at University, and after graduating I started my career as an Indirect Tax graduate at Cooper Parry working with a range of SME’s and OMB’s. After a few years, I moved to KPMG’s Birmingham office to gain some experience with bigger clients in different sectors to broaden my Indirect Tax knowledge. I’m now going back to my roots to work with SME’s and OMB’s, which I find really rewarding.

Deeper knowledge

I have experience in a number of sectors. In my early career I worked with a number University clients and clients within the education sector.

Post-Brexit and more recently, I’ve worked with a number of clients experiencing rapid-growth and change within their business, and also with a number of clients who trade outside of the UK. My experience with the customs team at KPMG helps me provide pragmatic advice for cross-border traders and really get to the bottom of any problems faced by SME’s and OMB’s post-Brexit.

 

Personally speaking

Having just had our first daughter and with a very energetic goldendoodle, outside of work is rather chaotic. My partner and I are renovating our house which hasn’t been updated since 1964, and we’re doing as much as we can ourselves which has been interesting to say the least … if you ever need any sub-par tiling or plastering done, I’m your girl!

 

When we’re not muddling our way through DIY, we’re National Trust members and we love to travel.