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• Pump Court Tax

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  Pump Court Tax is undoubtedly a leading light in the niche area of tax practice. A small set of well-qualified and respected barristers, the chamber is currently consists of 26 including silks and is in a class of its own when compared with other contemporary sets in commercial practice. If your keen to excel within this particular area of practice, there is no better out there than Pump Court Tax.

  Death and taxes are the only two certainties in life is a popular and old adage, and while one may not want to dwell too excessively on the former, it certainly makes a lot of sense to pay good attention to the matter of taxes.
  
  At virtually every stage and every area of life, taxes haunt us and there is no better way to conquer the beast than to take up a position at Pump Court, if you’re interested in the Bar and taxes, that is.
  
  Despite being perceived as a dry, complicated and number-driven, there is plenty of scope to do some interesting and creative work, which is where a pupillage at Pump Court Tax comes in handy.
  
  Not too rigidly structured, the pupillage is more of a free-form exercise, wherein pupils can expect to experience the full range of work that is to be found in taxation and supervisors are actually keen to make sure that no page goes unturned in this exercise.
  
  Unlike the subject-matter, working life at Pump Court Tax is not cut-and-dried and dull; instead the culture is one of friendliness, enthusiasm, supportive and egalitarian.

  Tax and more tax is the crux of Pump Courts practice. The chamber provides expertise in every aspect of revenue law, both corporate as well as individual. Corporate tax practice covers M&A, company restructuring or demergers, transfer pricing, structured finance, cross-border transactions, corporate debt, foreign exchange, derivatives, losses and capital allowance amongst many others.
  
  Personal tax work includes sales 7 restructuring of family holdings, documentation on family trusts, tax planning for landed estates, heritage property planning, house tax, matrimonial proceedings & tax implication thereof and issues relating to residence and domicile.
  
  VAT/IPT and other indirect taxes is a big chunk of the chambers practice. This includes business/non-business taxes, EU Single Market issues, judicial review and EC law. Other indirect taxes covered are customs 7 excise duties, insurance premium tax, duties on betting & gambling, environment-related taxation and tonnage tax.

  The minimum educational qualification required is a high second class or higher degree in any discipline. The chambers is interested in candidates who are interested and committed to a career at the Bar and have an intention to specialize in taxation matters.
  
  As always, you must be proficient in verbal and written communication and advocacy, have excellent presentation and negotiation skills, be creative be up-to-date with current commercial and legal trends.

  The chamber offers three year-long pupillages each year with at least three pupil supervisors being assigned and the curriculum ensures a complete coverage of all of the set’s practice. The chamber does not make a rigid classification of the pupillage year into sixes or terms of other duration.
  
  The whole year in general or any part is referred to as just the ‘pupillage year’. Some pupils would have usually completed one six at a general commercial set and come to Pump Court only for their second six, but irrespective of the time pupils stay on in chambers, they will be assigned to five or six pupil masters, covering the full range of practice areas.
  
  All pupils usually sit together but may join the supervisor for discussions and various meetings and conferences. Formal assessments are conducted at the end of the pupillage where pupils will complete some assignments that are rated by all members of the chamber.
  
  No advocacy experience is gathered during the pupillage and even after accepting tenancy, fresh talent will spend at least a few years shadowing senior counsel and assisting on their cases. This is because of the difficulties and complexities which define tax law.
  
  The chamber has now started offering mini-pupillages in order to create early interest in tax law. These are usually un-assessed sessions, but a few paid and assessed sessions are conducted for those who are looking to gain an insight into the life and work of a tax practitioner.
  
  Assessed mini-pupillages end with the mini-pupils submitting a written opinion, and at the same time, the chamber evaluates the potential of these candidates for future offers of full pupillage and eventually tenancy.

  The annual grant provided by the chamber is split in to two tranches - £20,000 each for every six months in the pupillage year.

  The chamber is currently not recruiting pupils under the OLPAS scheme. Instead candidates should submit their application forms directly to the chamber latest by 18 February.
  
  There is no pre-formatted application and candidates should send a detailed CV and covering letter via post or email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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