Sonal Shah

Everything I do is fuelled by how passionate I am about my work and delivering the most practical and logical solutions to my clients.

It’s important to me that my clients feel at ease, so, in addition to always greeting them with a smile, I make it a priority to listen carefully and gain a thorough understanding of their needs. Tax can feel daunting for some, so I try to ensure that I create an environment that is light hearted and fun, whilst getting to the core of what is required to service each client’s needs.

I work with a mixed portfolio of corporate and personal clients on international tax structuring, cross-border tax and related matters, with a particular interest in UK property structuring. I use my knowledge to advise clients in relation to their offshore assets and structures, on issues such as pre-arrival and post-arrival tax planning, domicile advice and estate planning. When engaging with clients, I always try to explain any particularly technical aspects in a simple and concise way, making sure that they have been fully informed of all aspects which need to be taken into consideration. I also support owner-managed businesses, high net worth individuals and those seeking to invest in the UK to successfully establish operations or take up residency in the UK by providing sound cross border structuring advice whilst aiding global mobility in a tax efficient manner.

If you’re interested…

Having graduated with a degree in Accounting and Finance in 2003, I qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 2008. Following eleven years with my previous firm, I joined Gerald Edelman in 2017 and have worked closely with Graham Busch to expand the firm’s international tax services.

In my previous role, I was heavily involved in the international tax practice group of a global association, and I am currently an active participant in XLNC, our newly established international alliance. I have represented the firm on my regular trips to South Africa, Switzerland and other jurisdictions and have also spoken at professional conferences on a wide range of topics to include panel discussions.

What is the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

Skydiving in Namibia at 12000ft. I’m utterly terrified of heights so not sure why I even considered it at the time – the best thing I’ve ever done!

What is the most exciting thing on your bucket list?

To learn all about astrophotography and to sleep under the stars. It all seems so fascinating and there must be some breathtaking phenomena to see.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

J. K. Rowling – despite living in poverty when she was writing and being rejected by twelve different publishers, she persisted with her dream to tell the world the story of the magical life of Harry Potter. She channelled her own pain into her writing to create an even better story. I would love to hear first-hand all about her incredible journey.

Who inspires you?

My grandfather – he took a boat from India to Kenya with nothing in his pocket in search of a better life. With no educational background, he went from owning a small shop to becoming an iconic business entrepreneur. Highly respected in his community and nationwide, he was an eloquent spokesperson and persisted through some incredibly tough times to raise a family of seven – he is my hero.