Rutherford Cross Tax Specialist Ben Jones recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Pryce, Corporate Tax Partner at Azets, to discuss his career spanning three decades, the evolving tax landscape in Scotland and his vision for the future of Azets’ growing Tax practice.
Early Years in Practice
Mark’s career began in a relatively small independent accountancy firm in Glasgow, where he trained as a chartered accountant. In the early days work involved a wide variety of tasks like preparing tax returns, completing audits and advising a mix of local businesses.
It was tax planning, however, that really captured his interest. “I enjoyed the problem-solving element,” Mark recalls, “and I found it very satisfying to help clients structure their affairs in a way that made sense for their business and family.”
That interest led him to Ernst & Young, where he joined at an entry level and over 16 years rose through the ranks to senior manager. His time at EY gave him exposure to everything from family-owned businesses to FTSE-listed multinationals, building both technical expertise and commercial awareness of the world around him.
Whether he was dealing with a timber company in rural Scotland or a PLC on the London Stock Exchange, the principle remained the same. Trust, clarity and relationships matter more than technical ability alone.
The Rewards and Realities of Family Businesses
For many years, Mark’s career revolved around advising family-owned and privately held businesses. He found this sector particularly rewarding: “When you help a family business save money or structure their succession plan, you’re not just making a difference on paper, you’re safeguarding jobs, communities and family legacies.”
He also highlighted the importance of clear communication. Tax is notoriously complex, but most clients don’t want to be buried in legislative detail. Instead, they want plain English advice they can act on with confidence. That skill of translating rules into meaningful guidance is one Mark believes every good tax professional must have.
The aim of this blog series is to ask: “Why Tax?” and a perfect example is a timber company Mark advised for many years. The business was not only well run and commercially savvy, but also an economic engine for its local area. Helping them thrive, he said, aligned perfectly with his own values of integrity, diligence and community impact.
Moving to Azets: Growth and Opportunity
After a long career with EY, Mark joined The Weir Group PLC for a 6-year spell in industry. As one of Scotland’s largest companies, Weir provided the chance for him to experience life in the large corporate world with a highly respected international engineering company, with many divisions operating on the global stage. This was an exciting time, where he learned to be “across the table” from professional tax advisors. It gave him a valuable insight into commercial taxation in a highly sophisticated and challenging business environment. Then in 2016, Mark joined Azets, drawn by both the culture and the opportunity to be part of a fast-growing national practice. “It felt welcoming and entrepreneurial,” he explains. “There was a real sense that I could help shape the future here.”
That future is ambitious. Azets’ tax team is already a significant presence in the UK, but Mark has a clear target to grow the Glasgow team to over 100 dedicated tax professionals in the next five years. Achieving that growth won’t just be about numbers. It will mean recruiting, training and keeping the right people. Tax professionals who share Azets’ purpose of improving the lives of their colleagues, clients and communities in a sustainable way.
Technology will also play a role and it is very difficult not to ask about AI in these conversations. Mark sees artificial intelligence as a tool to free tax teams from repetitive, data-heavy tasks, allowing them to focus on what clients value most: interpretation, strategy and foresight. “AI won’t replace the human side of tax advice,” he says, “but it can help us deliver better, faster insights.”
Opportunities in the Scottish Tax Market
Ben asked where Mark sees the greatest tax opportunities in Scotland and there were three key areas:
- Planning for the Future: As many family businesses face generational change, structuring ownership and control in a tax-efficient way is challenging but essential
- Protecting Cash: All businesses, large and small, need to forecast their tax position as the tax burden increases
- R&D and Capital Allowances: Despite shifts in the regime, tax incentives remain a powerful way for businesses to reduce their tax liabilities and reinvest in growth. With significant investment in plant, machinery and property, ensuring clients maximise available reliefs can deliver real value
He also notes the rising importance of inheritance tax planning. Recent changes (with no doubt more to come) mean family businesses must think carefully about how to pass wealth and control to future generations.
The tax landscape on a wider scale is only becoming more complicated. International developments, from OECD initiatives to shifting US tariff policies can disrupt markets quickly and domestically, tax policy is never far from the political agenda.
For Mark, “The more complex the environment, the greater the challenge and demand for strong advisers. Our role is to make sense of it all, to cut through the noise and to give clients confidence in the decisions they’re making.”
Advice for the Next Generation
With over 30 years’ perspective, I was keen to get Mark’s perspective for young tax professionals in the world of practice today. His message? Don’t specialise too soon.
“Tax is broad. The more exposure you can get, whether it’s corporate, personal, international or indirect tax, the better equipped you’ll be later to make informed choices about where to focus.”
He also stresses the value of attitude. “Stay positive, be curious, and always try to see things from the client’s point of view. If you can explain something complex in a way that makes sense to them, you’re already halfway to being a trusted adviser. Try to have some fun during your day.”
Self-awareness is another theme. Career moves should be made deliberately, with an understanding of your own strengths and interests. “Find something you genuinely enjoy, because if you enjoy it, you’ll do it well.”
Life Outside Work and Final Thoughts
Influenced by a close family with an ethos of hard work and positivity, he has always sought balance. He is a keen sports fan, competitor and at one point completed an Ironman triathlon!
That balance, he believes, is important for sustaining a long and fulfilling career. “You need interests outside the office,” he says. “They give you perspective, resilience, and a way to recharge.”
Looking back, Mark’s career reflects the evolution of the tax profession itself, from manual returns and regional practices to multinational clients, complex tax cases and AI-driven data analysis. Yet the core themes remain throughout: relationships, trust, clarity and values.
For Azets, the future looks ambitious, with growth plans that will see its tax team expand significantly in the coming years. For the profession more broadly, the message is clear. Complexity is rising, opportunities are expanding and those willing to adapt will find themselves in a rewarding and impactful career.
As Mark himself puts it: “Tax will likely get more complicated, and that’s a real challenge for us. Our clients need us more than ever, not just to understand the rules, but to help them make the right decisions for their business and their future.”
For any new tax professional joining Azets in the west, having Mark in the team to guide you and offer invaluable advice and direction is a reassuring thought and with continuous expansion and ambition, there’s never been a better time to join.
Please contact Ben Jones for support with your Tax hiring needs or for advice with your own Tax career: [email protected]
Additionally, if you would like to be part of the Rutherford Cross ‘Why Tax?’ series and share your own career journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to Ben Jones.
