A NEW trio will give an extra push to the tax team at a longstanding fixture of the Bolton business community.

Business advisory and accountancy firm Cowgills, of Chorley New Road, has recruited from across the north west to add depth to the department.

This will combine with a further 15 recent hires, across their Bolton and Manchester sites.

Emma Bowles, who has until now been offering advice to entrepreneurial clients at Grant Thornton, is one of the picks for the now 19-strong tax advisory unit.

She will be joined by Lyndsey Hay, who used to work for Booth Ainsworth in Stockport as a personal tax manager.

The third new appointment is Abigail O’Neill, as VAT manager, who has come on board from Ernst and Young, where she advised multinational corporates, the NHS and charities on tax matters.

Lisa Wilson, a partner and head of tax at the firm, said: "Emma, Lyndsey and Abigail are joining the team at an exciting time for our business.

"Despite the uncertain economic backdrop, the SME and owner-managed businesses we advise are thriving, as such our business is continuing to grow and we have 15 new starters across the company at our offices in Bolton and Manchester.

"We want to recruit the best talent to support that growth and build for the future, and we have continued this trend with these appointments.

"Our people are important to us as they are the primary interaction with our clients and we are determined to enable people to return to work after starting their families.

"We have a dedicated head of people function and have made significant investment in our benefits and rewards to ensure that we attract and retain the very best talent in the north west."

Emma will be working with the corporate finance and business recovery teams. Lyndsey will be advising high net worth individuals, partnerships and trusts and Abigail will be advising practice clients on complex VAT matters, including the specialist property and construction team.

Reacting to her new role, Emma said: "It is a well-respected firm which has a long history of working with some of the region's leading SME businesses.

"As I live locally this was a great opportunity to move closer to home on my return from maternity leave. I was really impressed with the approach Cowgills takes to flexible working and creating a positive workplace environment

Lyndsey added: "Joining Cowgills is a great opportunity for me to continue to grow in my career whilst having a young family. The firm offers a great work-life balance. The team are friendly and ambitious and have a great vision for the future.”