Terribly Taxing
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
For most people, tax season is a time of quiet dread - a looming deadline, a barrage of jargon, and a vague fear of doing it all wrong. But for Arj Kumar, it was the beginning of an idea: what if the headache could be removed entirely? As co-founder of Taxd, a London based digital tax platform designed to demystify and democratise self-assessment and a winner in the recent Entrepreneur UK London 100 list, Kumar is part of a new wave of fintech entrepreneurs shaking up a sector long defined by paper trails and pricey accountants.
"We knew trust would be our biggest hurdle," says Kumar, reflecting on the platform's earliest days. "Tax is deeply personal, and most people associate it with face-to-face interactions. We had to show people that a tech-led solution could not only be just as effective - but even better."
That meant obsessing over user experience, ensuring each interaction felt human, helpful, and secure. The platform combines automation with expert support, while its slick interface offers a far cry from HMRC's clunky portals. Trust, Kumar explains, was earned one client at a time - through clear communication, transparent pricing, and the reliability of a system built not just by engineers, but by tax professionals who understood the pain points firsthand.
Kumar's journey began at PwC, where he and fellow co-founder Eamon Shahir saw the inefficiencies of traditional tax filing up close. Alongside James Green, who brought the technical muscle, they built a product that promised a smoother, faster, and far more affordable alternative. In the early days, they did what Kumar calls "things that don't scale" - late-night calls with customers, personalised guidance, endless tweaks to the platform based on direct feedback. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked.
Still, the road wasn't always smooth. "We were fresh from PwC and had no real idea how to raise capital," Kumar admits. "Learning to speak the VC language - that took time. If I could do it again, I'd spend more time upfront understanding how the start-up ecosystem actually works."
Today, Taxd is gaining ground with freelancers, contractors, and small business owners looking for an easier way to stay on the right side of HMRC. And Kumar has a few words of advice for founders following in his footsteps: focus on a real problem, know your domain inside out, and surround yourself with people who share the load. "If you can identify the cracks in a system you understand, you're halfway there. Then it's just about building something better - and proving it works."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Billionaire Blavatnik courted to take Daily Telegraph stake
The billionaire who has bankrolled DAZN, the sports-streaming service, is being courted to take a stake in The Daily Telegraph alongside the newspaper's new American majority-owners. Sky News has learnt that Sir Len Blavatnik, whose holding company Access Entertainment owns assets in Britain, including the Theatre Royal Haymarket, has been approached by RedBird Capital Partners about becoming a minority investor in the Telegraph titles. Two sources close to the situation said on Thursday that Sir Len was being sounded out about a deal, although they cautioned that no agreement had been struck and it remained unclear whether one would be. Sir Len, who was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to philanthropy in 2017, is a prolific investor in the arts, media and entertainment industries. Access Entertainment is run by Danny Cohen, the former BBC director of television. Announcing its agreement to acquire Telegraph Media Group last month for an enterprise valuation of £500m, RedBird Capital said it was "in discussions with select UK-based minority investors with print media expertise and strong commitment to upholding the editorial values of the Telegraph". This was principally a reference to Lord Rothermere, the Daily Mail proprietor, who remains in talks to pay more than £30m for a stake in the Mail's rival right-leaning newspaper group. Goldman Sachs is advising DMGT on the investment, with a deal the subject of ongoing discussions, according to insiders. Read more: The Abu Dhabi state-backed vehicle IMI is still expected to acquire the maximum 15% stake in the Telegraph permitted under proposed new media ownership rules. The government's decision to set the ownership threshold at 15% follows an intensive lobbying campaign by newspaper industry executives concerned that a permanent outright ban could cut off a vital source of funding to an already-embattled industry. However, the deal faces continued opposition from parliamentarians, with The Guardian reporting on Thursday that a cross-party group had written to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, warning of "potential Chinese state influence" because of links between RedBird Capital chair John Thornton and China's sovereign wealth fund. This suggestion has been dismissed by RedBird Capital insiders. Ukraine-born Sir Len's portfolio of investments includes DAZN, which is now also backed by a Saudi sports group, mobile games studio Tripledot and Scenario Two, a theatre production company. Dovid Efune, the owner of The New York Sun, is meanwhile continuing to assemble a rival bid for the Telegraph, having secured backing from Jeremy Hosking, the prominent City investor. His prospects, however, look to have diminished after the former chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, was reported to have withdrawn from his so-called 'British bid'. The Telegraph titles' parent company was forced into insolvency proceedings two years ago by Lloyds Banking Group, which ran out of patience with the Barclay family, their long-standing owner. RedBird IMI, a joint venture between the two firms, paid £600m several months later to acquire a call option that was intended to convert into ownership of the Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine. That objective was thwarted by a change in media ownership laws, which banned any form of foreign state ownership. Some parliamentarians are continuing to argue that a 15% threshold would be too high, and that the proposed rules are ambiguous because they potentially allow for more than one state investor to aggregate their holdings in British newspapers. The Spectator was sold last year for £100m to Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund billionaire, who has installed Lord Gove, the former cabinet minister, as its editor. RedBird Capital has been contacted for comment, while a call to Access Industries' London office went unanswered on Thursday lunchtime.
Business Insider
32 minutes ago
- Business Insider
My layoff from PwC went viral. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Donald King, a former PwC consultant in New York who founded AMDK, a marketing startup. King's employment has been verified with documents. It has been edited for length and clarity. Getting laid off from PwC was the best thing that ever happened to me. But at the time, it felt like my world was crumbling away. I was 25 and had been a technology consultant at the firm since 2021. When I got the ax, I was working in the PwC AI factory, building AI agents for enterprises. It was the hardest eight months of my working life, but it was a dream job. In October 2024, on the day of my layoff, I won first place in a firm-wide AI hackathon with over 3,000 contestants. A few hours later, I got the call. It was a straight-up humiliation. PwC didn't give me much of a reason for letting me go, but the business had been shrinking, consulting especially, and from what I understood they had overhired during my first years at the firm. I filmed the moment because I knew it would go viral, and I could use that as leverage. It was a raw, authentic moment. Next steps After being let go, I decided pursue a startup — something I'd wanted to do since I was a kid. At first, I pursued an AI startup. I'm Gen Z, so I know how powerful going viral can be for businesses. I knew I could use social media to build a community and find clients. At first, I was only getting 20 views per post, but two weeks later my layoff video went viral. By mid-November, I pivoted to the idea of starting a marketing agency and officially launched in December 2024. Setting up a company doesn't cost a lot and takes half a day. The structural parts, like the website and the legal filing, cost under $500, and we paid a one-time corporation fee of $300. I've had to dip into savings, but I had been making low six figures at PwC, and I got a severance package that funded me for a few months. I am not making as much as I used to, but the company is making a small return and financially supporting me. I also moved out of New York were the cost of living was high. A Gen Z marketing agency Our target clients are CEOs who have been in their industry for 20 to 30 years. We are basically the Gen Z agency helping them build a personal brand in the TikTok world. The hardest part was landing my first customer. I had 3,000 followers on TikTok when we launched AMDK, and I would message about 100 of them a day looking for opportunities. We've signed two clients and have more proposals in the pipeline — all of them have come from social media. It feels good not to be a cog in the machine Having a background in professional services has really helped launch the business. When people learn that I'm ex-PwC, they instantly trust me. Tasks I saw as boring work as a 22-year-old analyst were actually helpful to develop the skills to start my own business. Working 80-hour weeks, completing tons of proposals, and learning how to pitch teaches you a lot about how deals are made in the business world. I had so much access at PwC to resources and tools. If you get laid off, write down everybody's name that supports you and reach back out to them — continue using and growing your network. Working at PwC, I often felt like a cog in the machine. The eight months I spent working for PwC's AI factory were the hardest of my work life. I was tossing away hours and weekends for someone else's dream. It's been really freeing to be on my own schedule. I probably have a worse work-life balance now than I did at PwC, but the difference is that my work is for my business instead of for someone else's. I have no regrets Entrepreneurship is difficult at the beginning. My income isn't as stable as at the Big Four. Some days you can feel like the king of the world, but 90% of the time, you're working unstructured days doing all the aspects of running a business at once. It's overwhelming and takes an emotional toll. That said, I have no regrets. I want to inspire others, especially right now when a lot of people are getting laid off — you can find a silver lining.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Siebert invests in wealth management platform FusionIQ
Diversified financial services company Siebert Financial has invested in FusionIQ, a cloud-native digital wealth management platform. Siebert has also entered a 'strategic partnership' with FusionIQ. This collaboration will integrate FusionIQ's technology into Siebert's operations, aiming to improve its digital services and simplify investment workflows. The alliance is part of Siebert's ongoing strategy to focus on technology investments and establish partnerships that enhance client service. FusionIQ CEO Eric Noll said: 'Our partnership with Siebert Financial Corp. reflects a shared vision for the future of wealth management and investing tools—one that is inclusive, digital, and built for the next generation of investors. 'With their forward-looking leadership and deep client relationships, Siebert is uniquely positioned to help us expand access to modern investing solutions.' The collaboration will allow Siebert to provide a range of solutions, including hybrid advice, self-directed investing, and multi-custodian integration. Siebert CEO John Kimbro said: 'We're thrilled to integrate FusionIQ's leading digital wealth management solutions with Siebert's client offerings. 'This partnership supports our shared mission to deliver financial freedom to everyone—through intuitive, scalable tools that meet each investor's unique needs.' Siebert operates through various subsidiaries, including Muriel Siebert and Siebert AdvisorNXT. It offers a comprehensive suite of brokerage and financial advisory services, which encompass securities brokerage, investment advisory, insurance offerings, and corporate stock plan administration, alongside entertainment and media production services. In February this year, the firm established Siebert Investment Banking to cater to middle-market clients. The division is led by Kimberly Boulmetis and Ajay Asija. Initially, Siebert Investment Banking will focus on providing customised solutions for underserved companies in financial services, including FinTech, depository, and specialty finance, with plans to expand into blockchain, digital assets, and other sectors in the future. "Siebert invests in wealth management platform FusionIQ" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
