RIFT
Based in Kent, the RIFT Group works with clients across the UK, providing complementary services that deliver real financial benefits.
Already long established as the UK’s leading tax refund experts, the Group continues to diversify their expertise and grow a reputation for excellence in Research and Development Tax Credits, Accounting for small businesses, Capital Allowances, Will Writing and Legal Services.
Ashford was experiencing a high volume of construction workers in the area as the development of new terminal at Ashford International station was underway, many of which were travelling frequently but were unaware of the new tax rules and the money that they were rightly owed.
RIFT Group began in 1999 by MD Jan Post as a way to help working people claim back tax that they were owed by HMRC as a result of changes in taxation laws the year before. Jan wanted to help hard-working construction operatives to increase their earnings by claiming back tax rebates that they were owed on work-related travel expenses.
Fast-forward over 15 years and RIFT has now secured over £100million in tax refunds for workers, with over 40,000 claims processed per year.
RIFT attributes the location of its headquarters in Ashford as a major factor in its success. The international connectivity in the area is key as the company’s services are available to individuals and businesses across the UK – it has clients in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and across England and Ashford’s access to rail and airport links is second-to-none.
The company now employs nearly 160 staff. Of these, 80% live in the town. The recruitment and training of local people remain high on RIFT’s priorities.
RIFT also conducts a lot of business in London which, with the High Speed train service, puts them on the doorstep with a journey time of just 38 minutes. As a result, 54% of RIFT’s business travel is by train.
The company now employs nearly 160 members of staff, 80% of which live in the town and the recruitment and training of local people remain high on RIFT’s priorities – it attributes the availability of highly-skilled workers in Ashford as imperative to its success.
In every way imaginable, RIFT is thriving in Ashford. In the last few years awards and accolades for the company have flooded in; including winning the Customer Service and Commitment category in the 2015 Kent Excellence in Business Awards and being awarded the bronze medal in the MegaGrowth 50, a prestigious league table of the fastest growing businesses in Kent.
It doesn’t stop there - for RIFT, growth is a continuous aspiration.
Development by moving into new worker sectors and diversification into other tax areas and areas of advice sees the company now offer tax refund advice to small businesses, professional sports players, Armed forces personnel and Offshore workers.
