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Overview
Melissa Solly is a London-based Partner in the Private Client team, specialising in bespoke UK and international tax advice for high-net-worth individuals, trustees, entrepreneurs and family businesses. She advises UK and non-UK domiciled individuals, onshore and offshore trusts, landed estates, partnerships and companies on complex tax, trust and succession matters. Melissa is known for her holistic, practical and commercially focused approach, combining accounting and tax expertise to deliver strategic advice alongside tax compliance support. She regularly leads complex HMRC enquiries and disclosures. Melissa is the Chair of Payne Hicks Beach’s Charity Committee and is a Trustee of the conservation charity Froglife, in a personal capacity.
Expertise
Melissa specialises in:
- Personal tax planning
- FIG relief claims
- Pre-UK arrival and departure tax planning for individuals
- Trust taxation and compliance
- Offshore and onshore trusts, tax planning and compliance
- Estate and succession planning
- HMRC enquiries and investigations
- Tax disclosures and compliance regularisation
- Entrepreneur and owner-managed business taxation
Reported Cases
- Regularly represents high net worth individuals regarding voluntary disclosures to HMRC to regularise their tax reporting.
- Regularly advises clients with cross border affairs in connection with the FIG relief and tax reliefs available under Double Tax Treaties.
Qualifications & Accreditations
Melissa graduated from the London School of Economics with a degree in Accounting and Finance in 2006 and completed the Graduate Diploma in Law in 2007. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) in 2010, became a Chartered Tax Adviser (CIOT) in 2017 and was admitted as a Fellow of the ICAEW in 2020. Prior to joining Payne Hicks Beach, she worked at Dixon Wilson and a UK Top 20 accountancy firm.
Awards & Accolades
- Spear’s Best Accountants and Tax Advisers Index 2025
- Citywealth Top 100 Global Tax Professional – 2023
- Citywealth Powerwomen Awards 2023 – Shortlisted
- Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2019 – Bronze Medal, Accountant of the Year (Manager)
