Taking Stock - Magic Mark stains his reputation.

The day after the self-assessment deadline is always an excellent time to hold a party for tax bods. Attendees at an English ICA Tax Faculty drinks function, held last week to thank contributors to its weighty government submissions and other publications, were obviously in high spirits. None more so than BDO Stoy Hayward tax partner Mark Lee, who gamely decided to amuse his fellow guests with magic tricks. He showed great sleight of hand with visual delights involving twenty pound notes purloined from reluctant onlookers. His impressive magic powers, however, were not strong enough to help him after an unfortunate incident involving an exotic sauce served with the nibbles left him with a nasty stain on his derriere. With social functions so fraught with such dangers, Lee will perhaps be persuaded that tricks involving dry cleaning should be the subject of his next training session at the Magic Circle.