Langstone-based tax consultancy Centurion VAT Specialists marked 15 years in business with an event at the home of the National Assembly in Cardiff Bay.

The event, which included an address from Monmouthshire AM Nick Ramsay, chairman of the Enterprise and Business Committee, was also staged to celebrate Newport-based Centurion VAT beating two of the Big Four firms to be crowned VAT Team of the Year 2013 at the latest UK Taxation Awards.

Centurion was founded in 1998, primarily to work alongside the University of Wales, Newport, but has since diversified and grown. The event at the Senedd was to acknowledge the company’s achievements over the past 15 years.

Centurion director Liz Maher said: “There are six of us working at Centurion so, for us to be crowned VAT Team of the Year ahead of KPMG and Deloitte was testament to how far our business has come and the success that we have achieved.

“As well as celebrating our own success we wanted this event to demonstrate the role that business plays in Wales and the opportunity businesses have for promoting wider social awareness, which is why we invited our charity of the year, The Wallich, and an organisation we are very passionate about supporting, Young Enterprise, to attend.”

The event was a perfect platform for both The Wallich and Young Enterprise to showcase their work to a wider audience.

Established in 1998 Centurion VAT is made up of five senior level VAT practitioners who have expertise in sectors including education, third sector, housing associations and manufacturing, and a marketing executive.

With offices in Bristol and Newport, the company aims to build on its existing reputation to become the largest independent VAT consultancy in Wales and the South West.