Paul Aplin was for many years a tax partner with an independent West Country firm. He is a past president of ICAEW, a former Chair of the ICAEW Tax Faculty, a member of CIOT Council and the Tax Technology Committee of CFE. He is a non-executive director of three companies, a member of HMRC’s Admin Burdens Advisory Board and the OTS Board.

He is an enthusiast for using digital technology to improve business and tax administration and filed the UK's first electronic self-assessment tax return in 1997. He was appointed OBE in 2009 for services to the accountancy profession and for public service.