Ryan Hannah is the founder and CEO of Compass, the UK’s only fully indemnified SDLT assessment and calculation platform. He built Compass to address systemic inaccuracy in Stamp Duty Land Tax, ensuring purchasers pay exactly what they owe under the law, no more and no less.
What was your career path to your current role?
I grew up around tax, so I saw early how complex legislation can be and how different outcomes can look depending on how it is applied.
That shaped my thinking. I became interested in structure and clarity rather than interpretation.
Compass came from that position. SDLT is self assessed, high value and often handled late in the process. I wanted to bring structure earlier and produce answers that stand up to scrutiny.
Did you have any other career ambitions?
Not in a conventional sense. I was never driven by title.
I have always been drawn to problems that feel structurally wrong. If something is inefficient or inconsistent, I focus on it until it makes sense. SDLT was one of those areas.
It is complex legislation sitting inside a pressured transaction. That disconnect made it worth solving.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
Fairness.
If you underpay SDLT, it is pursued. If you overpay, it usually goes unnoticed. That imbalance matters.
What drives me is applying the legislation properly so people pay what they legally owe. Nothing more. Nothing less.
When structure is in place, outcomes improve. That principle underpins everything we build.
If you could change one thing about the transaction process, what would it be?
Clarity about what SDLT actually is.
For years it has been absorbed into conveyancing workflows. In reality it is tax advice, involving detailed legislation and financial consequence if wrong.
The move toward tax adviser registration feels like recognition of that reality. It clarifies a position we have always held.
When roles are properly understood, risk reduces and clients are better protected.
What has been the best development in conveyancing in the last 20 years?
The shift toward structured data and system thinking.
Case management platforms and improved information flow have strengthened consistency where implemented well. Capturing accurate information earlier reduces friction later.
We are still early in that evolution, but the direction is positive.
And the worst?
Resistance to change.
There is often awareness that parts of the process could be strengthened, yet adjusting long established workflows is uncomfortable.
Speed has improved. Precision has not always kept pace. That gap remains.
Do you think conveyancing will ever be fully digitalised?
Yes, over time.
Not in every aspect, and not without significant innovation. But the mechanics of transferring property, validating information and applying rules will become far more system driven.
Judgement will always remain human. The administrative backbone will continue to evolve.
Do you think it should be?
Yes, with caveats.
If a transaction can be made quicker, clearer and more accurate without compromising legal integrity, that serves buyers and sellers first. It also benefits the wider economy.
Digitisation should strengthen accountability, not weaken it. Roles may evolve, but responsibility cannot disappear.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
Be clear about what you stand for.
I was aware early on that assumptions would be made. That made clarity of principle essential.
My position has always been simple. Equal treatment under the law. Access to clarity for everyone. Pay what you owe. No more and no less.
Consistency defines you over time.
What’s the best piece of advice you’d like to give to someone just starting out?
Do not chase approval. Chase competence.
Learn the detail properly, especially in regulated areas. Surface knowledge creates confidence. Depth creates protection.
My grandfather gave me advice I still live by: look after the clients and their interests, and the money will look after itself.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
I left school at 16 after doing well in my GCSEs. Shortly after starting A levels, I became seriously ill. When I recovered, I chose not to return to formal education.
It was a confusing period and I struggled to find direction for a while. On paper it looks unconventional.
That experience forced independence early. I had to build knowledge through experience rather than structured progression.
Alongside running Compass, I train and compete internationally as a T44 para sprinter. I was born with severe Talipes and only pursued athletics seriously in my thirties.
Neither path has been linear. Discipline and persistence matter more than the route you take.
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