The lifecycle of your business

R&D

Research and Development (R&D) reliefs support companies who seek to advance science or technology, but it isn’t all about lab coats and test tubes and any company which is undertaking innovation in its field should explore whether a claim is possible. R&D tax relief is a generous incentive and can either reduce a company’s corporate tax liability or provide a sizeable cash rebate of up to approximately one third of the eligible costs incurred. As such it can represent an alternative, and often vital source of funding as a business grows.

We work with you to firstly identify what can be classed as R&D (and this isn’t as obvious as it sounds) and then ensure that a robust claim is submitted to HMRC. We successfully support hundreds of R&D tax credit claims each year. 

Tax Incentive Investments

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Seed EIS (SEIS) are longstanding UK government schemes, designed to help smaller higher-risk trading companies raise finance, by offering a range of tax relief to investors who purchase new qualifying shares in those companies. It does so by providing income tax and capital gains tax reliefs. We work with you to ensure that the business qualifies for EIS/SEIS and so makes it a more attractive proposition for potential investors.

International Expansion

In many cases the opportunity for growth is not just confined to the UK market. Global expansion is now very much a consideration and realistic growth strategy for every business as the world gets smaller and more online based. When considering whether international expansion is the right option for your business, we can help you get the initial plan for expanding overseas right to minimise the pitfalls and maximise the potential.

If it is necessary to set up a presence in your country of choice, we can advise to make sure that the new business is structured in the most tax efficient way as well as advising you on all expatriate related matters that will need to be considered. Through our membership of the Kreston Global Network, we have the global coverage to assist your company wherever your business may take you.

M&A

Growth doesn’t have to be organic and going down the M&A track is a quicker way of growing – whether that be turnover, profit or markets. Finding the right company to merge with or to acquire can be a daunting and time-consuming process but, done correctly, can provide your company with significant opportunities for growth. Our Corporate Finance team have been working with clients for many years helping to identify and enact mergers and acquisitions across a wide range of business sectors, priding itself on the flexibility of our approach to deliver an award-winning service to you.

Compliance - Audit

Mandatory for some and optional for others, an audit provides a robust review of your accounts to ensure that the accounting processes operated by your business are running smoothly. Whilst undertaking a robust and technically advanced audit, we will take the time to form a deep understanding of your business, looking way beyond the numbers to see what really makes the business tick.  We will use the audit process as a platform to provide real business advice, helping you to further grow and develop your business.

Growing an Entrepreneurial Owner Managed Business

Inheritance Tax Planning

IHT planning is a key consideration to ensure that the maximum amount of money is passed on to future generations. We offer solutions that fit the problem, some are relatively simple, some solutions are complex depending on the problem to be solved. What is key is that we will work with you to understand your needs and plans and offer advice and recommendations that are dependent on your requirements.

Trusts

Depending on circumstances, trusts are often a good way to protect family wealth for future generations and as often as not, to secure more modest inheritances in a safe structure while beneficiaries are young and unable to look after their own financial affairs. We will work with you to understand the needs of the family and, if appropriate to your circumstances, how the effective use of trusts can become a key part of your tax planning strategies.

Family Investment Companies

Often viewed as an alternative to a family trust, a FIC is a bespoke private company set up to hold and preserve family wealth in a tax efficient manner. Typically, a FIC is set up by parents who provide the initial funding (often from the proceeds of a business disposal) and who, alongside other family members, may also hold some shares. Use of a FIC allows the parents to retain control over assets and investment decisions, to accumulate wealth and to pass it on in a tax efficient manner. Careful design is key and we regularly work with clients to ensure a FIC is both suitable and, if so, correctly structured.