SELLING YOUR BUSINESS? ENSURE YOU RECEIVE THE RIGHT TAX ADVICE

Tax is often the single biggest cost when selling a business – therefore the value of expert advice to minimise your risks and burden cannot be underestimated.

Does your accountant have the specialist knowledge required for what could be the biggest business transaction you ever undertake?

Within the K3 Capital Group, and a sister company of KBS Corporate, is K3 Tax Advisory, whose team of chartered accountants and chartered tax advisers are specialists in mitigating the tax implications which inevitably arise in business sales, acquisitions and restructuring.

The team at K3 Tax Advisory possess the experience, and a demonstrable track record, in all aspects of corporate finance, tax structuring and employer tax solutions to ensure no stone is left unturned in achieving maximum value for your sale.

Finding a buyer for your business and agreeing a price is only part of the process. Buyers will naturally have tax-related questions, and having the right advisers in place from the outset provides peace of mind and reduces your long-term tax risks.

A full pre-transaction review, such as that offered by K3 Tax Advisory, of your business and deal structure identifies any tax risks and ensures you will not pay more tax on the sale of your business than is necessary.

Sales often require HMRC clearance to guarantee favourable tax rates. The K3 Tax Advisory team have acquired vast experience in liaising with HMRC to make cases clearly and persuasively to secure the most favourable outcome for their clients.

What other types of support might you need?

K3 Tax Advisory offers the following services:

• A review of legal documents, warranties and indemnities for tax purposes which explains the issues involved to support negotiations
• Group reorganisation and asset extraction before sale – planning to minimise any tax costs incurred in restructuring if you are retaining part of the business or its assets
• A report explaining how you will be taxed, when tax will be due, notifications required to HMRC and advice on how to disclose the transaction in your tax return
• Support through the sale due diligence process, working with your existing accountant to present the complete tax profile of your business

What other considerations may need to be factored in?

Succession planning: Passing a family-owned business to the next generation can create instability, lead to personal tensions and trigger prohibitive tax costs. K3 Tax Advisory can structure transactions to protect asset value and allow founder family members to realise their value in a tax-efficient way.

Splitting a group: Advice may be required on splitting up a corporate group between the shareholders using a demerger process which removes the considerable tax costs that otherwise arise.

Exit planning: The best time to structure for a tax-efficient business exit is before any sale is under negotiation. Advice may be needed on removing tax obstacles to a successful future disposal to provide the widest range of sale opportunities in the future.

If you are thinking of selling your business, make sure you are fully prepared for the tax considerations involved by contacting K3 Tax Advisory to find out what they can do for you.