Taxation Services

Taxation is central to many aspects of the professional services we provide. Our partners and staff have experience of all aspects of tax legislation and can advise across the full range of taxation.

We have a tax partner and tax manager who are able to deal with more specialised aspects and, through our membership of the UK200 Group, we have access to specialists in other areas and to international tax experts.

Personal tax planning

With the tax regime becoming more complex and more emphasis being put on taxpayers' individual responsibilities, everyone who is subject to taxation needs professional advice and support if they are to optimise their tax position and ensure they meet all the compliance requirements.

We are tax specialists. We can provide you with year round tax advice on:
  • Income tax
  • Capital Gains tax
  • Inheritance tax
  • Trusts and estates
  • Non-domiciliary tax issues
Every pound of income tax you save means more income at your disposal, every well planned disposal of assets means minimal loss of capital gains, and every inheritance tax saving means more benefit for your beneficiaries.

Self assessment

The term 'self assessment' is proving to be one of the great misnomers of all time. Many taxpayers struggle to understand the complex tax returns and complete them correctly. In the first year of the regime alone, 775,000 taxpayers received £100 penalties for failing to submit their returns on time, and some 400,000 incurred further penalties because their returns were still outstanding six months later!

The constant stream of changes to tax legislation means not only that the returns are becoming even more difficult to understand but also that taxpayers risk incurring more penalties through failing to complete their returns on time or correctly.

We can save you a lot of time, worry, and money by handling your self assessment for you. We will do all the necessary computations, complete your return, and even offer advice on how you can minimise your tax liability.

We can act as your agent, dealing directly with the HM Revenue and Customs on your behalf and, should you be selected for a self assessment enquiry, act for you at any meetings.

To find out more please contact us.

Trusts & executorships

Trusts are relatively easy and very tax efficient way to set aside assets for future beneficiaries and are capable of reducing the impact of inheritance tax. We can advise on the most suitable type of trust for your purposes, set up trusts, and provide a full range of accounting services for trusts. We can also advise you on the preparation of your will.

Where appropriate, we can act as trustees or executors.

Estate planning / IHT

Few of us like to think about dying, but equally few of us could live with the thought that we have not made adequate provision for family and friends who survive us.

The legislation that governs passing on your estate to your chosen beneficiaries requires you to plan well in advance. Since none of us knows when we shall die, this means making the necessary provisions now.

We provide a discreet estate planning service that includes:
  • Help with drawing up and reviewing your will
  • Making full use of exemptions and lower tax rates on lifetime transfers
  • Optimising lifetime transfers between spouses
  • Transferring agricultural or business property
  • Transferring assets into trust
  • Arranging adequate life assurance to cover potential inheritance tax liabilities
We strongly advise you to begin your estate planning right away by contacting us for a preliminary review.

Retirement strategies

Everyone hopes to maintain the same standard of living in retirement as they presently enjoy while working, but to achieve this requires considerable forward planning. Here are some important questions you need to ask yourself:

Exit strategies

If you are in business, the first thing you need to consider is your exit strategy. Will you withdraw from the business, leaving it for the next generation, or will you hope to sell the business? If you intend to hand the business over, do you have a workable succession plan? If you intend to sell, how will you value the business, find a suitable buyer, etc.? Are you aware of all the tax implications of the timing of disposals?

Pension provision

Have you made adequate pension provision, and do you have the right type of pension? If you are a business owner or director, are you aware of all the pension possibilities? Are you making full use of all your allowances?

Savings and investments

Do you have the right balance between savings and investments, and between high and low risk exposures?

Life assurance and long-term care

Do you have adequate life assurance, and have you made provision for long-term care and medical insurance for you and your spouse in your later years.

We can help you answer all these questions and recommend solutions tailored to your particular needs.

To find out more please contact us.

Corporate tax planning

Corporation tax represents a substantial part of your trading costs. Moreover, the increased reporting obligations, robust investigation policies on the part of the tax authorities, and harsher penalties for non-compliance mean that an undue amount of your time and resources can be taken up collecting revenue for the Government.

We offer a range of services to help you minimise your corporate tax exposure and relieve you of the administrative burden of complying with tax legislation. These include:
  • Determining the most tax effective structure for your business
  • Taking full advantage of tax opportunities and reliefs
  • Achieving the optimum capital or revenue tax treatment
  • Reducing tax on disposals and maximising relief on acquisitions
  • Making the most of tax opportunities specific to your industry
  • Meeting the rigorous demands of compliance including corporation tax self assessment
  • Acting on your behalf in discussions with the tax authorities
Efficient corporate tax planning can result in potentially significant improvements in your bottom line.

Tax investigation

Are you concerned about Tax Investigations? Did you know that:
  • H.M. Revenue and Customs investigate taxpayers at RANDOM?
  • H.M. Revenue and Customs do not give a reason for an investigation?
  • the average length of an in depth accounts investigation is 18 months?
  • our fees for dealing with the investigation could exceed £3,000?

So Who is at risk?

Every sole trader, partnership and limited company is at risk of tax investigation under Self Assessment.

All large employers are likely to have a PAYE or NIC audit visit every 5 years which may lead to an investigation into expenses payments, P11D returns and the status of subcontractors.

All VAT registered businesses - 46% of control visits bring about additional VAT.

You are at risk!

Let us minimise the risk of you having additional duties to pay by providing best representation at an affordable cost. We also offer Fee Protection Insurance to our clients which provides cover against additional fees which might be incurred in dealing with an enquiry. Contact us for details.VAT

Value added tax is one of the most complex and onerous tax regimes imposed on business - so complex that many businesses inadvertently overpay or underpay VAT.

The ever widening scope of VAT, the constant stream of detailed changes to the regulations, and the ever growing demands of HM Revenue & Customs call for a trained professional eye to ensure that you do not fall foul of the regulations and do not pay the Exchequer more than you need to!

We provide an efficient cost effective VAT service, which includes:
  • Assistance with VAT registration
  • Advice on VAT planning and administration
  • Use of the most appropriate scheme
  • VAT control and reconciliation
  • Help with completing VAT returns
  • Planning to minimise future problems with HM Revenue & Customs
  • Negotiating with HM Revenue & Customs in disputes and representing you at VAT tribunals


Please contact us for more information on this service.