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Services

Introduction

Every client is unique and deserves a unique service. Our philosophy is to put our clients first - to understand their situation and provide a first class service tailored to their specific needs.

Because we establish a one-to-one relationship with each client we are able to offer timely, individual advice on how to improve your business or personal finances.

When you are running a business, time is money. With our business support services we take care of many of your routine financial and accounting operations such as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll services etc, leaving you free to do what you do best - growing your business.

We provide not only all the reliable background support you would expect but also forward-thinking advice on how to improve your situation.

Whether you need help with growing your business or advice on optimising your personal or family finances, we are here to help you get the best results. See below for the full list of services that we offer.

Business Services

Company secretarial

The last thing you need as a busy business owner is to use up valuable time and resources making sure you are complying with the Companies Act.

Moreover, with company legislation changing at the rate it does, you need to be sure you are fully aware of how the changes affect you and your fellow directors.

We can give you complete peace of mind in this area by carrying out your company secretarial duties for you.

Our services include:

  • Company formations
  • Preparation and filing of statutory returns
  • Preparation of all documentation related to minutes and resolutions
  • Maintenance of statutory books
  • General advice on company law

Bookkeeping & accounting

We can relieve you and your staff of an enormous burden by taking care of all your bookkeeping and accounting needs, including the preparation of your annual accounts.

Our first step is to work with you so we can gain a full understanding of your business. We then tailor our approach to your requirements so we can provide exactly the service you need.

Besides your core bookkeeping, we can also maintain your VAT records and prepare regular management accounts. These can be vital to the continued success of your business. We will be happy to discuss your requirements with you and provide you with tailored information and constructive advice on a regular basis.

Business start-up

Most people who start up in business do so because they have a good business proposition and the enterprise and commitment to see it through, not because they are experts in the legal, financial, and fiscal aspects of running a business.

Indeed, these matters can often seem daunting, and even off-putting, to the budding entrepreneur. The good news is that you do not need to be an expert in these fields to succeed in business. All you need is expert support.

That's where we fit in. Bring us your business ideas and we'll help you to evaluate them in a constructive and realistic manner. We can also help you:

  • Decide on the most suitable structure for your business - sole trader, partnership, or limited company
  • Prepare a business plan, cashflow projections, budgets, and trading forecasts
  • Assess your finance requirements, advise on the best sources of finance, and draw up the necessary proposals
  • Establish a good working relationship with your bank
  • Complete any registration procedures with Companies House, Inland Revenue, or Customs and Excise
  • Deal with company secretarial issues
  • Set up a recording system for your internal use and for complying with statutory requirements

Start your new venture on a sure footing - call us for an initial consultation today.

Payroll

Administering your payroll can be time consuming and burdensome, diverting energy and resources from the core activities of your business. And the task is made all the more difficult by the growing complexity of taxation and employment legislation and the accompanying regime of penalties for non-compliance.

We can relieve you of this burden by providing a comprehensive and confidential payroll service, including:

  • Customised payslips
  • Administration of PAYE, national insurance, statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, etc
  • Completion of statutory forms, including year end returns, to issue to your employees and submit to the Inland Revenue
  • Summaries and analyses of staff costs
  • Administration of incentive schemes, bonuses, and ex-gratia and termination payments
  • Administration of pension schemes

Even if you have only a few employees, you will make savings by engaging us to administer your payroll.

Planning for success

Everyone knows that a successful business must plan ahead, but all too often the pressures of keeping the business going on a daily basis mean that strategic planning is not given the attention it needs. The result is often rushed judgements, over- or under-capacity, or missed opportunities.

Every business owner needs a planning adviser who has the time and space to take the long view and advise on appropriate courses of action before it is too late. With years of experience advising the local business community we have a wealth of experience and expertise for you to draw on. Contact us today for a planning review.

Business development

Whether yours is a new or a mature business, ensuring that you have the necessary finance is essential for achieving your objectives. Indeed, one of the most common causes of business failure is badly structured or inadequate financing.

We can help you:

  • Conduct a feasibility study of your projects
  • Decide on the most suitable sources of finance - personal capital, bank overdraft, long-term commercial loans and mortgages, national and regional agencies, venture capital, or equity capital
  • Prepare the necessary business plan, forecasts, prospectuses, etc.
  • Present your proposals to your chosen finance source
  • Arrange a disposal, merger/acquisition, or management buyout/in

Our expertise and contacts will help you open doors that may otherwise have remained closed for you.

Specialist Sectors

Small Business Specialists

Our client portfolio comprises sole traders, partnerships and small Limited Companies. Consequently we have a wealth of experience covering a wide spectrum of activities.

You can benefit from this extensive knowledge and experience of helping and supporting small businesses. We can provide all the normal bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, VAT and payroll services and much much more.

We can help you to identify opportunities to improve your business performance and your personal finances. Through our network of specialist contacts we can also offer you access to expert help in most areas of need.

Whether you just need us to prepare your annual accounts and tax return or want expert help to plan and manage the growth of your business, you can rely on our specialist knowledge and experience. We will help you make more of your business.

Investment and financial services

We believe that because we deal with your accounts we are well placed to offer impartial advice in areas such as:

  • Pension schemes
  • Life assurance
  • Critical illness cover
  • Private medical insurance and care plans
  • Individual savings accounts
  • Investments

At the same time, we realise that in today's complicated financial markets these are areas that require specialist knowledge - which is where we make use of our wide range of professional contacts.

Where the matter is outside our field, we can recommend a suitable independent adviser and work with him or her to advise you.

Make us your first port of call and we shall make sure you receive reliable, professional advice.

For the Non-Accountant

Many of our clients run profitable businesses with little or no accounting knowledge or experience. They rely on us to keep them on the right side of the law - so they can concentrate on what they're good at.

We will...

  • explain, in plain English, what you need to do and when.
  • deal with all the tax authorities on your behalf.
  • set up an accounting system for you and help you run it.
  • do your VAT returns.
  • do your payroll.
  • prepare your accounts.
  • do your tax return.

Taxation

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.

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 the tax specialists. We can provide you with year round tax advice on:

  • Income tax
  • Capital Gains tax
  • Inheritance tax
  • Trusts and estates

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.

Make sure you take full advantage of the tax saving opportunities open to you - call us today for a personal tax planning review.

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 Inland Revenue on your behalf and, should you be selected for a self assessment enquiry, act for you at any meetings.

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 Customs and Excise 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 Customs and Excise
  • Negotiating with Customs and Excise in disputes and representing you at VAT tribunals

Estate planning

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.

The earlier you make the arrangements, the greater your chance of taking full advantage of the tax opportunities available and thereby maximising the amount that goes to your beneficiaries. Nothing is more demoralising than the thought that a substantial slice of the wealth you have worked hard to accumulate will end up in the Government's coffers!

It is equally important when planning to transfer your estate that you make adequate provision for yourself and your spouse in your later years. Striking this balance calls for considerable skill and foresight - and a detailed knowledge of the tax regime.

Working with our ENA Network specialists we can 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? Are you aware of all the pension possibilities open to business owners and directors? 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.

Trusts

Trusts are relatively easy and very tax efficient way to set aside assets for future beneficiaries outside of the inheritance tax net. We can advise on the most suitable type of trust for your purposes.