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Corporate Finance and Deal Advisory
We offer a dedicated team of experienced individuals with a focus on successfully executing transactions for corporates and financial institutions. We offer an integrated approach, with our corporate finance specialists working seamlessly with tax and other specialists to ensure that every angle is covered.
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Digital Risk
Grant Thornton offers solutions to the digital risk issues you are sure to face. Our skilled and experienced security team can helping by advising and consulting, giving you peace of mind, clear value for money and an enhanced ability to react to attacks.
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Technology Consulting
Motivating and assisting our clients to pursue, maintain and secure the benefits of digital solutions is at the core of our Digital Transformation teams' agenda and goals. We work with business leaders to deliver efficient digital strategies and operating models that provide new or enhanced capabilities.
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Economic Advisory
Our all-island Economics Advisory team combines expertise in economics and business with a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors.
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Forensic Accounting
We have a different way of doing business by delivering real insight through a combination of technical rigour, commercial experience and intuitive judgment. We take pride in delivering responsive and tailored solutions to all our clients, capitalising on the wealth of experience housed within our Belfast and wider Forensics team
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People and Change Consulting
The Grant Thornton People & Change Consulting practice works with clients on these issues as well as on all aspects of how they attract, retain, engage develop, deploy and lead their people.
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Restructuring
We work with a wide variety of clients and stakeholders such as high street banks, private equity funds, directors, government agencies and creditors to implement solutions which provide the best possible outcomes.
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Corporate and International Tax
Northern Ireland businesses face further challenges as they operate in the only part of the UK that has a land border with a country offering a lower tax rate.
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Employer Solutions
Our team specialises in remuneration and incentive planning and works closely with employers, shareholders and employees to ensure that business strategies are aligned and goals achieved in the most tax efficient, cost-effective manner.
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Entrepreneur and Private Client Taxes
Our team of experienced advisors are on hand to guide you through any decision or transaction ranging from the establishment of new business ventures, to realising value on exit, to succession planning and providing for loved ones.
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Global Mobility Services
Grant Thornton offer a different approach to managing global mobility. We have brought together specialists from our tax, global payroll, people and change and financial accounting teams across Ireland and Northern Ireland, while drawing on the knowledge and insights of our global network of over 143 offices of mobility professionals to provide you with a holistic approach to managing global mobility.
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Outsourced Payroll
Our outsourced service provides valued service to over 150 separate PAYE schemes. These ranging from 1 to 1000 employees, working for micro, SME and global employers. The service is supported by the integrated network of tax and global mobility teams and the wider Grant Thornton network delivering a seamless service. Experienced staff deliver a personal service built around your business needs.
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Tax Disputes and Investigations
Our Tax Disputes and Investigation team is made up of tax experts and former HMRC investigators who have years of experience in dealing with a variety of tax investigations. Our expertise and insight can guide you through all interactions, keeping your cost at a minimum while allowing you to continue with the day to day running of your business.
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VAT and Indirect Taxes
At Grant Thornton (NI) LLP, our team helps Northern Ireland businesses manage their UK and global indirect tax risks which, as transactional taxes, can quickly become big liabilities.
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The last 12-months have seen an increasing focus on wage increases and industrial action in the public sector. Reflecting this upward trend, April 2023 will see a significant percentage increase to the National Living Wage headline rate of 9.7% to £10.42 an hour.
Other increases to the statutory age band rates have been notified and employers should ensure that their workers are paid at, or above, the new rates as of 1st April and reflect this in earnings paid for the week ending 7th April. Software upgrades will change the core rate but the core rates need to be applied at each stage of the process, including time and attendance, overtime rates, etc. to ensure staff are paid accurately.
Employers with pension sacrifice arrangements should take particular care to ensure that all staff remain above the minimum earnings rates for all hours worked post-sacrifice.
Following the dual challenges of the pandemic and Brexit, most employers will acknowledge an increase in flexible working, with many articles covering the pros and cons of these arrangements. For an employer (or employee) where this flexible arrangement crosses a land border, the need to understand the income tax, social security, and compliance impact increases significantly.
Any tax professional worth their salt will advise that putting the right structure and compliance measures in place at the start of such arrangements is much easier than trying to unpick and update the issues afterwards. Short Term Business Visitor Arrangements, A1 certificates, and shadow payroll are becoming part of normal operations for NI/UK and European employers.
One aspect of flexible working that doesn’t cross a border is Shared Parental Leave (SPL), which was introduced in 2015. The intention from Government was to give parents more choice regarding their childcare arrangements and enabling mothers to return to work sooner, while allowing their partners to be involved in their child’s early-years care. The provisions allows couples with new babies to share up to 50-weeks of leave and 37-weeks of statutory shared parental pay between them at the lower rate of Maternity Pay. Government launched an online tool to help working families make the most of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay Scheme.
Ahead of April 2023 employees should take a few minutes to check their tax code, make sure the correct National Insurance Number is being used, and to complete some basic housekeeping. Contacting HMRC by telephone is a little hit or miss. In contrast, the HMRC App is available and user- friendly once you satisfy the authentication process.
The App allows you to manage your communications, tax codes, and see real-time payments from your employer as they are reported through Real Time Information (RTI) submissions. The App can be particularly useful for those who have Benefits in Kind (BIK) reported on from P11D by the employer. As these submissions are annual and in arrears they can sometimes lag behind changes in benefit and circumstances. Using the App allows you to make the changes as they happen and when your P11D arrives you just need to make sure the form and App align.
Whether you are an employer, or an employee, there are some steps to complete to ensure you are ready and prepared for the new tax year.
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Sam Beattie Sam joined Grant Thornton in 2013 after spending 23 years with a Big Four firm, managing Payroll and BACS bureaux. He currently heads up our payroll department in Belfast.View Profile