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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.
The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget 2017 delivered few major tax changes but the continuing themes of stimulating the UK property market, encouraging innovation and tackling tax avoidance were present, as in all recent Budgets. The below are the most pertinent announcements affecting individual taxpayers.
First time buyer Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief
First time buyers paying up to £500,000 for their home will benefit from SDLT reliefs with effect from today. Purchases for £300,000 or less will attract no SDLT and purchases between £300,000 and £500,000 will suffer SDLT at 5%, only on the purchase price in excess of £300,000.
Taxing UK property disposed of by non-UK residents
The government announced in the Budget, plans to extend the scope of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and corporation tax from April 2019 so that gains made on direct and indirect disposals of UK property, both residential and commercial are within the scope of UK tax.
The intention is that for non-residential property, only the gain above the April 2019 value of the property disposed of will be taxable. The existing rules on residential property, which broadly tax any gain in value since April 2015, will run alongside these new rules.
Changes affecting venture capital investments
From 6 April 2018, there are three changes affecting tax favoured venture capital investments, being the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), Seed EIS, and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs).
A further hurdle is being built into the conditions for the relief to be available in order to avoid ‘tax motivated’ investments, that are designed to be low risk and where most of the return comes from the tax relief. This new condition will require that on a ‘reasonable’ view, the company being invested in has plans to grow and develop over the long term and that the investor faces a real risk of a loss of capital, taking into account any tax relief received and other relevant factors.
The second change is that the limit for EIS investments qualifying for income tax relief in any tax year, is being doubled to £2 million per individual, provided that any investment over and above the existing £1 million limit is in knowledge intensive companies.
Increases to personal allowances and thresholds
From 6 April 2018, the personal allowance will increase from £11,500 to £11,850 and the higher rate threshold will increase from £45,000 to £46,350. The CGT annual exemption will increase from £11,300 to £11,700, also from 6 April 2018.
Offshore tax non-compliance
It has been announced that the government intends to extend the time limit for assessing tax arising from offshore non-compliance, even if not deliberate, to a minimum of 12 years. This represents a significant increase as the current minimum is four years. There will be a consultation on these measures in spring 2018.
