-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Subscribe to our mailing list
Update your subscriptions for Grant Thornton publications and events.
The circumstances would appear to be forcing those businesses, which have struggled through the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the edge of viability. Many businesses did not survive the consequences of the various lockdowns, but those that did had hoped for better times ahead.
This has not proven to be the case as not only has government support ended, leaving many businesses with further debt to repay, the rising energy costs are now almost crippling many businesses that had thought that they were beginning to see better times ahead. The impact of proposed Government intervention remains to be seen.
So, what should Directors and Shareholders be doing now? The simple answer is to “act early and seek professional advice”. This can sometimes be the hardest challenge of all. Especially in small businesses, the director and/or shareholder takes on all the responsibility, and it can be hard to admit that the business is facing financial difficulties.
Very often business owners are reluctant to seek impartial advice as they continue to hope for better days to come.
So where should you turn if you are facing a downturn in trading or financial distress? The best course of action is to enlist a business advisor, and there are many ways to get them involved.
Firstly, have them attend board meetings and offer constructive feedback as well as offer potential solutions.
Secondly, ask them to complete an independent review of the company's activities. This could involve looking at cash flow and providing advice on areas for improvement going forward.
And, thirdly, if you decide that you want to exit the market on a solvent basis, seek advice around an orderly wind-down.
The key is to ensure you have options available and the earlier advice is sought, the more options will be available to discuss. If time permits, the business advisor may even be able to discuss solvent restructuring options rather than insolvency procedures. However, if the business is no longer viable, the business advisor can provide advice on the most appropriate exit route for all concerned.
Your business advisors are here to help and should have the right skill set to do so, so reach out and have them identify the key areas to work on to move your business forward.
Usually, the hardest challenge for business owners is to ask for advice, but business owners who have sought advice in the past have always noted that this can also relieve the burden of dealing with the situation.
-
Richard Gillan Richard has extensive corporate finance and commercial experience and leads the firm’s advisory function in Belfast.View Profile -
Karen Wray Karen Wray is an Assistant Manager in Restructuring at Grant Thornton (NI) LLP.