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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.
With continued uncertainty in the local economy, particularly in relation to Brexit, you could be forgiven for expecting M&A transaction volumes in Northern Ireland to be significantly lower than recent years. However, despite some companies and entrepreneurs adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach, there are numerous local businesses pressing ahead with ambitious growth plans, attempting to jump ahead of their competitors.
This is reflected in the deal statistics for Northern Ireland for the first quarter of 2019, which noted almost identical deal volumes to the same period in 2018, with an expectation of additional deal notifications to follow. This goes against the UK national trend, where volumes were down around a fifth compared with last year.
The deal volume in Northern Ireland (51 transactions) suggests that annual transaction volume could well top the 200 mark for the third successive year, albeit that a no deal / hard Brexit would be expected to curb deal activity, should it occur.
In terms of deal value, 2018 was a record year in Northern Ireland, with a total value of approximately £2.2 billion, up 28% on the previous year. Total deal value was driven by a number of particularly large transactions, including the £455 million acquisition of Lagan Group by Breedon Group plc. 2019 has a long way to go to reach those heights, with higher value deals so far being few and far between.
Part of the resilience of the Northern Irish deal market can be attributed to the robust funding environment. In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of alternative funders, providing competition to traditional funding sources and allowing businesses to secure a product that is suited to their needs, and at competitive rates.
According to Experian, Grant Thornton was the most prolific dealmaker locally in 2018. In recent years, we have been running funding advisory workshops in conjunction with Intertrade Ireland across Ireland, with the focus on exploring the plethora of funding options available, and demystifying some of the myths surrounding alternative lenders.
Despite the rise of ‘alternative’ funding options in the Northern Ireland market, it is still a concept less well developed here than elsewhere. In the US, for example, what we might consider ‘traditional’ bank financing accounts for less than 30% of overall funding. Locally, many businesses still look towards their incumbent bank as the sole source of funding, albeit that evidence suggests that the local market is becoming more aware of the alternative products available to them.
Building relationships with a number of potential funders may be critical to seizing opportunities as they arise – approaching your financing requirements with an open mind is likely to achieve best results