Latest News

Is uncertainty the only certainty in business?

If Donald Trump’s improbable victory, the EU referendum and the recent general election has taught us anything (other than the ineffectiveness of prediction polls) it’s that things are ever changing. On 9 June, many woke to the feeling of despair at the news of a hung parliament. This, combined with the start of the formal Brexit negotiations, will create a challenging and uncertain landscape for many businesses.

Rising property prices?

Recent statistics issued by the Land Registry confirm that the average price of a property in the UK is up 7.7% over a 12 month period to September 2016 - the average being £217,888.

Regionally this varies, with the averages across Armstrong Watson’s offices as follows:

• North East £125,213

• North West £150,845

• Yorkshire and the Humber £151,399

• Scotland £143,006

Corporate Finance Team Celebrate a Duo of Deals

Our Corporate Finance team are celebrating a duo of deals.

Are we a bit weird?

During my work as an adviser to owner managed businesses, I’ve noticed how often business owners want to benchmark themselves against other organisations. It’s not necessarily a detailed enquiry, but I’ve come to expect some variation of the following question:

“Are we the only ones who have this issue?” or more bluntly, “Are we a bit weird?”

Obviously confidentiality precludes me from giving full answers, but I always comment that many of the issues our clients face are generic to being in business. In this context, no one is ever as weird as they might fear.

Could “Bank of Mum and Dad” result in some unexpected tax implications?

It is often reported that younger generations are increasingly reliant on the “bank of mum and dad”. Parents and grandparents often wish to assist their family where they can. A survey by Key Retirement shows that 58% of parents and grandparents want to be able to help their children and grandchildren onto the property ladder, 18% wish to help pay off debts and student loans and 13% intend to assist with funding a wedding.

Forensic Accounting team close to doubling in first six months

We are delighted to announce that since establishing our forensic accounting service in October last year, we are close to doubling in size after experiencing high growth in demand for our specialist services.    

A new landscape for Family Businesses?

At 10pm last night, the 8^th of June 2017, the polling stations closed and the counting across the UK began surrounded by excited discussions about the exit poll results which were released at the same time.  The exit poll has proved to be one of the most accurate in election history and was an early indication of the political landscape.  As the sun rose this morning, the 9^th of June 2017, the UK has a hung parliament.

10 Top VAT considerations for your business

The supposed ‘simple tax’ VAT impacts on many businesses, both big and small across the country and there are many considerations that should be made in relation to it.  In this article, I will set out ten of the key areas and issues that arise on a weekly basis for our clients at Armstrong Watson.

Could your legal practice be one of the 53% that would cease trading?

For a number of years Legal & General (L&G) has conducted a range of research with owners of businesses of all sizes at different stages of their development and growth. More than ever before legal practices are undergoing significant change; in leadership, succession planning and business structure as the most tax efficient and flexible vehicle is sought.

Is your business ready for sale

Almost a third of family business owners plan to exit the business by selling the business whether it be to the highest bidding third party, through a sale to a bidder who will carry on their ethos and values or through a management buy out. It is then surprising how many conversations I have when people say the plan is to sell, but they have given no consideration to how this will happen and the things they could be doing now to maximize their returns.