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Business Risk Services
Our Business Risk Services team deliver practical and pragmatic solutions that support clients in growing and protecting the inherent value of their businesses.
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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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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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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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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 Ireland 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.
Cast our minds back to the Spring Budget announced by British Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 11th March and we recall what on that was deemed to be a generous package designed to deal with all that the coronavirus could throw at us.
At a projected cost £12 billion, the interventions included increased funding for the NHS, loans and tax reliefs for businesses, and some changes to statutory sick pay and benefits – but that was just the first tranche.
Six months later, and despite the introduction of various additional measures including the furlough scheme – and an ever mounting public debt – it has been clear in recent weeks that more would be required to help the UK economy through the potentially lean winter months.
Taking to his feet in the Commons yesterday, he said there could be “no harder choice” than opting to end the furlough scheme adding that the focus must now turn to stable jobs that offer “genuine security”.
It is in response to growing concern of so-called ‘zombie jobs’ kept just barely alive by being part of the furlough scheme when in reality, they are destined to be lost.
As the furlough initiative winds down at the end of October to be replaced by the Jobs Support Scheme announced yesterday – which requires employees to work at least some hours – we may begin to see more starkly the impact of COVID-19 on employment levels. Firms will have to decide whether or not to keep staff on or move them to this new arrangement.
Designed to help businesses that anticipate weak demand during the winter period retain their employees, some concerns have been expressed that the scheme will simply move the job loss cliff edge a further six months down the road.
And with the measure expected to cost the government around £300 million a month, it will also add considerably to the mounting public bill.
Other announcements included an extension to the amount of time allowed to repay Bounce Back Loans from six to 10 years, while lenders will be able to extend the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme by the same amount, resulting in lower monthly repayments.
Companies wishing to avail of either loan scheme also now have more time to do so, with the deadline for applications extended to the end of November.
Businesses and those who complete self-assessments will also be given more time to pay any tax bills they had chosen to defer until next year, rather than face a single lump sum in January.
Meanwhile, the cut in VAT for the tourism and hospitality sector will be extended until the end of March, providing welcome relief the operators in the industry.
There is no doubt, bar a few exceptions, the Chancellor’s newly announced measures are to be broadly welcomed by businesses still fearing full recovery is some way off. With that fear in mind, and considering how far we’ve come in six months, and the unprecedented levels of public aid, some may ask if we’ve yet seen the end of government interventions to stem the impact of the coronavirus.