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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.
The Republic of Ireland (RoI) is a key export market for Northern Ireland businesses, generating an estimated £3.4 billion of cross border revenue for the NI economy each year.
The proximity of the RoI market means that Northern Irish employers regularly send employees to work on projects in RoI and have members of their team work across the border on a regular basis. For these businesses, compliance with new Irish Revenue guidance on ‘overseas employees’ should be reviewed.
In general, the effect of the new guidance will be to limit the circumstances in which NI employers will be released from the obligation to operate Irish payroll withholding taxes (PAYE) in respect of employees working in RoI – including those travelling across the border on short visits.
Up until now the Irish Revenue has offered a generous exemption to overseas employees working in Ireland on a temporary basis. Provided the Irish Revenue was satisfied that the ‘legal/contractual employer’ was not the Irish business, then Irish PAYE would not need to be operated.
Irish PAYE may now need to be operated if an employee is working for an Irish employer performing duties integral to the Irish employer’s business activities, replacing a member of staff of the Irish employer or gaining work experience. It may also catch an individual supplied and paid by an overseas agency to work for an Irish employer.
This more stringent test is common in other jurisdictions, including the UK. It, effectively looks beyond the legal employer test and challenges whether the employer in the host country is in fact the ‘economic employer’.
The economic employer approach means that the term “employer” should be considered in the broader sense and the context of the employment should be reviewed to determine which entity is the economic employer of the employee.
The recent revised guidance is Irish Revenue’s interpretation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidance and it is important to note that there is currently no legislation in Ireland in this area.
It is expected that the revised guidance will limit the circumstances in which employers can claim an exemption from the obligation to operate PAYE in Ireland for short term business visitors who work in Ireland for less than 60 days. The revised guidance may also impact the circumstance in which Irish Revenue will grant an exemption to release a NI employer from the obligation to operate PAYE for individuals, who have greater than 60 working days in Ireland, but less than 183 days.
The fall out of the revised guidance is likely to give rise to cases of withholding tax obligations in two jurisdictions, which would then require resolution under the relevant double tax treaty. Consequently, at a minimum, this will result in additional administrative requirements for NI businesses conducting cross-border operations.
As a result, NI employers will now need to carefully consider the impact of Irish Revenue’s updated guidance on their short term business visitors to Ireland on a case by case basis.