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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.
According to Grant Thornton's International Business Report damages to the Northern Irish economy from cybercrime have reached £98.71 million per year. The impact however is far more wide-reaching than simply accounting for directly measurable losses; the long-term reputational damage can cost an organisation large numbers of customers as confidence in security of data wanes. The annual TRUSTe Consumer Confidence Index reveals that 92% of internet users in the UK worried about their online privacy and 80% had made decisions on what they consumed based on privacy concerns. How an organisation protects data is now key to their business.
Ignoring customers’ concerns can have devastating consequences. In one recent case, a child online safety and tracking app called uKnowKids was hacked. A database containing the data of 1,700 children was compromised, exposing more than 6.8 million private text messages, nearly 2 million images (many depicting children) and more than 1,700 detailed child profiles. This included first and last names, email addresses, dates of birth, GPS coordinates, social media access credentials and more. uKnowKids is now potentially struggling against a tidal wave of PR backlash and customer mistrust.
Successful companies are tackling these concerns head-on, by placing emphasis on the measures they take to ensure data security and privacy and by keeping their customers informed. According to Forbes, the global cyber security market reached £54 billion in 2015 and is expected to expand to £123 billion over the next five years. The reason so many companies are investing in cybersecurity services is because they are realising that in the long run, it will save them far more than they are spending and will secure their continued growth.
It is increasingly risky for any company to ignore the issue of cyber security. It needs to be addressed by senior management and at board level in order to sufficiently mitigate the impact potential breaches. Companies should focus on the following areas:
- developing a cyber-security strategy by focusing on what needs to be protected;
- identifying priorities for protection by starting with a cyber security risk assessment and gap analysis;
- raising awareness of the role that all employees have to play in making their company cyber-secure; and
- implementing effective policies to embed cyber security within the business.
Cyber security and the prevention of cybercrime is crucial for companies in Northern Ireland. Protecting customers’ personal and financial data is part of the cost of doing business. It is clear that if companies fail to address cybersecurity and maintain the trust of their customers, they will face a major struggle as an enormous and increasingly savvy customer base passes them over.
See our Cyber Security event