Doing Business in the UKInternational Services

Are you seeking to create or grow a business presence in the UK, either by acquiring an existing business or forming a new one? Speak to our award-winning team of international business, finance and tax experts today.

Cross-border services for businesses

With a proven track record of providing excellent service and results, Shorts is a leading independent chartered accountancy firm specialising in providing tailor-made solutions to international businesses seeking to establish or acquire a presence in the United Kingdom.

Our team of qualified experts has a deep understanding of UK regulations, tax laws, and market conditions, which when coupled with our relationships with International colleagues in the Praxity Alliance, enables us to guide you seamlessly through the entire process and help you thrive in the UK market.

Acquiring a UK business

If you have ambitions to acquire a business in the UK, our expertise can source suitable acquisition targets and provide full acquisition support to complete the transaction with the confidence you have taken expert local advice. Our acquisition assistance services include:

  • Acquisition searches to identify UK target companies
  • Approaching UK targets, advice on valuations, leading negotiations, drafting Heads of Terms/Letters of Intent
  • Project managing to legal completion and liaising with all parties
  • Tax structuring on acquisitions (and disposals)
  • Financial and Tax Due Diligence

Due Diligence on UK acquisition targets

Our experts have the ability to undertake detailed financial and tax Due Diligence on a UK target, either as a standalone exercise or as part of our wider support within your acquisition team.

On smaller acquisitions, bespoke limited scope Due Diligence, or standalone tax Due Diligence, can provide comfort that any identified risks are mitigated at a proportionate cost to the acquisition size. Areas we can support include:

  • Financial Due Diligence
  • Tax Due Diligence
  • Red Flag style Due Diligence or full scope
  • Sourcing legal Due Diligence

Setting up a business in the UK

We can provide all the local expertise and support you require to establish a presence in the UK whilst being confident you have complied with all the relevant legislation. These services include:

  • Overseeing the formation of a UK company and liaising with lawyers if required
  • Structuring UK activities in a tax-efficient manner
  • Registering for relevant taxes with UK tax authorities
  • Recommending UK lawyers and other professionals
  • Advising on tax and other compliance aspects of recruiting and paying staff
  • Through our contacts, we are also able to facilitate local banking relationships

Ongoing compliance services

At Shorts we have experienced teams that cover all ongoing compliance services, giving you peace of mind that your UK requirements are fulfilled on time.

  • Accounts preparation & Statutory audits
  • Provision of management information
  • Payroll processing
  • Pensions compliance
  • Employee benefits tax compliance
  • Tax compliance (corporate and individual)
  • Registered office service
  • Sales tax (VAT) compliance

We have one of the largest tax planning teams in our region so can offer expert advice to help minimise exposure to UK taxes. Examples include accessing R&D tax reliefs and other innovation tax incentives as well as optimising tax relief on capital expenditure projects.

Our award-winning Private Client team can also provide tax and investment advice to individuals.

Praxity Global Alliance

Our team understands the importance of working with trusted, qualified advisors with an intimate of both international opportunities and regulations. That’s why we are a member of the Praxity Global Alliance, an alliance of independent accounting and consulting firms from around the world.

Through our affiliation with Praxity, we can offer the right solutions ad advice, empowering companies to achieve their objectives through collaboration within this distinguished global alliance of leading business advisers.

With access to over 780 offices in more than 120 countries, Praxity enables us to hand-pick expert advisers and form multi-disciplinary teams perfectly tailored to meet the unique needs of each international client.

We have helped many international clients on operating in the UK and have advised on many acquisitions of UK companies.

Testimonials

We have indeed found Shorts to be a very responsive and valuable cooperation partner, and have also enjoyed working with you and your colleagues very much – and hope to continue this cooperation in the future.

Legal counsel
Large European Company

This is a very impressive document, and I’ve been doing this a long time…. Well done

Senior VP of Finance
Large US Investor

Great Job! Thank you for all your hard work.

Lead International Tax Partner
Multi-state US firm

Get in touch with our team today to see how we can help you with cross-border tax

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