Tax planning can involve accounting treatment, tax legislation, company law, commercial priorities and personal objectives. You should not need to determine which professional discipline is required before asking the question.
Tax Compass provides one coordinated starting point. We gather the relevant facts, identify the areas that merit closer examination and arrange the appropriate specialist input where required.
You remain in control throughout. The purpose of each stage is to give you the information needed to decide whether proceeding to the next stage is justified.
Have a question? Send us a message and a member of the team will get back to you.
Every review begins with the position as it stands today. We do not begin with a predetermined structure or assume that change will be beneficial. We begin with your business, its figures and what you need it to achieve.
We gather the principal information needed to understand your current position.
This will usually include:
The purpose of this stage is to determine whether there are areas that may justify closer specialist examination.
The initial review is not formal accounting, taxation or legal advice. It is an initial assessment provided free of charge and without obligation.
Our internal team considers the information provided and identifies the areas in which further work may be worthwhile.
Depending on your circumstances, this could involve questions concerning:
We also identify which professional expertise would be required to examine those matters properly.
If the initial review does not indicate a meaningful reason to proceed, we will tell you.
Where more detailed examination appears justified, the proposed work is defined before it begins.
We will explain:
You can then decide whether you wish to proceed. The free initial review does not commit you to purchasing further services.
Where more detailed examination appears justified, the proposed work is defined before it begins.
We will explain:
You can then decide whether you wish to proceed. The free initial review does not commit you to purchasing further services.
Your existing position and any credible alternatives are considered using clearly stated assumptions and relevant business figures.
The comparison should account for more than the headline tax result. It may also need to consider:
You receive a clear explanation of the options examined, their potential effect, the principal considerations and what would be required to proceed.
Remaining with the existing position should always remain a genuine option.
You decide whether any recommended work or implementation should proceed.
If you choose to continue, Tax Compass helps coordinate the relevant professionals and implementation stages in the appropriate order.
The professional undertaking each part of the work remains responsible for the advice, documentation or specialist service provided within their area of expertise.
A tax-planning comparison can become misleading if the current position and proposed alternative are based on different assumptions.
Our methodology is intended to provide a balanced comparison of the positions being examined, not simply the largest possible headline saving.
The starting point is the way the business currently trades, the profit it generates, the taxes arising and how value is presently retained or accessed.
This establishes the baseline against which any alternative can be considered.
Where two positions are compared, they should use an equivalent level of business activity and a clearly stated assessment period.
An improvement should not be presented as arising from tax planning if it actually depends on higher turnover, lower costs, different working hours or another material commercial change.
A credible comparison should consider all material taxes arising within the positions being examined.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include Corporation Tax, Income Tax, dividend tax, National Insurance and other relevant liabilities.
Professional fees, implementation costs and any additional ongoing expenses should be included where they are known or reasonably capable of being estimated.
A headline tax reduction is not the same as an improvement in the amount ultimately retained.
Tax cannot be considered in isolation from the business.
The assessment may need to preserve sufficient working capital, investment capacity, operating flexibility and protection against unexpected costs.
An option that produces a lower tax figure but creates an unsuitable commercial position is not necessarily a better outcome.
Any modelled outcome should identify the assumptions on which it depends.
Potential benefits may be subject to eligibility, professional review, available evidence, documentation, correct implementation and the legislation in force at the relevant time.
A modelled comparison illustrates how different positions could perform under defined assumptions. It is not a forecast or guarantee of a particular tax result.
The objective is to support an informed decision using the best information available, not to imply certainty where none exists.
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Tax Compass does not attempt to perform every professional function in-house.
Different parts of a tax-planning review may require different qualifications, regulatory responsibilities and areas of technical expertise.
Where formal accounting, taxation, legal or other specialist work is required, it is undertaken by the appropriately qualified professional engaged for that purpose.
That professional remains responsible for:
You remain responsible for providing complete and accurate information and for deciding whether to proceed with any option examined.
Your existing accountant does not necessarily need to be replaced. Where appropriate, they can remain involved, provide relevant financial information and continue to manage the company’s routine accounting and compliance requirements.
The initial Tax Compass review is free and carries no obligation.
If more detailed analysis, formal professional advice or implementation is recommended, the proposed scope of work and applicable fees will be explained before you decide whether to proceed.
Where separate professionals are involved, their respective responsibilities and fees should be identified as part of the proposed scope.
You will not be committed to paid work simply because you requested an initial review.
Tell us how you currently trade, what the business generates and what you want to achieve. We will review the initial information and explain whether your circumstances appear to merit more detailed specialist examination.
Your Free Initial Review
Share your details and business figures. Our specialist team will assess whether a closer review may be worthwhile.
We review the information you provide.
A specialist contacts you to discuss the figures.*
You decide whether you would like to proceed.