Do you run your own business, on your own, with a partner or shareholders?  If you do, are you approaching your company’s year-end?

Your company’s year-end can be a challenging time.  There are the ever-present challenges of profitability, cash flow, and (getting and keeping) customers.  What is essential, especially approaching your year-end, is to take the time to review, plan and take advantage of the significant tax breaks available to you and your business.

As a business owner, your personal and business finances are inextricably linked, one being dependent on the other. There are many allowances available to you as a business owner and individual.  Many are time-limited. If you do not take advantage of them, and you have to consciously do so, the taxman will not offer them up again, you will lose them.

For example, some of the questions you may want to consider include before your business’ year-end include:

• Should you make a company pension contribution or take the income and pay a personal pension contribution?
• Should you pay yourself a bonus (and do you pay the tax on the bonus and leave the money in your loan account for cash flow) or a dividend?
• What capital investments do you need to make and what allowances do you need to use?

The answers to these questions will have an effect on your overall financial planning, your mortgage planning and your pension planning. All of these influence your financial future.

We work with our clients, and their other professional advisers, to help them through the maze of choices available.  Often, significant gains and improvements can be achieved by changing existing arrangements and plans, without starting new plans, and with minimal costs.

*Tax treatment varies according to individual circumstances and is subject to change.