Consulting

We provide a wide range of pro-active consulting solutions from Estate Planning, Wills, Inheritance Tax Review, R&D Claims, Retirement Planning involving tax efficient exit strategies. Our professional services draw upon over twenty years of consulting experience we can take control of complex situations and business dilemmas and provide a solution to satisfy our clients’ needs.

Wills, Trust and Inheritance Tax

Christie & Co can assist clients in preparing Wills and provide trust and estate planning advice, taking into consideration family wealth planning and safeguarding investment and assets owned by the family’s private business enterprises.

Christie & Co can advise clients with the set up of a trust and administer other types of trusts for estate planning purposes. A protected property trust may be set up for many reasons, e.g. to protect business assets, to protect a disabled child, to give money to children or grandchildren without their having control and to defer or reduce tax liabilities and build trusts into your Will.

Inheritance Tax (IHT) does not just apply to those that are extremely wealthy, it is a tax that is charged on the value of property including all of a deceased’s property or assets arising when someone dies. IHT also applies to certain ‘lifetime gifts’ subject to certain exemptions and reliefs and will apply if the value of your Estate including your home and any gifts made within seven years preceding your death; exceeds the current IHT threshold.

Our Wills, Trust and Inheritance Tax services include:

Will Drafting Service
Estate Administration
Lasting Power of Attorney
Inheritance Tax Advisory
Disclosure of Assets and Debts of the Estate to HMRC

Research & Development Tax Credits

Research and Development tax credits (R&D tax credits) are a company tax relief, which can reduce a company’s tax bill. The importance of the tax credits it to encourage greater R&D spending in order to promote investment in innovation. The financial benefit of the scheme can be significant if the right approach is adopted.

R&D Tax Credits boost innovation and this is key to business success as the economy reshapes during the downturn. For many companies this will require investment in research and development (R&D), even as finances become tighter companies can claim R&D Tax Credits for their revenue expenditure on:

Employing staff directly and actively engaged in carrying out R&D
Paying a staff provider for staff provided to the company who are directly and actively engaged in carrying out R&D
Consumable or transformable materials used directly in carrying out R&D

Our Research & Development Tax Credits service includes:

Evaluation and assessment of Qualifying R&D Expenditure
Identify eligible R&D Projects
Calculate the amount of R&D Tax Credit
Prepare supporting R&D Financial Data Report to HMRC

Capital Allowance Claims

Capital allowances are a relief from corporation tax or income tax and based on the qualifying capital expenditure incurred on the provision and installation of certain Plant and Machinery assets within a building.

Every building contains an element of Plant and Machinery, which will qualify for capital allowances, such as heating and air conditioning, electrical installations, hot and cold water systems, sanitary ware, lifts, fire alarm systems and fire fighting equipment to name just a few. However, other less obvious assets will also qualify, for example carpet, security equipment, furniture and fittings and to qualify for capital allowances, the property owner or occupier must be a taxpayer and must comply with the following:

Incur capital expenditure on qualifying Plant and Machinery.
Use the qualifying Plant and Machinery in the course of its trade, either as an investor or as an occupier of a building.
Demonstrate that it owns the qualifying Plant and Machinery

Christie & Co can assist with capital allowances planning and with specialist support; any potential claim should therefore form a vital part of ensuring the viability of any property transaction.

Our Capital Allowance Claims service includes:

Assess capital allowances claims that may previously have been made to establish whether there is any scope for enhancement
Provide an on-going monitoring service of annual expenditure to ensure the maximisation of tax benefits
Prepare Statements of Qualifying Expenditure in accordance with relevant legislation utilising approved valuation methodology, and negotiating and agreeing the claims with the Revenue Authority
Provide advice relating to Enhanced Capital Allowances on energy saving Plant and Machinery, Land Remediation Relief and Revenue Expenditure

Business Consulting

Christie & Co advises clients on all types of business consulting no matter the industry in which an organisation operates, or the size of the client. Whether your business sell products or provide services, high value or low value, or sell business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C), an organisation is dependent on customers to function and retaining and growing customers is becoming increasingly difficult.

Our business consulting experience is unique in many ways and we have matured considerably over the last five years and continue to provide a personal service and we are keen to develop a successful and long-lasting relationship with all of our clients. In today’s market it is more than ever on ‘striking the right balance’ between cost and value to the business and the customer. Christie & Co advises all types of organisations and help transform their business functions to manage their customers in a pragmatic and tangible way and the range of challenges we help our clients tackle is diverse.

Our business consulting services include:

Providing clients with an in-depth review of their business
Advising clients in making the right commercial choices about their business
Benchmarking reports and due diligence
Consultancy advice on different types of business operations