-
Business risk services
Organisations must understand and manage risk and seek an appropriate balance between risk and opportunities.
-
Cybersecurity
As organisations become increasingly dependent on digital technology, the opportunities for cyber criminals continue to grow.
-
Business consulting
We can formulate solutions to keep you ahead of disruptive change.
-
Valuations
Our valuation specialists blend technical expertise with a pragmatic outlook to deliver support during transactions, restructuring and disputes.
-
Transactional advisory services
Helping you with successful growth deals throughout your business life cycle.
-
Recovery and reorganisation
Workable solutions to maximise your value and deliver sustainable recovery.
-
Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic growth decision making. Globalisation and company growth ambitions are driving an increase in M&A activity worldwide.
-
Forensic and investigation services
Rapid and customised approach to investigations and dispute resolution.
-
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Our member firm IFRS advisers can help you navigate the complexity of the Standards so you can focus your time and effort on running your business.
-
Audit quality monitoring
A key component of our global strategy is to promote the delivery of consistent, high quality client service worldwide.
-
Global audit technology
We apply our global audit methodology through an integrated set of software tools known as the Voyager suite.
-
Corporate and business tax
Growing businesses need strong tax management to meet current and future tax liabilities and we can help you achieve this, whatever challenges you face.
-
Direct international tax
We have the insight and agility to create the strategies you need to respond quickly to ever-changing tax laws.
-
Global mobility services
In a globalised world, businesses must work seamlessly across borders. Organisations operate in multiple countries and view international expansion as a strategic objective.
-
Indirect international tax
With more goods and services crossing national borders than ever before, you may be facing indirect tax obligations in many countries – even those where your customer is located.
-
Innovation and investment incentives
Dynamic businesses must continually innovate to maintain competitiveness, evolve and grow. Valuable tax reliefs are available to support innovative activities, irrespective of your tax profile.
-
Private client services
Protecting business and personal wealth is of upmost importance for private clients worldwide. At Grant Thornton, we bring reason and instinct to all aspects of your personal finance and compliance planning.
-
Transfer pricing
The laws surrounding transfer pricing are becoming ever more complex, as tax affairs of multinational companies are facing scrutiny from media, regulators and the public.
-
Tax policy
Grant Thornton’s teams can work with you to help you understand these regulations, develop a strategy tailored to your business’ individual tax needs and manage tax risk around the globe.
-
Business process solutions
As organisations grow, back office processes and meeting reporting requirements across multiple jurisdictions can become a distraction. We remove the burden of back office operations and worries about compliance to enable you to focus on growth.
BEPS: Making tax sexy
30 Sep 2014Francesca Lagerberg welcomes moves towards global taxation transparency
"Tax is sexy" reads the postcard on the wall of my office. The irony is inescapable but tax is certainly never far from the headlines these days. Corporate tax inversion deals – such as the Burger King buyout of Tim Hortons and Pfizer’s attempted purchase of AstraZeneca – are creating waves and have become the latest stick to bash businesses with.
The business reasons for such deals are clear: Burger King will now be paying 15% corporation tax in Canada as opposed to 35% in the United States. The broader implications are somewhat murkier. The spate of inversions has caused concern in Washington about the threat they pose to the corporate income tax base. And earlier this week the US government issued new regulations which will make shifting tax domiciles more difficult, including toughening up ownership limits that investors can retain in an inverted company.
It all goes to show how complex taxation is for businesses. On one side, companies have a duty to their shareholders and investors to maximise profits. On the other, there are calls from politicians and the public to support their country by paying their ‘fair share’. What businesses need is clarity, a fact underlined by our International Business Report (IBR): three in five businesses are calling for more transparency in what is acceptable tax planning and updated tax rules for a modern, digital economy.
I was therefore heartened to see the overwhelmingly positive reaction of the G20 to the first draft of the OECD proposals on BEPS (the Base Erosion Profit Shifting project) which addresses some of the issues such as increasing transparency, limiting the use of tax havens and better ways of taxing digital companies. Creating global standards is a frighteningly complex task but the majority of the measures were agreed to by 44 economies which account for 90% of global output. It’s only the first step down a long, rocky road; but it’s a significant step forward.
While some business leaders will welcome this attention on transparency there are undoubtedly others who might have hoped the global focus on tax would blow over. But the momentum towards a global far-reaching agreement is building and businesses of all sizes – not just multinationals – need to prepare for and implement the changes (our recent report is a good place to start). Tax may well not be the sexiest thing on a business leader’s plate, but it is unavoidable.
Follow the conversation with Francesca on Twitter using @F_Lagerberg