Selling a business

“We were first recommended to Alpha Investments and Alan Solomons when we were selling our Ironmongers business. They advised us on the tax aspects of the sale and helped in the final negotiations. I must admit I had certain apprehensions when we went to the meeting for the final negotiations. The other side was a company that had a team doing nothing but going round the country buying up ironmongers. How was a local accountant going to have any impact on them?

As it turned out, Mr Solomons convinced them that our business was worth much more money than they were offering. Indeed, much more than the maximum that their Chairman had authorised them to offer. They had to go back to him to get authorisation for an offer above the maximum already authorised, which they duly obtained.

On top of this, it later transpired that Mr Solomons had slipped in a clause that meant we were paid by the purchasers the full tax relief on our single premium pension premium instead of only one fifth. Their accountant did not pick up on the tax implications. This meant that we received an extra £27,600 plus £34,000 from the increase in the final price. The original offer of £286,000 had now become worth £347,000.

After the business was sold, we wondered how to invest the money. Hearing that Mr Solomons specialised in dealing with investments we were more than happy to let him advise on all our monies. We had sizable portfolios of shares that Mr Solomons wisely advised us to liquidate. Luckily, most of our shares were sold before a crash in the market. We have been happy with his advice ever since.”

“I have been with you for 10 years. I have to say that choosing you as our independent financial adviser was the best decision we have made.

We have always been happy with how you have managed our investments. Unlike your predecessor, you have arranged things far more tax-efficiently for us, saving us 20% tax on income and capital gains. You have also considered the tax impact when we die and have significantly reduced our future Inheritance Tax bill.

You always manage to explain things in a way we understand. You helped clarify our thoughts for our Lasting Powers of Attorney, as well as helping us to express our wishes in the LPAs, so that the solicitor can amend their first draft.

I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate all this.”

“Alan provided us with a wide range of Inheritance Tax strategies, all clearly explained and tailored to our budget.

His impressive knowledge, responsiveness, and trusted network of other professionals made the whole process smooth and stress-free.

Thanks to his guidance and careful planning, my mother’s lifestyle hasn’t changed, but the potential tax burden has been significantly reduced. We’re incredibly grateful. I honestly don’t know where we’d be without Alan’s help. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.”

“My wife and I had a sum of money which we invested through an independent financial adviser. After being a client for nearly five years, we were surprised and a little upset that he had retired and sold the business without informing us.

We contacted Mr Solomons towards the end of 2013 and arranged a meeting with him, bringing all the relevant paperwork he had asked for. That first meeting was more of an introduction, with lots of questions on both sides, and we quickly decided Mr Solomons was a man who knew his business and who we felt comfortable with. This was an important point for us.

Our second meeting, a week or two later, was more business-oriented and very detailed. Mr Solomons went through all our papers and documents with us and explained what he proposed to do – with our approval, of course. He was very thorough and explained everything we didn’t understand to our complete satisfaction. He keeps in regular contact with us and is always ready to advise us on all matters.

We are more than happy to have him as our adviser; we both like him as a man of principle and integrity. We trust him implicitly and would have no hesitation in recommending him to anybody who might need his services.”

“I must say how grateful I am for the unsolicited advice that you gave me concerning my property development which was so badly affected by the recession.

Talking to various friends and associates I realise how lucky I am to have an accountant who thinks about his client’s tax planning without being prompted.

I thought the £30,000 that I was losing on my property development was all dead money. It was a pleasant surprise to find that not only were you able to get instant tax relief of £7,500, but were also able to turn it to advantage to give me three years of no tax bills and an additional £1,000 refund in respect of my wife.”

“I appreciate the considerable assistance that you gave in helping to bring a particular commercial mortgage to a satisfactory completion. As Solicitors for the institutional lender dealing with a large commercial loan, we much appreciated your timely intervention as the accountant for the borrower, which assisted in bringing the matter to a successful conclusion for all parties. Your professional and helpful attitude to the matter was very much appreciated in the circumstances.”

“Just a brief note to thank you for your help in the merger negotiations between my company and the new company. At the time, I was happy to get about 33% of the shares of the combined company.

However, your view was that I should get more. While doing the due diligence you not only persuaded me that I should ask for more but also created the environment where the other side were also so persuaded. This resulted in a deal where I got 40%, with incentives to bring me up to 44% over a short period of time with 50% of dividends.

Over the years, I have used you as a valuable sounding board when difficult situations have arisen and would like to say how much I have appreciated your advice and our discussions over the years.”

“When I came to Alan a couple of years ago, I had problems with my business that were making life difficult. He resolved these matters and gave me excellent professional advice together with valuable personal tax advice. Alan’s guidance has given me peace of mind and saved me considerable sums of money. I now feel more confident about my business’s future.

Alan’s expertise has improved my business in many ways. His excellent advice helped me avoid costly mistakes and make smart financial decisions. With Alan, I know I’m getting the best guidance available and has made my business more profitable and efficient. He’s more than just an accountant – he’s a trusted business partner. I’m grateful to have him as my accountant and I would recommend him to anyone who needs expert advice.”

“I was recommended to Alan way back in 1982. He is a superb accountant.

He is very meticulous and his advice is sound.

When I first hired him he had to correct my previous accountants work and I was refunded a huge income tax refund. He was my business accountant until 2005 when I retired.

Have no doubts for anyone who is seeking a superb professional. Alan Solomons is the right person. He is honest, has the highest integrity and is very inventive.

I urge anybody who wants to change. Have no doubts of changing to Alan.”

“Just a line to thank you for all you and your team have done. I still find it hard to believe that not only do I have to pay no extra tax or nor do I have any penalties to pay, but that I have five letters of apology from the Inland Revenue for how they conducted the investigation. In addition they have paid back most of your fees to me. You also saved me £10,000 in tax my previous accountants did not claim for me.

I am really grateful for what you have done, and realise from what I have heard from other people in business that I could have ended up paying anything from £10,000 to £65,000 in back tax and penalties, so the result you achieved is truly wonderful."