Think About Your Aim In Taking Professional Advice . . .

I do appreciate that using a qualified, authorised and regulated English Solicitor (i.e. someone whose experience and expertise has allowed them to achieve that status - which includes the position that professional indemnity insurers have become sufficiently confident and comfortable in their abilities - so as to offer insurance cover for the quality and effectiveness of their work) - doesn’t (regrettably) come at a price for work which non-qualified, (in practice) uninsured 'business advisors' (who will never have to stand behind the the worth of their advice & assistance input) can offer!

Business people should really think carefully about requesting legal advice & assistance input with regard to their affairs, where the quality of the work (say) in relation to a relatively early stage business venture will only (in practice) be tested (i.e. potential problems come to light), as & when the relevant venture (and ownership interests - i.e. their shares) become valuable, and / or it is desired to undertake a significant transaction / corporate event in relation to the relevant venture - which by then has become a significantly more valuable entity.

Obviously, if you are not aiming for, or you are indifferent to your venture's future success (and such situations exist - more frequently than you might imagine) - then instructing someone whose aim is to help you achieve success is probably inappropriate, and you may be be better simply instructing the unqualified advisor - since a low fee for initial advice & assistance is the only factor .  

Quality advisors envisage (from their experience & expertise) the circumstances which are likely to subsequently develop and their work tends to deal with issues which were not envisaged as likely at the time the original input was provided.  Using a qualified and authorised legal advisor doesn't guarantee success, but if you don't do so you are potentially 'handicapping' yourself.

Always remember - Some people 'catch a break' - e.g. Mr. Bill Gates father was a prominent and successful American attorney : 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Gates,_Sr.

If quality legal advice is absent (or deficient) at an early stage - It may not be possible to subsequently rectify it.

Therefore for some poor souls - 'This' may be the result : 

http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk

I would be happy to expand upon / explain the above references further for anyone who wishes to discuss!
Be like the former, and not the latter - Know the value of skilled advice, don't merely focus upon the price.

Please, for your own good - Remember the following (!) :-





 

2016 Budget: The Key Business Tax Announcements

Equitable Law's extremely brief summary of the key business tax announcements in the 16 March 2016 U.K. Budget.

The key announcements for those involved in business would appear to be:

• Corporation Tax cut to 17% from April 2020, accompanied by new restrictions on use of carried forward losses.

• The top rate of Capital Gains Tax ('CGT' - for individuals) reduced from 28% to 20% from April 2016 (other than for residential property and carried interest) and entrepreneurs' relief extended to longer term investors in unlisted companies.

• Overseas property developers are to be brought within the charge to UK tax during 2016.

• Employment termination payments that are subject to income tax on amounts in excess of GBP £30,000 will be subject to employer National Insurance Contributions ('NICs') from 2018.

• From April 2017, a fixed ratio rule will limit corporation tax deductions for net interest expense to 30% of a group's UK earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), with a group ratio rule based on the net interest to EBITDA ratio for the worldwide group.

• A new Stamp Duty Land Tax ('SDLT') rates structure for sales and leases of non-residential and mixed property applies from 17 March 2016, with increased charges for higher value transactions.

As ever, there is much to 'digest' for business taxation advisers in a voluminous and detailed Budget.  

Please read further details here:  

http://www.evernote.com/l/ADZK_MjpoOlB_b8F8lWXjTtV96RYHULRSWw/ 

Mr. Dan.Johnson@EquitableLaw.com would be fully prepared to provide further information and / or discuss any issues or aspects arising.

The perils of social media (!)

I was posting to social media over the weekend, pointing out  that Donald Trump's approach to electioneering was eerily reminiscent to the antics of the National Socialists (NSDAP or Nazis) in Germany in the 1930s - With the violence engendered by 'hate speech' thereby allowing Hitler to claim that he needed the 'Brown Shirts'  (the Sturmabteilung or 'SA') to protect his rallies, and 'handily' provide a paramilitary force to physically attack his political opponents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung.

Unfortunately, unbeknown to me - Facebook automatically adds a little South African flag to posts whenever it detects 'SA' in text!

I've been apologizing to 'Saffers' all day!