Plan your exit on your own terms
Every owner leaves their business eventually, but many never plan for it and so do not leave on their own terms. It is never too early to think about your exit. We help you decide when and how to step away, and how to take your money out tax-efficiently.
Business Asset Disposal Relief
Capital gains tax rate on qualifying gains
- Before 6 April 202510%
- 6 April 2025 to 5 April 202614%
- From 6 April 202618%
Lifetime limit of £1 million of qualifying gains. The higher rate of capital gains tax is 24%. Conditions apply, including holding at least 5% of the company and being an officer or employee for two years before the sale.
More than a 9 to 5
Exiting your business is a huge milestone, not the flick of a switch. Keeping the value you have built takes preparation and a process tailored to you.
We know your business is more than a job, and that stepping away is a significant moment in both your career and your personal life. We support you at every step, with the right advice when it matters most.
Do any of these questions sound familiar?
These are the questions owners ask us most often. Each one has tax, legal and personal consequences, so it pays to answer them early.
Your exit routes
There is no single right way to leave. We compare the options with you on value, tax, timing and what happens to your people.
Trade sale
Selling to a competitor, investor or other buyer. We help you prepare, value the business and structure the deal, including any deferred or earn-out payments.
Management buyout
Selling to the people who already run the business. We help plan the funding, the price and the timetable so the deal works for both sides.
Family succession
Passing the business to the next generation, with planning for capital gains tax, inheritance tax and how control is handed over.
Employee ownership trust
Selling a controlling stake to a trust for the benefit of employees. This can qualify for capital gains tax relief, but the conditions are strict.
Members’ voluntary liquidation
Closing a solvent company. Distributions are normally treated as capital and may qualify for BADR, but anti-avoidance rules apply if you carry on a similar trade afterwards.
Pre-pack sale
For a business in financial difficulty, a sale agreed before an administrator is appointed. Since April 2021, a sale to connected parties needs creditor approval or an independent evaluator’s report.
How we help
The best results come from starting three to five years before you plan to leave, but we can also help when the timetable is short.
Review
Your goals, timescale, family position and what you need from the sale to live on.
Value
What the business is worth today, and what would increase its value to a buyer.
Prepare
Tidy the accounts, structure and contracts, and plan the most tax-efficient way to take your cash.
Exit
Support through negotiation, due diligence and completion, working with your lawyers.
After the sale
Inheritance tax planning, pensions and investing the proceeds for the next stage of your life.
Start planning your exit
Whether you are thinking of leaving in a year or in ten, a conversation now will widen your options and protect the value you have built. Call us on 0333 880 8400.
Related services and insights
This page gives general information, not personal advice. Tax rates and reliefs are those in force for 2026/27 and can change. Please take advice before acting.
