Business Sales, Purchases and Due Diligence Reviews
Buying or selling a business is a major decision. The accounts, tax position, payroll records, VAT history, customer income, liabilities and cash flow all need to be understood before you commit. RD Accounting can support business owners, buyers and sellers with practical financial reviews and due diligence support.
How we can help buyers
- Review recent accounts and management information
- Check turnover, margins, profits and cash-flow trends
- Identify unusual, one-off or owner-specific costs
- Review debtors, creditors and working capital
- Consider payroll, VAT, tax and Companies House compliance
- Highlight accounting, tax or commercial red flags
- Prepare questions to raise with the seller or solicitor
How we can help sellers
- Prepare accounts and records before a sale process
- Identify issues that may need explaining to a buyer
- Support financial information requests from buyers
- Help present clean management information
- Liaise with solicitors and other advisers where required
What a due diligence review can cover
A review can be tailored to the transaction. It may cover accounts, management information, VAT, PAYE, payroll, CIS, corporation tax, director loans, recurring income, margins, cash flow, balance sheet risks and the quality of bookkeeping records. The aim is to help you understand the numbers before making decisions.
Practical red flag reporting
For smaller transactions, a focused red flag review may be more proportionate than a large formal due diligence exercise. We can provide a clear summary of key issues, questions to ask and areas where specialist legal or tax advice may be needed.
Do I need due diligence when buying a small business?
Usually, yes. Even a small acquisition can carry tax, payroll, VAT, debt, cash-flow or record-keeping risks. A focused review can help you avoid surprises.
Can you value a business?
We can help review the financial information and discuss common valuation approaches, but a formal valuation may require a separate engagement depending on the purpose and complexity.
Can you review accounts before I make an offer?
Yes. We can review available accounts or management information and help you identify questions to ask before progressing.
Can you help prepare my business for sale?
Yes. We can help tidy up accounts, improve management information and identify issues that may need to be explained to a buyer.
Do you work alongside solicitors?
Yes. We can work alongside your solicitor and other advisers, particularly where accounting, tax or payroll information is needed as part of the transaction.
