Tax Planning
Strategic tax planning services to minimize tax liabilities and ensure compliance.
Tax Planning
We provide comprehensive tax planning advice for individuals and businesses. Our team helps optimize tax positions while ensuring full compliance with tax regulations.
Key Services
- Personal and corporate tax planning
- Inheritance tax mitigation
- Capital gains tax advice
- VAT planning and compliance
- Tax-efficient business structures
- HMRC investigation support
Related Money, Tax & Debt Services
Efficient debt recovery services for businesses and individuals.
InsolvencyExpert insolvency advice for companies and individuals facing financial difficulties.
Financial DisputesResolution of complex financial disputes including banking and investment matters.
HMRC Investigations & Tax DisputesExpert representation in HMRC investigations, tax disputes, and compliance matters.
Business Finance & LendingComprehensive business finance services including loan agreements, security arrangements, and financial restructuring.
Pension Law & Retirement PlanningExpert pension law services covering workplace pensions, personal pensions, and retirement planning.
Why Choose Gardner Champion?
- Specialist financial law expertise
- Tax-efficient planning strategies
- Effective debt recovery procedures
- Comprehensive insolvency support
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Contact us for a personalized consultation and quote for your specific legal needs. All our fees exclude VAT.
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Strategic Tax Planning Framework and Methodology
Integrated Personal Tax Planning Strategy
Personal tax planning requires comprehensive analysis of income sources, asset holdings, family circumstances, and long-term objectives. We consider the interaction between income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, and other levies to develop holistic strategies. This includes optimizing salary vs dividend extraction for business owners, structuring investment portfolios for tax efficiency, maximizing pension contributions and reliefs, utilizing spouse exemptions and allowances effectively, and timing asset disposals for optimal tax treatment. We model different scenarios to quantify potential savings and ensure strategies remain robust under changing circumstances.
Corporate Tax Optimization and Business Structure Planning
Business tax planning involves selecting optimal corporate structures, maximizing available reliefs and allowances, managing timing of income recognition and expense deduction, and ensuring tax efficiency doesn't compromise commercial objectives. We help businesses utilize research and development credits, capital allowances, group reliefs, and other incentives effectively. International businesses require sophisticated planning around transfer pricing, controlled foreign company rules, and double taxation treaties. Succession planning integrates business asset disposal relief, entrepreneur's relief, and inheritance tax business property relief to minimize overall tax impact on business transfers.
Investment and Capital Gains Tax Planning
Investment tax planning involves structuring portfolios to minimize tax drag while achieving investment objectives. We help utilize annual CGT exemptions effectively, time disposals to optimize tax positions, structure investments through tax-efficient wrappers like ISAs and pensions, and manage the interaction between income and capital gains. Sophisticated strategies might involve share exchanges, incorporation of business assets, or utilization of EIS and SEIS reliefs for startup investments. We ensure tax planning supports rather than constrains investment strategy.
Advanced Tax Planning Techniques and Structures
Complex tax planning situations require sophisticated techniques including discretionary trusts for flexibility and control, loan trusts for growth assets, charitable remainder trusts for philanthropy, family limited partnerships for business assets, and international structures for global families. We evaluate the costs, complexities, and risks of advanced techniques against potential benefits, ensuring recommended strategies provide genuine value and long-term effectiveness. All planning is stress-tested against potential legislative changes and maintains commercial substance to withstand scrutiny.
Comprehensive Inheritance Tax Planning and Wealth Preservation
Systematic Lifetime Giving Programs
Systematic lifetime giving utilizes annual exemptions (£3,000), small gifts exemption (£250 per recipient), wedding gifts allowances, normal expenditure out of income exemptions, and potentially exempt transfers (PETs) to transfer significant wealth over time. Successful programs require careful cash flow planning to ensure donors retain sufficient assets for their needs, structured approaches to maximize exemption utilization, and proper documentation to support exemption claims. We help design giving programs that balance tax efficiency with donor security, including mechanisms to adjust giving levels based on changing circumstances.
Business and Agricultural Relief Strategies
Business property relief (BPR) and agricultural property relief (APR) can provide 50% or 100% inheritance tax relief on qualifying assets, potentially saving families hundreds of thousands in tax. Qualifying assets include business interests, farmland, timber, and certain investment activities. However, reliefs have strict qualification requirements around business activity, ownership periods, and asset usage. We help families structure affairs to maximize relief availability, ensure ongoing compliance with qualifying conditions, and plan for potential relief changes. This includes succession planning that maintains relief eligibility while achieving family objectives.
Trust-Based Inheritance Tax Planning
Trusts provide sophisticated inheritance tax planning opportunities through immediate asset removal from estates, flexibility for changing family circumstances, and professional management of complex assets. Different trust types offer different benefits: discretionary trusts provide maximum flexibility, interest in possession trusts offer income security, and charitable trusts provide tax relief alongside philanthropy. Trust planning requires careful consideration of entry charges, periodic charges, exit charges, and beneficiary taxation. We help establish appropriate trust structures, ensure ongoing compliance, and optimize distributions for overall family tax efficiency.
Residence Nil-Rate Band and Family Home Planning
The residence nil-rate band (RNRB) provides additional inheritance tax relief (currently £175,000 per person) for family homes left to direct descendants. However, the relief has complex qualification requirements around property ownership, beneficiary relationships, and value thresholds. The relief is also tapered away for larger estates. We help families structure home ownership and estate planning to maximize RNRB availability while maintaining flexibility for changing circumstances. This includes considering downsizing provisions, jointly owned property implications, and trust-based planning that preserves relief eligibility.
International Estate Planning and Double Taxation Issues
International families face complex inheritance tax planning challenges involving multiple jurisdictions, potentially conflicting tax systems, and treaty provisions. UK inheritance tax applies to worldwide assets for UK-domiciled individuals but only UK assets for non-domiciled individuals. Domicile planning involves careful consideration of domicile of origin, domicile of choice, and deemed domicile rules. We coordinate with international tax advisors to ensure comprehensive planning that addresses all relevant jurisdictions, utilizes appropriate treaty benefits, and maintains compliance with disclosure requirements in all relevant countries.
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Help Guides
Annual Tax Planning Review
Essential checklist for conducting your annual tax planning review to optimize your tax position.
Step-by-Step Process
- 1Review your income and gains for the current tax year
- 2Consider making use of annual allowances and exemptions before year-end
- 3Review investment portfolio for tax-efficient restructuring opportunities
- 4Consider timing of disposals to optimize capital gains tax position
- 5Review pension contributions and other tax-efficient savings
- 6Assess inheritance tax position and consider gift opportunities
- 7Review business structure and available reliefs or allowances
- 8Plan ahead for known tax events in the following year
Helpful Tips
- Start planning well before year-end to allow time for implementation
- Consider family members' tax positions for overall family planning
- Keep detailed records of all tax-relevant transactions and decisions
- Don't let tax considerations override sound investment decisions
Important Warnings
- Don't leave tax planning until the last minute
- Avoid schemes that seem too good to be true
- Don't ignore the practical and cash flow implications of tax planning
- Ensure you understand and are comfortable with all recommended strategies
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Additional Information
Our Process
Our tax planning process begins with understanding your personal or business circumstances and objectives. We then analyze your current tax position, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop a comprehensive strategy. We coordinate with your accountants and implement recommendations while providing ongoing support and reviews.
Timeline
Initial tax planning advice can often be provided within 1-2 weeks of instruction. Implementation timelines vary depending on the complexity of recommendations but typically range from immediate actions to longer-term strategies spanning several years. We provide clear timelines for all recommended actions.
Costs & Fees
We offer transparent pricing for tax planning services, with fees depending on complexity. Simple reviews may be charged at hourly rates, while comprehensive planning projects are often quoted as fixed fees. Our tax planning often pays for itself through savings achieved, and we discuss fee structures upfront.
What You'll Need
- Details of income, assets, and liabilities
- Recent tax returns and computations
- Information about family circumstances and objectives
- Business accounts and structure details (if applicable)
- Details of existing tax planning arrangements
- Information about anticipated future events or changes
- Contact details for existing accountants and financial advisors
- Specific areas of concern or objectives for the planning
Pricing & Service Information
Our Legal Fees
£500 - £3,000+ VAT
For debt recovery services up to £100,000, depending on complexity and value
VAT at 20% will be added to all our legal fees
Additional Costs (Disbursements)
These are costs paid to third parties on your behalf:
Court issue fee(Required)
Varies by claim value (5% of claim amount over £10,000)
Hearing fee
If case proceeds to trial, varies by claim value
Enforcement fees
If judgment obtained and enforcement action needed
Process server fees
If personal service of documents is required
What's Included
- Initial assessment of debt and prospects of recovery
- Pre-action letters and negotiations with debtor
- Preparation and issue of court claim
- Reviewing and responding to defence (if filed)
- Settlement negotiations throughout the process
- Drafting witness statements and evidence bundles
- Attendance at small claims or fast track hearings
- Advice on judgment enforcement options
- Regular progress updates and cost estimates
What's Not Included
- Court fees for issuing claims and hearings
- Enforcement costs (bailiffs, charging orders, etc.)
- Expert witness fees if required
- Barrister fees for complex cases
- Costs of obtaining evidence or documentation
- Travel expenses for court attendances outside local area
- Appeal costs if judgment is appealed
Typical Timescales
3-9 months from instruction to judgment (if undefended: 3-4 months | if defended: 6-12 months)
Timeline varies significantly depending on whether the debt is defended, the amount involved, and court availability. Many cases settle before trial. Enforcement after judgment can take additional time depending on debtor's circumstances.
Key Stages of Your Matter
Initial Assessment
We review the debt, assess evidence, and advise on prospects of successful recovery
Pre-Action Protocol
Formal letter before action giving debtor opportunity to pay or dispute
Court Claim Issue
If debt remains unpaid, we prepare and issue court proceedings
Defence Period
Debtor has 14-28 days to acknowledge claim or file defence
Settlement Negotiations
Ongoing negotiations to achieve payment without full trial
Directions & Evidence
If defended, court sets timetable for evidence exchange
Hearing & Judgment
Trial hearing if no settlement, with court judgment issued
Enforcement
If judgment obtained, various enforcement options pursued
Example Pricing Scenarios
Debt recovery £5,000 (undefended)
Simple unpaid invoice, debtor does not defend, judgment by default
£750-£1,050 (legal fees inc VAT) plus £205 court fees
Debt recovery £25,000 (defended)
Contract dispute, full defence filed, settlement before trial
£2,100-£3,000 (legal fees inc VAT) plus £1,065 court fees
Debt recovery £75,000 (complex)
Multiple invoices, counterclaim, full fast track trial
£3,600-£4,800 (legal fees inc VAT) plus £3,815 court fees
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Contact our tax planning specialists for a consultation.