Summer 2014

We have teamed up with Hartlepool Business Forum and one of the region’s Employment Law specialists Tilly Bailey and Irvine, to deliver a free practical seminar for local businesses, to give some useful tips on how to avoid potential costs to your business by managing your tax position and staff performance effectively. This seminar is aimed at business owners, managers, supervisors, personnel/HR and finance staff across all sized organisations and sectors. When: Tuesday 30th September 2014 Time: 16.00 pm-18.30 pm Where: Hartlepool College of Further Education, Stockton Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7LB Itinerary: 16.00-16.15 pm – Registration 16.15-17.00 pm – 10 Topical Tax Tips

Sharon Adams (Tax Partner) and George Hardey (Senior Tax Manager) from Waltons Clark Whitehill

17.00-17.15 – Break 17.15-18.00 – 10 Ways to end up at a Tribunal (and tips to avoid it)

Theresa Carling (Employment Law Solicitor) from Tilly Bailey and Irvine There is no charge for this seminar and places will be limited, so please contact us as soon as possible. To book your place please email shirley.blackwood@waltonscw.co.uk or telephone 01429 234414. We hope you can make it.

Twitter: @WaltonsCW www.waltonscw.co.uk

Local People | National Connections | Quality Service

E: enquiries@waltonscw.co.uk

Welcome to Planning Matters, each edition contains essential reading and useful information on topical issues. We would love to hear what you think, so please feel free to share feedback with Paul Harrison or Heather O’Driscoll (contact details on the back page).

Free Seminar with Hartlepool Business Forum and Tilly Bailey and Irvine

What’s new?

Commercial property purchases

Congratulations to our new associate

Meet our new additions

A proud moment

Tees Valley Business Summit 2014

What our clients say about us

Employers – Are you ready for auto- enrolment

LOCAL PEOPLE, NATIONAL CONNECTIONS, QUALITY SERVICEWaltons Clark Whitehill was founded in 1885 by W T Walton and has grown to become one of the major accounting firms in the Tees Valley and North East of England.Our team of five directors and over forty team members pride ourselves on promoting our friendly, approachable and professional style as business partners, building strong and long-term relationships.

Our key services:• Accounts and assurance – companies, unincorporated businesses,

charities and pension schemes• Tax and VAT• IT services• Financial planning• Outsourcing including payroll, VAT, bookkeeping, management

accounting, budgeting and cashflow forecasts• Strategic planning, business development, funding and corporate

finance work.

We aim to help our clients:• Grow their business and improve profits• Retain more of those profits• Deal with the burden of regulationWe have a unique proposition in our local area as we are members of HCWA, a leading association of independent accountants in the UK. Membership gives our clients the reassurance of award-winning technical expertise when needed, along with continually-monitored quality standards.HCWA is a business affiliate member of Crowe Horwath International which is ranked among the top 10 global accounting networks.HCWA is represented in around 50 locations throughout the UK, by 30 member firms. Crowe Horwath International operates in more than 100 countries around the world, from 600 cities, with 670 offices and 29,000 professionals.With instant access to commercial intelligence worldwide, Waltons Clark Whitehill is ideally placed to offer you a seamless global service.Put simply, we are local people, with national and international connections, providing our clients with a quality service.

OUR PARTNERSHeather O’Driscoll – Managing DirectorHeather joined the firm in 1989 and has wide knowledge of accounting, auditing and taxation matters for not for profit organisations, including academies and owner-managed businesses. Heather is also our director of training, marketing and ethics.

E: heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk

Graeme SurteesGraeme joined the firm in 1982 and has a portfolio of owner-managed businesses, specialising in One Man Service Companies. He is a tax specialist and chartered tax adviser and handles a significant number of HMRC cases. Graeme is the firm’s director of IT.

E: graeme.surtees@waltonscw.co.uk

Paul HarrisonPaul joined the firm in 1996 and has wide experience in accounting, auditing and taxation matters for larger owner-managed businesses and professional practices. His passion is helping clients achieve their long term aims and helping them raise funds to enable this. Paul is also a pension scheme audit specialist, our compliance and our HR director.

E: paul.harrison@waltonscw.co.uk

Derek BoydDerek joined the firm in 1978, and advises partnerships, sole traders and companies on tax, accounting and business issues. He also specialises in medical practices, agriculture and VAT planning. Derek is the firm’s commercial director.

E: derek.boyd@waltonscw.co.uk

Sharon Adams

Sharon joined the firm in 1991 and has a vast knowledge of specialist tax matters and advises individuals and businesses on tax planning and complex tax arrangements. Sharon is also responsible for the firm’s payroll outsourcing team.

E: sharon.adams@waltonscw.co.uk

Brian Beaumont (Consultant)Brian is a former partner of the firm and specialises in Business Development. His main focus is on feasibility studies, strategy development, business planning, funding, implementation, mentoring and coaching.

E: brian.beaumont@waltonscw.co.uk

www.waltonscw.co.ukThis information is published without the responsibility on our part for the loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any information published herein.© 2014 Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited. All rights reserved.

Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited, Maritime House, Harbour Walk, The Marina, Hartlepool, TS24 0UXWe hope you find this newsletter of interest. If you have any questions about any of the topics covered, please contact the named individual, or:

Paul Harrison or Heather O’Driscoll T: 01429 234414 F: 01429 231263 E: enquiries@waltonscw.co.ukWaltons Clark Whitehill Limited is a limited company in England and Wales, Number 08931751 and is an independent member of HCWA,

with associated offices and firms throughout the UK and worldwide, Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited is registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities

by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Registered with The Chartered Institute of Taxation as a firm of Chartered Tax Advisers

Details about our audit registration can be viewed at www.auditregister.org.uk, under reference number C003789561. Directors:

D R Boyd FCA, S A Adams FCA CTA, G L Surtees CTA ATT, H O’Driscoll FCA, P C A Harrison FCA Consultant: E B Beaumont MIBA MCMI

WHAT’S NEW …?

AVOID THE EXPENSIVE HURDLES IN BUSINESS FREE SEMINAR:

10 TOPICAL TAX TIPS AND 10 WAYS TO END UP AT A TRIBUNAL (AND TIPS TO AVOID IT)

FREE SEMINAR

OUR CLIENT PORTAL A secure way to exchange information quickly and securely. Contact us for more details.

OUR APPby searching on WALTONS.

CLOUD ACCOUNTING – THE FUTURE Cloud computing is not new, we all use the cloud, sometimes without knowing eg web-based email account, shopping on-line, social media sites, including twitter and facebook to name but a few. The software doesn’t exist on your PC, it’s hosted in the cloud.We are proud to be able to provide SAGE hosted and XERO cloud accounting systems. Working securely in the cloud, alongside our clients, allows instant remote access to our client’s IT systems, inevitably saving time and money and maximising efficiency by allowing you to free up your time to spend on your business.

Benefits include:• Speed and efficiency, including simultaneous

access, with easy and instant communication and faster decisions.

• Reliability – far greater when hosted. Files previously too large to email can be quickly accessed.

• Enhanced customer service – mobile working, anywhere, on any device.

• Automatic upgrades – ensures you will always be working on the newest software version.

• Mobility – able to access anywhere in the world at any time.

• Flexibility – more flexible than in-house servers.• Security – peace of mind that data is secure

and the ability to securely share files.• Financial savings.

If you would like further information on cloud accounting, please contact David Wilson, david.wilson@waltonscw.co.uk. We may be able to help find grants available to fund any training necessary.

We welcome Danny Hall as our new addition to the Waltons Clark Whitehill Business Services Team. After leaving us seven years ago, Danny decided to return to his roots, taking a senior role with our Business Services Team. Danny brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, after working with a client portfolio of company audit and charity clients with turnovers of £2m+. We wish Danny well in his new role.

NEW ADDITIONS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PURCHASES – DON’T OVERLOOK TAX RELIEFS

GROWING YOUR BUSINESSThe scheme seeks to assist businesses with high growth potential who want to enter their next growth phase and have the potential and determination to get there to achieve their aims.

Your growth plan will be completely bespoke to meet the individual needs of your business and your growth coach will work closely with your business implementing your growth plan.

In order to be eligible you need to:

• be determined to grow;

• registered in the UK and based in England;

• have fewer than 250 employees; and

• have an annual turnover under £40m.

Please speak to Heather O’Driscoll or Brian Beaumont for more information – 01429 234414, heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk or brian.beaumont@waltonscw.co.uk.

Reports in the press indicate that the property market may be picking up pace and it is notable that work we have carried out for clients over the last month or two would indicate that this is the case. Price will always be the overriding factor when considering such purchases (and sales). Solicitors, property agents and surveyors therefore play an important role in supporting their clients throughout all stages of the process, particularly when it comes to the negotiations. Changes in tax rules in 2012 and now 2014 mean that thinking about tax should be top of the list when trying to agree the right deal. If not dealt with properly, tax relief can now be lost forever, making the property less valuable. Special tax reliefs - Tax relief is obtained through the system of Capital Allowances and usually the majority of relief is obtained over the initial five to ten years of ownership of the property in question. However, there are various capital allowance incentives to encourage businesses to invest in equipment and premises. The properties in question are typically retail units, offices and hotels/care homes. By their nature, they typically include high proportions of fixtures and fittings and equipment e.g. electrical wiring and lighting systems, hot and cold water systems, heating/air-conditioning systems, lifts etc. Well advised buyers will be aware that when purchasing a property they can split the price between the structure itself and the fixtures and fittings eg an office building is purchased for £500,000 but after negotiation the buyer and seller agree that this can be apportioned £375,000 for the building and £125,000 for the fixtures and fittings. Annual tax relief could be claimed on the amount of £125,000 over a number of years, but currently an incentive is offered via the Annual

Investment Allowance which provides businesses with immediate 100% tax relief on the first £500,000 pa that they spend on eligible expenditure. In the above example, tax relief on the whole £125,000 would be given in the year of purchase of the property. In addition to the above, a Business Premises Renovation Allowance claim, can result in 100% tax relief being obtained for the cost of renovating or converting qualifying business premises, which have been empty for at least 12 months and which are located in certain areas of the country.With Corporation Tax rates of up to approximately 23% and Income Tax rates up to 45% the tax relief can be significant and can then form part of the decision on how best to finance the purchase. The paperwork … It is very important that key documentation is not overlooked. Certain documents must be signed by both parties to give the buyer the right to claim capital allowances. When putting this arrangement in place it is essential to find out the capital allowance history of the vendor. This is because if they have not already made the most appropriate claims themselves then their agreement to making what is effectively a notional claim (termed pooling the eligible expenditure) needs to be obtained and recorded within the sale/purchase agreement. It must be appreciated that these areas of tax planning are full or potential traps, small print and time limits that can damage potential claims. We would therefore ask anyone who is considering a commercial property purchase sometime in the future to contact us to discuss potential claims before any discussion is made as regards the purchase price. In some cases a retrospective claim can be made – realising one off tax savings. For further help and guidance, please contact George Hardey, our Senior Tax Manager george.hardey@waltonscw.co.uk or telephone 01429 234414.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US

“Praise where praise is due”

I just wanted to let you know what a refreshing change it is to receive clear and concise information and guidance on all things ‘accounting’ from an accountancy firm. Believe it or not as a company we’ve never had anything like this before and you are our fourth, nothing even comes close to this level of service and proactive approach. You offered us guidance for the forthcoming tax year from the outset without us even needing to ask, as a small business it is vital for us to fully understand our tax liabilities and that our allowances are fully utilised.

Before Waltons Clark Whitehill took over our account there was always an element of uncertainty in our minds regarding the company accounts and filing forms to HMRC, but not anymore, information lands in our inbox or through the mail before we’ve even needed to think about it. The response times

from you and your team are brilliant as is the information you provide us, I couldn’t recommend the company highly enough.

(Paul Drake, Operations Director, Sapere Software.)

In addition to being perfectly placed to help your business raise finance, Waltons Clark Whitehill is a registered member of GROWTHACCELERATOR.

EMPLOYERS – ARE YOU READY FOR AUTO-ENROLMENT?Pension law has changed, and it is now the responsibility of each employer to ensure that every employee is preparing for their retirement.Are you aware of your staging date?Have you considered the implications for your business?The majority of employers won’t have their staging date until 2015/16, but there’s a lot to do to plan and prepare for auto enrolment. For example, employers will need to consider the cost implications and make sure the right systems and processes are in place to meet the new employer duties. Planning is key for all businesses and it’s important employers start to prepare earlyWe are here to advise and help you.We can take the administrative burden away, by dealing with this as part of our payroll services, leaving you to concentrate on developing your business.If you would like further information, please contact Heather O’Driscoll, telephone 01429 234414 or email heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk.

Meet another addition to the Waltons Clark Whitehill family.Joseph George Wilson was born on 1 July 2014 at 4:14 am weighing in at 7lbs 11oz to proud parents David and Amanda Wilson.Anyone who knows David is aware that he’s a loyal Middlesbrough Football Club supporter – we can guess what he wants Joseph to grow up to be!!!!!

WORLD CUP WOES …Before England’s World Cup exit, one of our directors, Paul Harrison, realised a childhood ambition, when he met Sir Geoff Hurst at the Champions Reunion Dinner at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield on Friday, 30 May 2014. The event was organised by Sporteous UK, and was another great night in the Teesside business community calendar.

TEES VALLEY BUSINESS SUMMIT 2014Great turnout out at this year’s Tees Valley Business Summit held at Olympia Building, Teesside University on 9 July 2014. With over 1,000 registered on the day, it was a great chance to network with other businesses from across the Tees Valley. Looking forward to an even bigger event next year and even bigger and better cupcakes!

The directors are pleased to announce that George Hardey will become an Associate of the firm on 1 September 2014, promoted from Senior Tax Manager.George joined Waltons

Clark Whitehill 15 years ago bringing over five years of experience working with Her

Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) working on personal taxation and self assessment issues.George has managed a diverse portfolio including directors, sole traders, high net worth individuals and expatriates as well as small, medium and large sized limited companies. He has advised his clients on Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax matters, as well

as working on various projects including business successions, sales/acquisitions and reorganisations, use of trusts, capital allowance reviews of commercial properties and negotiating investigation settlements with HMRC.As part of the firm’s strategic recruitment plan, two new positions are also being created to enhance the team and handle our growing client base.CO

NGRA

TULA

TIONS

“I couldn’t recommend the company highly enough.”

If you’re a smaller business and would like to take advantage of the Government’s GROWTH VOUCHERS programme, which delivers subsidies to help businesses access the advice they need to help them grow – we are registered providers. This programme enables SMEs to access up to £2,000 matched grant funding to help their business grow. The idea behind the initiative is to test whether through the use of subsidised business advice, small business can really benefit.

In order to be eligible you need to:

• have been trading for more than one year;

• have a turnover of less than £10m; and

• have less than 49 full-time employees.

The Growth V o u c h e r s p r o g r a m m e will distribute vouchers to around 20,000 small business in England, focussing on small businesses who have never sought business advice before. Some businesses will be randomly chosen to get a voucher for up to £2,000 to help pay for business support in one of the specialist areas. You’ll have to match the amount with your own funds. You can then find a Growth Voucher adviser to work with, you pay for the services in full and request 50% back from the government.

Please speak to Heather O’Driscoll, heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk for details of services we can provide.

L-R Shirley Blackwood, Brian Beaumont, Daniel Cooper

We welcome Danny Hall as our new addition to the Waltons Clark Whitehill Business Services Team. After leaving us seven years ago, Danny decided to return to his roots, taking a senior role with our Business Services Team. Danny brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, after working with a client portfolio of company audit and charity clients with turnovers of £2m+. We wish Danny well in his new role.

NEW ADDITIONS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PURCHASES – DON’T OVERLOOK TAX RELIEFS

GROWING YOUR BUSINESSThe scheme seeks to assist businesses with high growth potential who want to enter their next growth phase and have the potential and determination to get there to achieve their aims.

Your growth plan will be completely bespoke to meet the individual needs of your business and your growth coach will work closely with your business implementing your growth plan.

In order to be eligible you need to:

• be determined to grow;

• registered in the UK and based in England;

• have fewer than 250 employees; and

• have an annual turnover under £40m.

Please speak to Heather O’Driscoll or Brian Beaumont for more information – 01429 234414, heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk or brian.beaumont@waltonscw.co.uk.

Reports in the press indicate that the property market may be picking up pace and it is notable that work we have carried out for clients over the last month or two would indicate that this is the case. Price will always be the overriding factor when considering such purchases (and sales). Solicitors, property agents and surveyors therefore play an important role in supporting their clients throughout all stages of the process, particularly when it comes to the negotiations. Changes in tax rules in 2012 and now 2014 mean that thinking about tax should be top of the list when trying to agree the right deal. If not dealt with properly, tax relief can now be lost forever, making the property less valuable. Special tax reliefs - Tax relief is obtained through the system of Capital Allowances and usually the majority of relief is obtained over the initial five to ten years of ownership of the property in question. However, there are various capital allowance incentives to encourage businesses to invest in equipment and premises. The properties in question are typically retail units, offices and hotels/care homes. By their nature, they typically include high proportions of fixtures and fittings and equipment e.g. electrical wiring and lighting systems, hot and cold water systems, heating/air-conditioning systems, lifts etc. Well advised buyers will be aware that when purchasing a property they can split the price between the structure itself and the fixtures and fittings eg an office building is purchased for £500,000 but after negotiation the buyer and seller agree that this can be apportioned £375,000 for the building and £125,000 for the fixtures and fittings. Annual tax relief could be claimed on the amount of £125,000 over a number of years, but currently an incentive is offered via the Annual

Investment Allowance which provides businesses with immediate 100% tax relief on the first £500,000 pa that they spend on eligible expenditure. In the above example, tax relief on the whole £125,000 would be given in the year of purchase of the property. In addition to the above, a Business Premises Renovation Allowance claim, can result in 100% tax relief being obtained for the cost of renovating or converting qualifying business premises, which have been empty for at least 12 months and which are located in certain areas of the country.With Corporation Tax rates of up to approximately 23% and Income Tax rates up to 45% the tax relief can be significant and can then form part of the decision on how best to finance the purchase. The paperwork … It is very important that key documentation is not overlooked. Certain documents must be signed by both parties to give the buyer the right to claim capital allowances. When putting this arrangement in place it is essential to find out the capital allowance history of the vendor. This is because if they have not already made the most appropriate claims themselves then their agreement to making what is effectively a notional claim (termed pooling the eligible expenditure) needs to be obtained and recorded within the sale/purchase agreement. It must be appreciated that these areas of tax planning are full or potential traps, small print and time limits that can damage potential claims. We would therefore ask anyone who is considering a commercial property purchase sometime in the future to contact us to discuss potential claims before any discussion is made as regards the purchase price. In some cases a retrospective claim can be made – realising one off tax savings. For further help and guidance, please contact George Hardey, our Senior Tax Manager george.hardey@waltonscw.co.uk or telephone 01429 234414.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US

“Praise where praise is due”

I just wanted to let you know what a refreshing change it is to receive clear and concise information and guidance on all things ‘accounting’ from an accountancy firm. Believe it or not as a company we’ve never had anything like this before and you are our fourth, nothing even comes close to this level of service and proactive approach. You offered us guidance for the forthcoming tax year from the outset without us even needing to ask, as a small business it is vital for us to fully understand our tax liabilities and that our allowances are fully utilised.

Before Waltons Clark Whitehill took over our account there was always an element of uncertainty in our minds regarding the company accounts and filing forms to HMRC, but not anymore, information lands in our inbox or through the mail before we’ve even needed to think about it. The response times

from you and your team are brilliant as is the information you provide us, I couldn’t recommend the company highly enough.

(Paul Drake, Operations Director, Sapere Software.)

In addition to being perfectly placed to help your business raise finance, Waltons Clark Whitehill is a registered member of GROWTHACCELERATOR.

EMPLOYERS – ARE YOU READY FOR AUTO-ENROLMENT?Pension law has changed, and it is now the responsibility of each employer to ensure that every employee is preparing for their retirement.Are you aware of your staging date?Have you considered the implications for your business?The majority of employers won’t have their staging date until 2015/16, but there’s a lot to do to plan and prepare for auto enrolment. For example, employers will need to consider the cost implications and make sure the right systems and processes are in place to meet the new employer duties. Planning is key for all businesses and it’s important employers start to prepare earlyWe are here to advise and help you.We can take the administrative burden away, by dealing with this as part of our payroll services, leaving you to concentrate on developing your business.If you would like further information, please contact Heather O’Driscoll, telephone 01429 234414 or email heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk.

Meet another addition to the Waltons Clark Whitehill family.Joseph George Wilson was born on 1 July 2014 at 4:14 am weighing in at 7lbs 11oz to proud parents David and Amanda Wilson.Anyone who knows David is aware that he’s a loyal Middlesbrough Football Club supporter – we can guess what he wants Joseph to grow up to be!!!!!

WORLD CUP WOES …Before England’s World Cup exit, one of our directors, Paul Harrison, realised a childhood ambition, when he met Sir Geoff Hurst at the Champions Reunion Dinner at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield on Friday, 30 May 2014. The event was organised by Sporteous UK, and was another great night in the Teesside business community calendar.

TEES VALLEY BUSINESS SUMMIT 2014Great turnout out at this year’s Tees Valley Business Summit held at Olympia Building, Teesside University on 9 July 2014. With over 1,000 registered on the day, it was a great chance to network with other businesses from across the Tees Valley. Looking forward to an even bigger event next year and even bigger and better cupcakes!

The directors are pleased to announce that George Hardey will become an Associate of the firm on 1 September 2014, promoted from Senior Tax Manager.George joined Waltons

Clark Whitehill 15 years ago bringing over five years of experience working with Her

Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) working on personal taxation and self assessment issues.George has managed a diverse portfolio including directors, sole traders, high net worth individuals and expatriates as well as small, medium and large sized limited companies. He has advised his clients on Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax matters, as well

as working on various projects including business successions, sales/acquisitions and reorganisations, use of trusts, capital allowance reviews of commercial properties and negotiating investigation settlements with HMRC.As part of the firm’s strategic recruitment plan, two new positions are also being created to enhance the team and handle our growing client base.CO

NGRA

TULA

TIONS

“I couldn’t recommend the company highly enough.”

If you’re a smaller business and would like to take advantage of the Government’s GROWTH VOUCHERS programme, which delivers subsidies to help businesses access the advice they need to help them grow – we are registered providers. This programme enables SMEs to access up to £2,000 matched grant funding to help their business grow. The idea behind the initiative is to test whether through the use of subsidised business advice, small business can really benefit.

In order to be eligible you need to:

• have been trading for more than one year;

• have a turnover of less than £10m; and

• have less than 49 full-time employees.

The Growth V o u c h e r s p r o g r a m m e will distribute vouchers to around 20,000 small business in England, focussing on small businesses who have never sought business advice before. Some businesses will be randomly chosen to get a voucher for up to £2,000 to help pay for business support in one of the specialist areas. You’ll have to match the amount with your own funds. You can then find a Growth Voucher adviser to work with, you pay for the services in full and request 50% back from the government.

Please speak to Heather O’Driscoll, heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk for details of services we can provide.

L-R Shirley Blackwood, Brian Beaumont, Daniel Cooper

Summer 2014

We have teamed up with Hartlepool Business Forum and one of the region’s Employment Law specialists Tilly Bailey and Irvine, to deliver a free practical seminar for local businesses, to give some useful tips on how to avoid potential costs to your business by managing your tax position and staff performance effectively. This seminar is aimed at business owners, managers, supervisors, personnel/HR and finance staff across all sized organisations and sectors. When: Tuesday 30th September 2014 Time: 16.00 pm-18.30 pm Where: Hartlepool College of Further Education, Stockton Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7LB Itinerary: 16.00-16.15 pm – Registration 16.15-17.00 pm – 10 Topical Tax Tips

Sharon Adams (Tax Partner) and George Hardey (Senior Tax Manager) from Waltons Clark Whitehill

17.00-17.15 – Break 17.15-18.00 – 10 Ways to end up at a Tribunal (and tips to avoid it)

Theresa Carling (Employment Law Solicitor) from Tilly Bailey and Irvine There is no charge for this seminar and places will be limited, so please contact us as soon as possible. To book your place please email shirley.blackwood@waltonscw.co.uk or telephone 01429 234414. We hope you can make it.

Twitter: @WaltonsCW www.waltonscw.co.uk

Local People | National Connections | Quality Service

E: enquiries@waltonscw.co.uk

Welcome to Planning Matters, each edition contains essential reading and useful information on topical issues. We would love to hear what you think, so please feel free to share feedback with Paul Harrison or Heather O’Driscoll (contact details on the back page).

Free Seminar with Hartlepool Business Forum and Tilly Bailey and Irvine

What’s new?

Commercial property purchases

Congratulations to our new associate

Meet our new additions

A proud moment

Tees Valley Business Summit 2014

What our clients say about us

Employers – Are you ready for auto- enrolment

LOCAL PEOPLE, NATIONAL CONNECTIONS, QUALITY SERVICEWaltons Clark Whitehill was founded in 1885 by W T Walton and has grown to become one of the major accounting firms in the Tees Valley and North East of England.Our team of five directors and over forty team members pride ourselves on promoting our friendly, approachable and professional style as business partners, building strong and long-term relationships.

Our key services:• Accounts and assurance – companies, unincorporated businesses,

charities and pension schemes• Tax and VAT• IT services• Financial planning• Outsourcing including payroll, VAT, bookkeeping, management

accounting, budgeting and cashflow forecasts• Strategic planning, business development, funding and corporate

finance work.

We aim to help our clients:• Grow their business and improve profits• Retain more of those profits• Deal with the burden of regulationWe have a unique proposition in our local area as we are members of HCWA, a leading association of independent accountants in the UK. Membership gives our clients the reassurance of award-winning technical expertise when needed, along with continually-monitored quality standards.HCWA is a business affiliate member of Crowe Horwath International which is ranked among the top 10 global accounting networks.HCWA is represented in around 50 locations throughout the UK, by 30 member firms. Crowe Horwath International operates in more than 100 countries around the world, from 600 cities, with 670 offices and 29,000 professionals.With instant access to commercial intelligence worldwide, Waltons Clark Whitehill is ideally placed to offer you a seamless global service.Put simply, we are local people, with national and international connections, providing our clients with a quality service.

OUR PARTNERSHeather O’Driscoll – Managing DirectorHeather joined the firm in 1989 and has wide knowledge of accounting, auditing and taxation matters for not for profit organisations, including academies and owner-managed businesses. Heather is also our director of training, marketing and ethics.

E: heather.odriscoll@waltonscw.co.uk

Graeme SurteesGraeme joined the firm in 1982 and has a portfolio of owner-managed businesses, specialising in One Man Service Companies. He is a tax specialist and chartered tax adviser and handles a significant number of HMRC cases. Graeme is the firm’s director of IT.

E: graeme.surtees@waltonscw.co.uk

Paul HarrisonPaul joined the firm in 1996 and has wide experience in accounting, auditing and taxation matters for larger owner-managed businesses and professional practices. His passion is helping clients achieve their long term aims and helping them raise funds to enable this. Paul is also a pension scheme audit specialist, our compliance and our HR director.

E: paul.harrison@waltonscw.co.uk

Derek BoydDerek joined the firm in 1978, and advises partnerships, sole traders and companies on tax, accounting and business issues. He also specialises in medical practices, agriculture and VAT planning. Derek is the firm’s commercial director.

E: derek.boyd@waltonscw.co.uk

Sharon Adams

Sharon joined the firm in 1991 and has a vast knowledge of specialist tax matters and advises individuals and businesses on tax planning and complex tax arrangements. Sharon is also responsible for the firm’s payroll outsourcing team.

E: sharon.adams@waltonscw.co.uk

Brian Beaumont (Consultant)Brian is a former partner of the firm and specialises in Business Development. His main focus is on feasibility studies, strategy development, business planning, funding, implementation, mentoring and coaching.

E: brian.beaumont@waltonscw.co.uk

www.waltonscw.co.ukThis information is published without the responsibility on our part for the loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any information published herein.© 2014 Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited. All rights reserved.

Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited, Maritime House, Harbour Walk, The Marina, Hartlepool, TS24 0UXWe hope you find this newsletter of interest. If you have any questions about any of the topics covered, please contact the named individual, or:

Paul Harrison or Heather O’Driscoll T: 01429 234414 F: 01429 231263 E: enquiries@waltonscw.co.ukWaltons Clark Whitehill Limited is a limited company in England and Wales, Number 08931751 and is an independent member of HCWA,

with associated offices and firms throughout the UK and worldwide, Waltons Clark Whitehill Limited is registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities

by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Registered with The Chartered Institute of Taxation as a firm of Chartered Tax Advisers

Details about our audit registration can be viewed at www.auditregister.org.uk, under reference number C003789561. Directors:

D R Boyd FCA, S A Adams FCA CTA, G L Surtees CTA ATT, H O’Driscoll FCA, P C A Harrison FCA Consultant: E B Beaumont MIBA MCMI

WHAT’S NEW …?

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CLOUD ACCOUNTING – THE FUTURE Cloud computing is not new, we all use the cloud, sometimes without knowing eg web-based email account, shopping on-line, social media sites, including twitter and facebook to name but a few. The software doesn’t exist on your PC, it’s hosted in the cloud.We are proud to be able to provide SAGE hosted and XERO cloud accounting systems. Working securely in the cloud, alongside our clients, allows instant remote access to our client’s IT systems, inevitably saving time and money and maximising efficiency by allowing you to free up your time to spend on your business.

Benefits include:• Speed and efficiency, including simultaneous

access, with easy and instant communication and faster decisions.

• Reliability – far greater when hosted. Files previously too large to email can be quickly accessed.

• Enhanced customer service – mobile working, anywhere, on any device.

• Automatic upgrades – ensures you will always be working on the newest software version.

• Mobility – able to access anywhere in the world at any time.

• Flexibility – more flexible than in-house servers.• Security – peace of mind that data is secure

and the ability to securely share files.• Financial savings.

If you would like further information on cloud accounting, please contact David Wilson, david.wilson@waltonscw.co.uk. We may be able to help find grants available to fund any training necessary.