What We Do 

Our Services

Accountancy 

Having a talented accountancy firm by your side can be a real game-changer for your business. Our expert advice and knowledge have a proven track record of helping lots of businesses achieve their stated aims. 

Like other top accountancy firms, at Williamson & Croft, we endeavour to make sure you and your management team fully understand the parts of your business that are efficient and performing well while at the same time keeping you abreast of the elements of your business that are underperforming and need immediate attention to remedy it. 

What Do Accountants Do?

There are several functions that the accounts team perform including, but not limited to, the following:

• Providing vital strategic advice.
• Developing strong systems and plans to reduce risk. 
• Keep the business compliant and in check with current legislation and financial reporting obligations.
• Provide proactive advice to ensure you’re operating as tax-efficiently as possible 

With all these important functions needing to be fulfilled you deserve a local accountancy firm that places you, your clients and your business, above all else. Well, that's exactly what you get with Williamson & Croft, an accounting firm that goes above and beyond and is guided by core values of responsiveness, shared responsibility and dependability. 

Tax

When it comes to your tax affairs you want an approach that is grounded in the real world, pragmatic with goals and circumstances that are relevant to your business. 

Our experienced, perceptive and supportive team at Williamson & Croft can assist you and your management team by giving you the latest tax advice and offering insight on a whole host of different issues. Our team can calmly and, in plain English, navigate the complexities and unforeseen challenges that can arise. 

From opportunities to risks, working with Williamson & Croft ensures you’ll truly understand the impact your decisions will have on your business. 

Our vast array of experience places us in a unique position to help entrepreneurial and small businesses just as much as bigger businesses. This should put you at ease because you’ll know that when you work with Williamson & Croft on your tax affairs you’re working with a team that has seen it all, done it all and are excited to impart this knowledge on helping you.

Our Tax Services Include:

• Real Estate & Construction Tax.
• Transaction & Restructuring Tax
• Corporate & Business Tax
• Tax Investigations & Disputes.
• Private Client.
• Employer Solutions
• VAT.
• International Tax.

Advisory Services

Growing a business and navigating a minefield of financial planning, a complex business model and trying to create a successful corporate culture is hard and sometimes it's nice to know there is a local firm who are there to shed some light and guide the way. 

Here at Williamson & Croft, we understand, better than most of the largest accountancy firms (also known as the Big Four Accounting Firms) what it takes to grow a business, we have the first-hand experience of it. 

Our team of business advisors can become integrated into your business, get under its skin and provide a detailed study of your current state of affairs. 

Doing this helps drive your business forward with bespoke strategies as well as navigating the sometimes choppy waters of internal and external problems.

The operational approach that you choose to implement can have wide-ranging implications, it's not hyperbole to say that it's the difference between success and failure. 

If you want a high national or global revenue size, an increase on your average profit or to avoid a financial crisis, you need practical business advice combined with real-world knowledge about the current environment your business is operating in and the ability to spot industry trends.

We offer three specialist types of advisory services here at Williamson & Croft:

• Strategy - We work with you to achieve business objectives by assisting with key decisions and providing experience and foresight about industry trends to help you make informed decisions.
• Transaction Advisory Services - Including advice on mergers and acquisitions, as well as ways to drive growth and improve economies of scale. 
• Consulting - Helping you fill those gaps in your enterprise by providing expert support on financial forecasting, business plan creation and cash flow management to take things to new heights. 

R&D Tax Credits

Research & Development presents a great opportunity for businesses to spend time creating and collaborating on exciting new projects. However, R&D can be costly in both time and money which is why R&D Tax Credits  - where businesses can claim up to 33% of their Research & Development costs - can help you to advance your business in new and exciting ways. 

R&D Tax Credits can help unlock potential in your business because it leaves you to focus on planning, designing and creating products and services, rather than costs & expenditure. 

Williamson & Croft have helped a number of innovative businesses claim thousands of pounds worth of R&D tax relief for their investments.

It doesn't matter what business your sector is in, R&D Tax Credits are available for every sector, so virtually every business can work with Williamson & Croft to claim back money they’re owed. Costs that can be reimbursed to your business include staff costs, subcontractor expenses, materials, consumables and software usage to name but a few. 

For more information about starting your R&D Tax Credit proposal, take a look at our dedicated page then get in touch and let us help you claim back money that you’re owed.

Year-End Tax Planning

When you can see the end of the tax year on the horizon you want to ensure that you’re not missing out on reliefs that could impact your tax liability. With that in mind, it’s vital you plan ahead to ensure every possible relief is utilised.

A vital component of tax planning is to make sure that all possible allowances are utilised and that you don’t exceed thresholds unnecessarily.

The rates for 2019/20 are:

• Tax-Free Personal Allowance – £12,500.
• 20% Basic Rate (7.5% Dividends) – £12,501 to £50,000.
• 40% Higher Rate (32.5% Dividends) – £50,001 to £150,000.
• 45% Additional Rate (38.1% – Dividends) – Earnings over £150,000.

For more information on year-end tax planning check out our dedicated Tax Planning service page. 

Sectors We Work With

Property

At best, the property sector is volatile and that's before you even consider legislative changes and ever-changing market conditions. It's complicated, but luckily, we’ve worked in the property sector long enough to know all of the potential hazards that property businesses face.

You need an accountancy firm, then, that is going to help you navigate the sometimes choppy waters, the financial & tax challenges and the complex tax legislation to make sure your building company can rise above it all and become successful.

Here at Williamson & Croft, we’re of the belief that doing all those things isn’t too much to ask which is why we immerse ourselves in your property business in order to deliver the goals you work so hard to set and achieve, whether you’re a developer, investor or landlord.

Some of our core property services include:

• Stamp Duty Land Tax advice.
• Corporate interest restrictions and transfer pricing advice.
• Non-resident landlord and withholding tax advice.
• VAT advisory.
• Trading versus investment.
• Group structuring and the use of special purpose vehicles and joint ventures.
• Property and debt transactions.
• Incorporation to buy-to-let portfolios.

Do you own property or work in the property and housing industry and looking for an accountancy firm in Manchester, Liverpool and the surrounding areas of Warrington, Preston, Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn that you can trust? Then get in touch with us today and let us show you how our property services are exactly what your business needs.

Construction

From debt collection and cash management to the ever-growing threat of an HMRC investigation, keeping on top of things in the construction sector can be overwhelming. This is why you need accountants from Williamson & Croft to ensure that you won’t be hit with penalties, unforeseen costs and an inability to trade no matter if you’re the main contractor, subcontractor, developer, architect, engineer or a supplier within the construction industry. 

Our Core Services:

Construction Industry Scheme Compliance and Advice - This is a tax deduction scheme where tax is deducted from its source, be it payments to suppliers or customer receipts. 

VAT Compliance and Advice - Determining accurate VAT rates can be a tricky task. Why? Well because the rates can change depending on the job and you need to keep in mind ‘Blocked’ input VAT.

Consultancy And Advisory Services - At Williamson & Croft, we go above and beyond the usual, everyday services that other accountancy firms offer. We assist & advise on a wide range of issues like corporate structure, support in implementing accounting software and developing systems to WIP and contract profitability.

Land Remediation Tax Reliefs (LRR) - We can help provide you with a 150% deduction for qualifying expenditure that may occur when you, the construction company, have to clean up contaminated or derelict land. LRR can be claimed on things such as removal of asbestos, radon protection measures, removing building foundations and Japanese Knotweed.

R&D Tax Credits - In the right circumstances we can help you save up to 33% off your R&D costs. The tax credits are there to encourage businesses to innovate and our team of accountants will help you create a compelling, technical narrative so you get the relief that you deserve.

Professional Services

When your business has multiple locations and doesn’t operate in a ‘normal’ way you need a bespoke approach to your financial planning. Our professional services offering covers everything from legal, recruiting, financial consulting and estate agents.

Williamson & Croft is full of professional services industry experts that can help your business no matter what growth stage you’re in, what size your business is and what your future business plans look like.

Some things our industry experts help with include:

• Evaluating and recording staff efficiency and levels of productivity.
• Creating efficient internal operations.
• Ensuring that you’re operating across all your sites in a competitive and compliant manner.
• Getting a 5-star business structure in place as well as creating an efficient tax plan.
• Ensuring that key staff have strategies in place for their exit and successors.

With great commercial awareness, strong relationships with key industry contacts and a commitment to help your business succeed, along with a whole raft of fantastic accreditations, testimonials and reviews, we’re the professional services accountancy firm for you. For more information on the professional services, we can offer, visit our professional services page.

Digital & Creative

We know that keeping pace with the ever-changing digital & creative sector, while also doing your best to keep your competitive edge is no easy feat. As you know, this involves hiring skilled professionals and taking advantage of technological change. 

At Williamson & Craft, we are in an ideal position to help you with all elements of the digital & creative industry. We can help Digital Agencies, Branding Agencies, Advertising Firms, Market Research Companies and PR firms and help you get that edge over your competitors and the reassurance knowing you have a company in your corner that has got your back.

Our Core Services

• Tax Planning - Our expert tax team will make sure you only ever pay the correct amount of tax.
• Accountancy - We’ll keep your financials and accounts up to date regardless of your structure. Expect year-end accounts, VAT returns, bookkeeping and accurate payroll.
• Cloud Accounting - Our team is well trained in Cloud Accounting and can work around whichever system you prefer allowing you to have constant, quick access to your financials.
• Payroll - Maximise your efficiency, focus on innovation and let us deal with administrative tasks like payroll.
• VAT - Our effective systems ensure you’re always paying the right amount of VAT. 

Retail & eCommerce

The Retail & eCommerce sector is both volatile and rapidly changing. Consumer trends and habits can shift overnight and it's up to retail & eCommerce businesses to be reactive and nimble enough to adapt. 

One of the main ways businesses in this sector succeed is by being able to leverage technology to provide the most up-to-date financial reporting and analytics while also understanding overseas manufacturers and HR compliance. 

At Williamson & Croft, we can delve into your specific demographic to help bring new exciting ideas to the table.

Technology & Software

Technology surrounds us. It's on our phones, TVs and tablets and helps us live and work in our daily lives. Keeping up in the Technology & Software industry can be difficult - while making sure you’re using and creating the most up-to-date technology you’ve also got to be on the lookout for the brightest talents in the industry.

We understand the challenges that clients face, which is why we regularly advise our clients on all manner of issues and topics such as investment and funding, as well as tax and regulation. From software development to tech development, we have the global sector expertise at hand to help you achieve sustainability while making sure you're compliant with industry regulations. 

We’ll keep your financials updated so you can keep innovating and creating innovative new technologies and software. 

Our technology & software services:

• R&D Tax Credits and Patents Box.
• Assisting with funding/investment and utilisation of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
• Attracting and retaining key staff through remuneration and incentives such as the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) schemes.

• Advising on business valuations and maximising value.
• International VAT & Customs.
• Structuring for investment, licensing, intellectual property protection and joint ventures.
• Exit strategy planning.
• Specialist high quality audits for grants funding.

Contact Us

If you’re a business owner in Manchester, Liverpool or the surrounding areas Warrington, Preston or Wigan, work in one of our specialist industries and want an accountancy firm that will be by your side to offer expert advice on a range of issues, ensure your finances are up to date and compliant and really understands your business then Williamson & Croft are the people for you. Give us a call or drop us an email by filling out our contact form - we can’t wait to hear from you!