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Business process solutions
We can help you identify, understand and manage potential risks to safeguard your business and comply with regulatory requirements.
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The relationship between a company and its auditor has changed. Organisations must understand and manage risk and seek an appropriate balance between risk and opportunities.
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As organisations become increasingly dependent on digital technology, the opportunities for cyber criminals continue to grow.
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Globalisation and company growth ambitions are driving an increase in M&A activity worldwide. We work with entrepreneurial businesses in the mid-market to help them assess the true commercial potential of their planned acquisition and understand how the purchase might serve their longer- term strategic goals.
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Recovery and reorganisation
Workable solutions to maximise your value and deliver sustainable recovery
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Transactional advisory services
We can support you throughout the transaction process – helping achieve the best possible outcome at the point of the transaction and in the longer term.
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Valuations
We provide a wide range of services to recovery and reorganisation professionals, companies and their stakeholders.
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IFRS
The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are a set of global accounting standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) for the preparation of public company financial statements. At Grant Thornton, our IFRS advisers can help you navigate the complexity of financial reporting from IFRS 1 to IFRS 17 and IAS 1 to IAS 41.
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Audit quality monitoring
Having a robust process of quality control is one of the most effective ways to guarantee we deliver high-quality services to our clients.
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Global audit technology
We apply our global audit methodology through an integrated set of software tools known as the Voyager suite.
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Corporate and business tax
Our trusted teams can prepare corporate tax files and ruling requests, support you with deferrals, accounting procedures and legitimate tax benefits.
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Direct international tax
Our teams have in-depth knowledge of the relationship between domestic and international tax laws.
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Global mobility services
Through our global organisation of member firms, we support both companies and individuals, providing insightful solutions to minimise the tax burden for both parties.
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Using our finely tuned local knowledge, teams from our global organisation of member firms help you understand and comply with often complex and time-consuming regulations.
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Dynamic businesses must continually innovate to maintain competitiveness, evolve and grow. Valuable tax reliefs are available to support innovative activities, irrespective of your tax profile.
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Private client services
Our solutions include dealing with emigration and tax mitigation on the income and capital growth of overseas assets.
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Transfer pricing
The laws surrounding transfer pricing are becoming ever more complex, as tax affairs of multinational companies are facing scrutiny from media, regulators and the public
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Tax policy
Tax policies are constantly evolving and there are a number of complex changes on the horizon that could significantly affect your business.
Grant Thornton’s latest International Business Report (IBR) finds that while business optimism is rising to new quarterly highs, a storm may be brewing in the shape of a skilled worker shortage. In addition to high business optimism, the survey finds increases in revenue and profitability expectations. However, growing fears over workforce skills could impact confidence.
The findings show that global business optimism hit at an all time quarterly high of +51%[1] in the second quarter of this year. This represents five consecutive quarters of increases in optimism. Healthy confidence is evident in the US, where optimism has hit an all-time high of 81%; in the EU, which has jumped to a two year high (50%); and in China, where optimism remains at 48% - a near three year high.
Underpinning this, global revenue expectations also equal their all-time quarterly high of 56%, as do expectations around increased profitability (47%). A small uptick in export plans also reflects the fact that global trade levels are currently strong. However, a less welcome milestone is also set this quarter. The percentage of businesses who identify a lack of skilled workers as a constraint has increased to just over one in three (35%) - its equal highest quarterly level ever.
Employment statistics are strong but firms are reluctant to raise wages
The IBR data finds that globally, +36% of businesses expect to hire more staff over the next 12 months – another record figure. However, compared to 2016, fears that a skilled worker shortage will hamper growth have increased by 2 percentage points in Asia Pacific, 2pp in North America and 5pp in the EU so far in 2017.
Despite this, and even with increased profitability expectations at record highs, only one in five (20%) business globally plan to increase wages above inflation over the next 12 months – down 1pp on Q1 2017. One notable exception is Germany, where plans to award above inflation pay rises have leapt from 35% to 43%, businesses appear to have realised that with tight labour markets, increasing pay is necessary to retain and recruit the skilled staff needed.
Businesses need to invest in staff and technology to address the skills shortage
Skills shortages are increasingly growing as a long-term issue businesses must address. The message to businesses from these findings is to plan and prepare for spending more to ensure the skills needed to drive future growth. Increasing wages is a short-term measure but longer-term, businesses will need to look at training programmes to boost skills among existing workers, and even working more closely with education institutions to ensure the right skills are being taught at an early age.
There is also evidence that businesses are conscious of the role of robots and automation in filling skills gaps. Our research shows that investment in machinery and R&D has increased in recent quarters demonstrating that many firms are taking steps to address; however, these are long-term solutions which will take time to deliver.
[1] Net balance % i.e. total optimistic less total pessimistic