Succession Planning

Retaining Control After Handover

We help owners maintain involvement post-succession through retained equity, advisory roles, or structured governance arrangements. Our approach considers your personal objectives including desired level of involvement, financial requirements, and legacy considerations.

Business Succession Services

Searching for and identifying buyers: market research and buyer identification for external sales, assessment of family member interest and capability, evaluation of management team readiness and financing capability for MBOs, assessment of employee ownership options, introductions to potential buyers, and buyer screening and qualification.

Financing the incoming management: structuring financing packages for management buy-outs, facilitating introductions to lenders and private equity investors, designing vendor loan and deferred consideration arrangements, optimising financing structures to maximise seller value, and supporting management teams through financing processes.

Facilitating employee ownership: assessment of employee ownership feasibility and suitability, design and implementation of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), structuring employee ownership transactions to maximise tax benefits, supporting employee ownership processes and governance, and ensuring compliance with employee ownership regulations.

Identifying changes necessary for successful succession: assessment of business readiness, identification of operational, financial, and commercial improvements needed, development of succession preparation plans and timelines, and support implementing necessary changes.

Selecting new key individuals and equity alignment: assessment of key individual capabilities and potential, design of equity structures that align incentives with value creation, implementation of management incentive plans including EMI schemes, and structuring equity participation for key individuals.

Creating Employee Ownership Trusts: assessment of EOT suitability and feasibility, design and implementation, structuring EOT transactions to maximise tax benefits (including Capital Gains Tax relief on the disposal), supporting EOT governance and employee engagement, and ensuring compliance with EOT regulations and requirements.

Succession Planning Options

Family succession: assessment of family member interest and capability, family succession planning and structuring, tax-efficient family succession arrangements, governance and control arrangements, and family business continuity planning.

Management succession: assessment of management team readiness, management buy-out structuring and financing, management incentive plan design, equity participation arrangements, and post-succession support and integration.

Employee ownership: feasibility assessment, Employee Ownership Trust design and implementation, tax-efficient structuring, employee engagement and governance, and post-succession support.

External sale: business valuation and positioning, buyer identification and marketing, transaction structuring and negotiation, tax-efficient sale arrangements, and transaction execution and completion.

Hybrid succession: hybrid option evaluation, complex succession structure design, multi-party transaction coordination, tax-efficient hybrid arrangements, and post-succession governance and support.

Business Succession – Your Helping Hand

Our support role includes strategic guidance, process management, risk management, emotional support, communication, and decision support.

Why Choose Acumon for Business Succession Planning

A leading UK accountancy firm with resources and expertise for businesses of all sizes; committed to financial excellence with succession planning advice designed to optimise value, reduce risks and taxes, and achieve your succession objectives; comprehensive tailored advice — personalised, customised succession planning guidance designed for your unique requirements; rapid completion as a full-service firm with over 90+ UK-based professionals; personal service — small enough to care, with partner-level involvement; and integrated financial, tax, accounting, and advisory expertise.

What You Get With Acumon

• Family, management, employee ownership, external sale and hybrid succession options
• Employee Ownership Trust design and implementation
• Management buy-out structuring and financing
• EMI schemes and equity alignment for key individuals
• Retained equity, advisory roles and governance arrangements post-handover
• Vendor loan and deferred consideration design

Why Acumon for Succession Planning?

• EOT sales qualify for 50% Capital Gains Tax relief for disposals on or after 26 November 2025 (previously 100%); employees can receive income tax-free bonuses of up to £3,600 per year
• Business Property Relief gives up to 100% relief on qualifying business assets (100% rate capped by a new allowance from 6 April 2026, 50% above); hold-over relief defers CGT on lifetime gifts
• Succession planning ideally starts 5 to 10 years before the intended transition
• Only £37k short of the top 100 in the Accountancy Age 50+50 list for 2024; PIE audit licence holder

Get a Fixed-Fee Quote

Tell us what you need and we'll come back within one business day with a clear scope and a fixed price — no hourly-rate surprises. Call 020 8567 3451 or use the form and we'll be in touch.