Tax when selling your business: watch our video guides

Selling your business isn’t just a major life event: it’s a major wealth event. This means there are tax implications to consider – before, during and after the deal – to ensure the best outcome for you, your business and your buyer.

Our experts in transaction taxes are here to help you fully prepare. In our new video series, Tax Consultancy Partner Emma Brown and Private Client Partner Susie Mullin are your guides to all things tax in relation to entrepreneurs selling their businesses.

Getting deal ready

An introduction to what entrepreneurs should be thinking about in the 12-24 months before a transaction, including:

Inheritance tax and business property relief (IHT BPR)
Tax planning and wealth planning
Structuring for capital gains tax (CGT) reliefs: business asset disposal relief (BADR) and spousal transfers
Shares: management equity allocation
Due diligence: how we can help you to anticipate buyers’ questions and make any necessary disclosures to HMRC

Trade sales

Explaining trade sales – acquisitions that typically take place within the same industry – and the tax treatment, including:

Earn-outs and how they’re taxed
Capital gains tax v income tax: how we can help you to determine which tax applies
Selling assets v selling company shares: how they differ and why Heads of Terms matter

Private equity sales

Talking through business sales to private equity houses, including:

How the tax treatment differs from trade deals
Rollover stock and institutional strips
Sweet equity
Employment tax consequences

Business property relief and other post-deal considerations

Summarising the tax issues that entrepreneurs should think about post-deal, including:

Getting your tax return right
Succession and tax-efficient investment
Tax position for future events
IHT: changes to BPR from April 2026

How BKL can help

Selling a business is one of the biggest events of your life. We understand how daunting it can be for any entrepreneur.

Tax will be the biggest cost for most sellers. This makes it critical to get specialist advice in the early stages of the transaction.

Our team are experienced in advising businesses of all sizes, at both ends of the deal, and in liaising with HMRC. We ensure that tax considerations are not overlooked and that the end result attracts no unintended tax consequences.

For a chat about how we can help you and your business to prepare for a sale, get in touch with Emma Brown or Susie Mullin, or send us an enquiry.

Emma Brown

Tax Consultancy Partner

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Susie Mullin

Private Client Partner