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Ross Mackenzie, tax partner at international accountancy and advisory firm Mazars, warns that business owners have only a narrow window of opportunity to restructure the ownership of their businesses if they are to avoid the new capital gains tax rate.

Ross advises that business owners have just 24 working days to transfer their firms to either a new limited company or a family trust to take advantage of current rates.

Chancellor Alistair Darling today confirmed changes in capital gains tax rules affecting businesses, which come in to effect on 6 April. The rate of capital gains tax expected on the sale of a business rises from 10% to at least 18% - and possibly more, with the withdrawal of indexation allowance.

Ross further advises that business owners selling their firms imminently can take advantage of current CGT rates by contracting now, but completing the sale post-April 6, thus paying 10%.

Such arrangements can also be structured so as to avoid even 10% capital gains tax should the sale subsequently fail to complete.

• • Administrators appointed to The Pier (Retail) Ltd.
    Wednesday 3 December 2008
    Rod Weston and Heath Sinclair of international accounting firm Mazars have been appointed joint administrators of The Pier (Retail) Ltd.

• • Mazars named 'Large Firm of the Year' at Accountancy Age Awards 2008
    Tuesday 18 November 2008
    The UK practice of international accountancy firm Mazars last night scooped one of the top honours at the industry’s foremost annual awards ceremony, the Accountancy Age Awards 2008.

• • Mazars' project finance team expands in response to assurance market growth
    Monday 17 November 2008
    International accountancy firm Mazars has strengthened its project finance team following a series of wins in project advisory and financial model audit assignments across Europe

• • Two new senior tax appointments at Mazars
    Thursday 6 November 2008
    International accountancy firm Mazars is pleased to announce two new senior appointments within its tax practice.

• • Mazars Financial Planning triumphs at Financial Planner of the Year Awards
    Friday 10 October 2008
    Mazars Financial Planning, one of the largest purely fee-based IFA businesses in the UK, last night dominated the 13th annual Money Management Financial Planner Awards at The Dorchester Hotel, winning three of the ten awards, with three runners up.

• • Mazars survey: Mood amongst Lloyd’s brokers uncertain amid downturn
    Friday 28 March 2008
    Lloyd’s brokers painted a mixed picture of resignation and resilience in a survey published today by international accountancy and advisory firm Mazars.

• • Budget 2008: Capital Gains Tax - 24 days left to act
    Wednesday 12 March 2008
    Ross Mackenzie warns that business owners have only a narrow window of opportunity to restructure the ownership of their businesses if they are to avoid the new capital gains tax rate.

• • Budget 2008: Chancellor gives opportunity to cut existing CGT bills by 25% or more
    Wednesday 12 March 2008
    The Chancellor's previously announced changes to the Capital Gains Tax regime, together with a 25% increase in contributions to EIS have provided a spectacular opportunity to reduce tax on personal capital gains.

• • Budget 2008: Good news at last for non-doms?
    Wednesday 12 March 2008
    The Chancellor today confirmed that the new tax regime for non-domiciled individuals will go ahead as originally announced.

• • Budget 2008: The hidden detail behind Enterprise Management Incentives
    Wednesday 12 March 2008
    While the Chancellor appears to have improved the tax breaks on share incentives by increasing the Enterprise Management Incentive limit to £120,000, it is not much more than index-linking it since its introduction in 2001.

• • CGT concessions: “Entrepreneurs’ relief” will penalize those with the most potential
    Thursday 24 January 2008
    The capital gains tax concessions announced today may be welcome news for the UK’s smallest businesses but, ironically, the new “entrepreneurs’ relief” risks damaging the most promising new business owners.

• • China: Start-Up Capital of The World
    Friday 30 November 2007
    Results of the largest global study of entrepreneurship ever conducted indicate a vast difference in the entrepreneurial activity of the world’s two largest emerging economies.

• • Mazars’ London office moves to Tower Bridge House
    Monday 26 November 2007
    Today saw the beginning of a new era for the London office of international accountancy firm Mazars as teams from Bevis Marks and Sheldon Square in the Paddington Basin moved into new premises at Tower Bridge House.

• • Revealed: The World Map of Entrepreneurship
    Wednesday 14 November 2007
    International accountancy and advisory group Mazars, in collaboration with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), today launches the findings of the largest global study of high-growth entrepreneurship ever conducted.

• • Mazars partner wins Women in the City award of achievement
    Thursday 8 November 2007
    Fiona Hotston Moore, partner and board member at international accountancy firm Mazars has won the accountancy category in the inaugural Women in the City Awards of Achievement.

• • Mazars expands into Jersey
    Wednesday 10 October 2007
    Mazars, the international accountancy and advisory group, is expanding into the Channel Islands by merging with successful local practice Moores Rowland Jersey, a former member firm of Moores Rowland International.

• • PBR: Alistair to be the investment industry’s darling with a huge and unintended tax break?
    Tuesday 9 October 2007
    As the dust is settling, it would appear that Alistair Darling has fallen prey to the law of unintended consequences.

• • PBR: Freeze frame for films
    Tuesday 9 October 2007
    Commenting on the implications of the Pre-Budget Report for the film industry, Michael Avient, tax partner at international accountancy firm Mazars and an expert on film finance said:

• • PBR: Dying to realise value from your business? A sad day for entrepreneurs
    Tuesday 9 October 2007
    Following today’s Pre-Budget Report, Richard Garrod, partner at international accountancy firm Mazars, comments on the implications for entrepreneurial businesses.

• • Board Evaluations Survey: Less than half of all FTSE 100 companies use external facilitators
    Monday 8 October 2007
    Mazars, the international accountancy firm, today publishes the findings of extensive research into how board evaluations are undertaken by today’s FTSE100 companies as reported in their annual report for the last three years.

• • Mazars responds to the FRC's Review of the Impact of the Combined Code
    Thursday 19 July 2007
    View Mazars' response to the Financial Reporting Council's consultation paper 'Review of the Impact of the Combined Code'.

• • Key appointment for Mazars’ European Project Finance team
    Monday 16 July 2007
    Mazars, the international accountancy and advisory firm, has appointed Roger Alexander as a senior partner in its European Project Finance team.

• • Mazars steps up pressure for audit market reform
    Tuesday 3 July 2007
    Mazars, the leading auditor of global companies in Europe outside the big four, is calling for substantial reforms in its formal response to the interim report of the Financial Reporting Council’s Market Participants Group ‘Choice in the UK audit market’.

• • Mazars appoints new partner to lead regulatory practice
    Thursday 7 June 2007
    Mazars, the international accountancy and advisory firm, has hired Serena Joseph, an expert in financial services regulation and compliance, as a partner. She will spearhead the expansion of the firm’s regulatory advisory practice.

• • Mazars welcomes Market Participants Group report
    Monday 23 April 2007
    Mazars welcomes the Interim Report of the Financial Reporting Council’s Market Participants Group on ‘Choice in the UK Audit Market’, published today.

• • Mazars and former MRI members announce the launch of Praxity
    Tuesday 17 April 2007
    Mazars, along with key former members of Moores Rowland International (MRI), has announced the successful launch of Praxity - an international global alliance of independent accounting firms.

• • Mazars merges with MRI Moores Rowland
    Wednesday 11 April 2007
    Mazars merges with the business of MRI Moores Rowland resulting in a significant increase to Mazars’ presence in the UK accountancy market.

• • Mazars responds to FRC discussion paper 'Promoting Audit Quality'
    Friday 30 March 2007
    Mazars congratulates the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) on its publication of a thoughtful and comprehensive discussion paper on the vitally important issue of ‘Promoting Audit Quality’.

• • Budget 2007
    Wednesday 21 March 2007
    Andrew Green, partner at international accountancy firm Mazars, comments on the implications of the 2007 Budget for the insurance industry.

• • Mazars establishes a UK project finance capability
    Friday 9 March 2007
    Mazars, the international accountancy and advisory firm, has established a UK project finance capability by recruiting Head of PPP at RSM Robson Rhodes, Bob Green.

• • New group executive for Mazars
    Tuesday 30 January 2007
    Mazars, the integrated international accountancy and advisory firm, today announced the appointment of its executive board. Patrick de Cambourg was re-elected Chairman of the Group for the next three years.