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Selling or stepping back

Thinking about selling or stepping back?

Start two or three years out. The structure, the tax and the numbers a buyer will look at all take time to get right.

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What we do

Planning the exit

Exit planning

What the business could be worth to a buyer, what you would keep after tax, and what to change before you sell.

Business Asset Disposal Relief

Checking you qualify for the reduced rate of Capital Gains Tax on a qualifying sale, and keeping it that way in the run-up.

Sale support

Preparing the information a buyer asks for, and working with your solicitor through due diligence and completion accounts.

Succession and closing down

Passing the business to family or managers, or closing a solvent company alongside a licensed insolvency practitioner.

Questions

Common questions

How early should I start planning a sale?

Ideally two to three years before. Some reliefs depend on conditions being met for at least two years before the sale, and buyers pay more for clean, consistent numbers.

What is Business Asset Disposal Relief?

A relief that reduces the rate of Capital Gains Tax on qualifying disposals of a business or shares, up to a lifetime limit of £1 million. Conditions apply, including holding at least 5% of the shares and being an officer or employee for at least two years before the sale.

Can you help with the sale itself?

Yes. We prepare financial information for the buyer, answer due diligence questions and work with your solicitor on completion accounts and the tax side of the sale agreement.

What if I want to close the company rather than sell it?

For a solvent company with reserves, a members' voluntary liquidation can be tax-efficient. We are not licensed insolvency practitioners, so we work with one and handle the accounts and tax around it.

What about passing the business to family?

That brings inheritance tax and capital gains tax into play together. We look at both, and at timing, before anything is transferred.
Other stages

At a different stage?

Starting out

The right set-up, records and first-year deadlines from day one.

Starting out

Established

Accounts, tax, payroll and VAT done early, with a named accountant.

Established business

Growing

Monthly numbers, a forecast and someone to talk them through.

Growing

Talk it through

A free, confidential first call about where you are and what you want to achieve.

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bpc partners
Technology-led chartered accountants in Cheltenham, supporting businesses and landlords across Gloucestershire and beyond.
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BPC Partners Limited is a member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, registered as Chartered Accountants and subject to the ICAEW Code of Ethics. Our registration can be checked at find.icaew.com. Regulatory information and complaints: /provision-of-services
© 2026 BPC Partners Limited. Registered in England and Wales, company number 04277490. Registered office: 3 Royal Crescent, Cheltenham GL50 3DA.
3 Royal Crescent, Cheltenham GL50 3DA · 01242 226789
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