advisoryInstitute of Financial Accountants (IFA)

Corporate Finance Advisory in Glasgow

Corporate finance is expert help with the big, one-off financial events in a business’s life — selling it, buying another, raising investment, a management buyout, or valuing it. These are high-stakes, once-in-a-lifetime decisions, and QA FinTax guides Glasgow owners through each stage, from valuation to completion, to get the best outcome.

Selling the business you built, or buying the one that takes you to the next level, is the most important financial decision most owners ever make — and usually the only time they make it. There is no second attempt to learn from. Our corporate finance team brings the experience of many deals to yours: pricing it right, structuring it well, managing the due diligence, and steering the negotiation so you complete on the best possible terms.

Call +44 7768 911170

What Our Corporate Finance Service Includes

Business sales and disposals
Acquisitions and mergers
Management buyouts (MBO) and buy-ins (MBI)
Fundraising — debt and equity, including SEIS/EIS
Business valuations
Buy-side and sell-side due diligence

What Does Corporate Finance Cover?

Selling your business — preparation, marketing and negotiation
Acquisitions — finding, valuing and buying another business
Management buyouts (MBO) and management buy-ins (MBI)
Raising finance — bank debt, asset finance, and equity investment
Business valuations — for a sale, a dispute, or tax planning
Due diligence — on the business you are buying, or your own before a sale
Grant and funding advice — including Scottish Enterprise support

How Is a Business Valued?

There is no single "right" number — value depends on the method, the buyer, and how dependent the business is on you. We use the approach that fits your business and, crucially, help you improve the figure before you go to market.

Common business valuation methods
Method	Best suited to
EBITDA multiple	Established, profitable trading businesses
Asset-based	Property-rich or asset-heavy businesses
Discounted cash flow	Businesses with predictable future cash flows
Revenue multiple	Fast-growing or recurring-revenue businesses not yet at full profit

The single biggest lever on value is usually reducing how much the business depends on the owner — something worth working on a year or two before you sell.

Selling Your Glasgow Business — the Process

Valuation and a readiness review — what a buyer will pay, and what to fix first
Preparing the information memorandum that markets the business
Identifying and discreetly approaching potential buyers
Managing offers and negotiating heads of terms
Running the due diligence process without derailing the business
Working alongside your solicitor through to legal completion

How Much Tax Will You Pay When You Sell?

Most business sales are taxed as capital gains. For 2026/27 that is 18% or 24% depending on your income, or 18% under Business Asset Disposal Relief on a qualifying sale, up to a £1,000,000 lifetime limit. BADR generally requires the qualifying conditions to have been met for at least two years, so how — and when — you sell has a direct effect on the tax. We plan this alongside our capital gains tax service.

Raising Investment — SEIS and EIS

If you are raising equity, the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) make your shares far more attractive by giving investors generous income tax relief. We handle the advance assurance and compliance so investors get the relief they expect.

SEIS and EIS at a glance (2026/27)
Scheme	Company can raise	Investor income tax relief
SEIS (Seed EIS)	Up to £250,000 (lifetime)	50%
EIS	Up to £10 million a year (£24m lifetime)	30%

The EIS annual company limit doubled to £10 million from 6 April 2026. Knowledge-intensive companies have higher limits. Both schemes have strict eligibility conditions, which we check before you raise.

Corporate Finance in Glasgow — Frequently Asked Questions

It is expert advice on major, one-off financial transactions — selling a business, buying one, raising investment, a management buyout, or a valuation. These are high-value, high-stakes events, and the guidance is about getting the structure, price and process right.

Most trading businesses are valued on a multiple of adjusted EBITDA, with asset-based or discounted cash flow methods used in particular cases. The multiple depends on your sector, growth and how dependent the business is on you — reducing that dependence is usually the fastest way to raise the value.

Typically six to twelve months from going to market to completion, though preparation should start well before that. A well-prepared business with clean records and management accounts sells faster and for more, which is why we recommend planning the sale two to three years out.

An MBO is where the existing management team buys the business from its current owners, usually funded by a mix of their own money, bank debt and sometimes private equity. We advise on structuring, funding and valuing the deal on either side.

Usually capital gains tax at 18% or 24% for 2026/27, or 18% under Business Asset Disposal Relief on a qualifying sale up to a £1,000,000 lifetime limit. Because BADR needs conditions met for at least two years, the tax outcome depends heavily on planning ahead.

They give your investors generous income tax relief — 50% under SEIS and 30% under EIS — which makes investing in your company far more attractive. SEIS lets a company raise up to £250,000 and EIS up to £10 million a year. We handle the advance assurance and compliance.

Official sources

Rates and thresholds are stated for the 2026/27 UK tax year and are for general guidance only. They are not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances.