Members’ Expertise

Compliance with local laws and regulations is a critical bedrock for successful businesses, as is staying firmly on the right side of fair and legitimate planning to manage the tax burden.

AGN members worldwide can advise on tax compliance and planning issues at a local tax, state tax , national tax and international planning level.

Many jurisdictions have indirect tax requirements, such as sales taxes and VAT, with registrations and regular reporting requirements.  Within this, property taxes are often a separate specialism, with high value assets giving an imperative to get the details right.

AGN members can support international clients with their indirect taxation needs, ensuring the correct structures and registrations are put in place and reporting requirements supported. They can make sure that the ownership and use of high value assets such as property are structured in an efficient and robust fashion.

As businesses grow internationally, the complexity of their fiscal issues increases, with new considerations arising such as international tax efficiency and transfer pricing regulations, alongside tax compliance in foreign jurisdictions. 

AGN members have expertise in a wide range of international tax planning issues to achieve efficient and robust outcomes for their international clients.

Where businesses are sourcing goods or services across international borders, they need to consider their transfer pricing needs to ensure that their commercial setup is robust and acceptable to all the fiscal authorities involved.  Some sectors such as e-commerce need to consider local regulations where special rules might apply taxation on different bases to conventional businesses.

Many AGN members offer specialist services in  areas of transfer pricing and structuring the activities of sectors such as e-commerce.

The first step in international expansion is often securing a local team. Applicable rules and regulations vary widely across jurisdictions, and can apply even where employment is legally resident elsewhere. Complying with local employment laws and regulations is critical, as is the availability of efficient payroll and employment management services.

AGN members can support clients with their local payroll and employment management services, ensuring that all the details are right, and and efficient platform is created. Some members can also assist with local recruitment and sourcing key hires.

Many AGN members are experts in the related disciplines of wealth and financial planning, including trusts and family office. 

These services span matters from the preservation and maximisation of corporate and personal wealth, the protection of enterprises, families and assets, through to judicious planning for known events such as succession and retirement.

The needs of high net worth families can be particularly complex with international mobility and inter-generational requirements.

Many AGN members can assist with planning and structuring solutions that suit the families needs, and go on to provide regular financial stewardship and support to meet the families objectives.

Expanding businesses need dynamic financing solutions, especially when moving across borders where options and requirements will inevitably vary.

Many AGN members can advise on financing options. Weather for this or other purposes, they can also assist in the preparation of supporting business plans and other requirements.

When things go wrong, there is often an urgent need for specialist financial help. It might be assessing the financial losses in a business interruption claim, investigating a fraud or evaluating the quality of a piece of professional advice that didn’t work out.

Some AGN members have deep experience in forensic accounting, expert witness work including court appearances and the investigation of fraud. They can offer particular experience of cross border disputes and international issues.

When things do not go as desired, acting quickly to preserve value and plan future options requires specialist professional help. Usually situations can be restructured and refinanced, but if that is not feasible it is critical to gain an early understanding of the options and mechanics of insolvency processes in the relevant jurisdiction.

Some AGN members are specialists in supporting clients and providers of finance in these distressed, performance improvement and value release situations.

Specialist business valuation services can be required for many reasons, including: to support finance raising, lending covenants, merger & acquisition activity, fiscal and legal requirements, the preparation of financial statements and other reasons. Equally, valuation of individual assets is frequently required for the same purposes.  In each case a detailed understanding of the local business and regulatory environment is essential to meet stakeholders needs.

Many AGN members  can advise generally on these matters, and a number have dedicated specialists to meet the domestic and international requirements of clients.

Searching for merger and acquisition opportunities is a specialism in its own right. Supporting introductions and negotiations is a further important activity.

AGN members are connected in their local business communities, and ideally placed to make relevant introductions to support clients’ needs. Some members have deep specialists in mergers and acquisitions, who have expertise in identifying and broking deals, and supporting their management to a successful conclusion.

Especially when operating cross border, sometimes business stakeholders need deep specialist operational and commercial advice. It might be assessing options for supply chain sourcing, or evaluating a market opportunity and entry strategy to expand an existing business.

A number of AGN members are able to offer these types of expertise, and support the international ambitions of their clients.

Some AGN members have in-house services and affiliated organisations who can offer clients seamless access to areas such as legal advice and human resource consulting.

Contact us to find out how AGN members can meet your international needs.