-
Business risk services
Organisations must understand and manage risk and seek an appropriate balance between risk and opportunities.
-
Cybersecurity
As organisations become increasingly dependent on digital technology, the opportunities for cyber criminals continue to grow.
-
Business consulting
We can formulate solutions to keep you ahead of disruptive change.
-
Valuations
Our valuation specialists blend technical expertise with a pragmatic outlook to deliver support during transactions, restructuring and disputes.
-
Transactional advisory services
Helping you with successful growth deals throughout your business life cycle.
-
Recovery and reorganisation
Workable solutions to maximise your value and deliver sustainable recovery.
-
Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic growth decision making. Globalisation and company growth ambitions are driving an increase in M&A activity worldwide.
-
Forensic and investigation services
Rapid and customised approach to investigations and dispute resolution.
-
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Our member firm IFRS advisers can help you navigate the complexity of the Standards so you can focus your time and effort on running your business.
-
Audit quality monitoring
A key component of our global strategy is to promote the delivery of consistent, high quality client service worldwide.
-
Global audit technology
We apply our global audit methodology through an integrated set of software tools known as the Voyager suite.
-
Corporate and business tax
Growing businesses need strong tax management to meet current and future tax liabilities and we can help you achieve this, whatever challenges you face.
-
Direct international tax
We have the insight and agility to create the strategies you need to respond quickly to ever-changing tax laws.
-
Global mobility services
In a globalised world, businesses must work seamlessly across borders. Organisations operate in multiple countries and view international expansion as a strategic objective.
-
Indirect international tax
With more goods and services crossing national borders than ever before, you may be facing indirect tax obligations in many countries – even those where your customer is located.
-
Innovation and investment incentives
Dynamic businesses must continually innovate to maintain competitiveness, evolve and grow. Valuable tax reliefs are available to support innovative activities, irrespective of your tax profile.
-
Private client services
Protecting business and personal wealth is of upmost importance for private clients worldwide. At Grant Thornton, we bring reason and instinct to all aspects of your personal finance and compliance planning.
-
Transfer pricing
The laws surrounding transfer pricing are becoming ever more complex, as tax affairs of multinational companies are facing scrutiny from media, regulators and the public.
-
Tax policy
Grant Thornton’s teams can work with you to help you understand these regulations, develop a strategy tailored to your business’ individual tax needs and manage tax risk around the globe.
-
Business process solutions
As organisations grow, back office processes and meeting reporting requirements across multiple jurisdictions can become a distraction. We remove the burden of back office operations and worries about compliance to enable you to focus on growth.
BEPS: Businesses call for clarity
05 Aug 2015Business leaders renew appeal for clarity on 'acceptable' tax planning
Three quarters of business leaders would pay more taxes in exchange for greater clarity from authorities on what is acceptable, according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), a global survey of 2,580 businesses in 35 economies. And while few expect a global agreement any time soon, the majority would like to see their governments take unilateral action to help achieve this aim.
Francesca Lagerberg, global leader for tax services at Grant Thornton said: “The levels of taxation paid by businesses has become a very public and emotive issue. But setting emotion to one side, businesses have a responsibility to their investors and shareholders to keep costs down - within the existing regulatory parameters."
"Despite this, our IBR survey clearly shows that the vast majority would actually support paying more in tax in exchange for clearer guidance from tax authorities on what is acceptable tax planning. The ball is very firmly in their court to provide the clear lines that businesses are requesting. The results provide more evidence that clarity is needed in the complex world of cross border tax transactions."
When asked if they would welcome more global co-operation and guidance from tax authorities on what is acceptable and unacceptable tax planning, even if this provided less opportunity to reduce tax liabilities across borders, 75% of business leaders said 'Yes', up from 53% one year earlier.
In the G7, 75% want greater clarity, up from 43% one year earlier. Notable countries were India (95%), South Africa (94%, up from 64%) the UK (83% up from 59%) and US (83%, up from 37%).
Unilateral vs multilateral
Business leaders are not hopeful that a global agreement will be enacted to provide clearer tax rules for all. Just 23% of the survey respondents thought that the OECD's plans on global tax improvement under the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project (BEPS) would be successfully implemented. This is slightly down from 24% one year earlier.
However, they are far more supportive of unilateral, individual country, action in lieu of a global agreement: 71% said they would support their own government taking unilateral action to combat the loss of tax revenue in their jurisdiction. Support for local action is strongest in India (95%), the US (82%), UK (79%), China (67%) and Ireland (64%).
Francesca Lagerberg continued: "Businesses may be pessimistic on the chances of a global agreement - the Doha Round and climate change negotiations have taught us that these things take time. However, the work being undertaken by the OECD on tax planning should go some way to allaying business concerns by moving this debate away from talk to action. The OECD is set to finalise its recommendations this year.
"International tax standards clearly need to be stripped down and rebuilt for the world we live in today. The existing legislation is creaking at the seams in an increasingly interconnected, digital world in which the definition of a 'border' is looking archaic. The research is showing that businesses are asking for more help to enable them to navigate the new challenges of a digital economy.”
- ends -
John Vita, Director - PR, +1-312-602-8955
Find out more about the IBR survey and explore the full data for global business optimism.