Business Advisory, Structuring and Succession
Practical business advisory support for business owners who are starting, growing,
restructuring, preparing for succession or planning a future sale.
Practical business advisory support
for every stage of business
Business decisions are rarely just about tax. Your structure, cash flow, profit, succession plans, family arrangements, asset protection considerations and future sale goals can all influence the best way forward.
Stonehouse Accounting provides practical business advisory and structuring support for business owners who are starting, growing, restructuring, preparing for succession or considering a future sale.
We work with your broader professional team where needed, including your solicitor and licensed financial adviser, so business, legal, tax and financial advice matters are considered by the right professionals.
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Noosa, Sydney and Australia-wide.
Advice that looks beyond
the annual accounts
Business owners often need more than annual accounts and tax returns. They need clear conversations about what is working, what needs attention and what options may be available as the business changes.
Stonehouse Accounting can help you understand the accounting and tax considerations connected with your business structure, growth plans, succession planning and sale preparation.
Our role is to provide practical accounting and tax guidance, identify issues early and work with the right professionals where legal advice, asset protection advice or personal financial advice is needed.
Working with the right professional advice
Business structures, succession planning and asset protection often involve several professional disciplines. Accounting and tax advice may need to work alongside legal advice, estate planning advice, lending advice and licensed financial advice.
Stonehouse Accounting provides accounting, tax and business advisory services. We do not provide legal advice or personal financial advice.
Where legal advice is required, we can work with your solicitor. Where personal financial advice is required, we can refer you to a licensed financial adviser within Stonehouse Wealth Management.
Asset protection strategies should be considered with appropriate legal advice
Business advisory and structuring services
Our business advisory services are designed to help business owners make informed decisions at key stages of the business lifecycle.
Starting a Business
Starting a Business
Business Structure Review
Business Structure Review
Trusts & Companies
Trusts & Companies
Asset Protection Considerations
Asset Protection Considerations
Succession Planning
Succession Planning
Preparing for Sale
Preparing for Sale
Strategic Business Planning
Strategic Business Planning
Professional Team Coordination
Professional Team Coordination
Starting a business
Starting a business is exciting, but the early decisions can have long-term implications. The right accounting setup can make it easier to manage tax, reporting, compliance, cash flow and future growth.
Stonehouse Accounting can assist new business owners with accounting and tax matters connected with business commencement.
We can help with:
- Understanding business structure options from an accounting and tax perspective
- ABN, TFN and GST registration considerations
- PAYG and employer obligation setup
- Accounting software setup considerations
- Record keeping requirements
- Business bank account and reporting structure considerations
- Initial tax and compliance timelines
- Working with your solicitor where legal documents are required
Start with the right setup
Reviewing business structures
As a business grows, the structure that worked at the beginning may no longer be the best fit. Changes in revenue, profit, staffing, ownership, risk, lending, family involvement and succession plans can all create a need to review the structure.
Stonehouse Accounting can assist with reviewing your business structure from an accounting and tax perspective.
Structure review may consider:
- Sole trader, company, trust or partnership arrangements
- Trading entities and asset holding entities
- Family group structures
- Inter-entity loans and transactions
- Tax reporting requirements
- Trust distribution arrangements
- Director and shareholder arrangements
- Business growth plans
- Succession and exit intentions
- Coordination with legal and financial advice
A business structure review may require legal advice, lending advice and personal financial advice
Trusts, companies & related entities
Many business owners use companies, trusts or multiple entities as part of their business and family arrangements. These structures can be useful, but they also require careful accounting, administration and record keeping.
Stonehouse Accounting can help business owners manage the accounting and tax considerations for companies, trusts and related entity groups.
Support may include:
- Company accounting and tax matters
- Trust accounting and tax matters
- Family group entity reporting
- Annual trust distribution considerations
- Director and shareholder loan account records
- Inter-entity transaction records
- Division 7A considerations
- Entity administration support
- Coordination with corporate secretarial services
Asset protection considerations
Asset protection is an important consideration for many business owners, particularly where business risk, family assets, lending arrangements, personal guarantees or succession planning are involved.
Stonehouse Accounting can help you identify accounting and tax issues that may be relevant to your structure and work with your solicitor where legal advice is needed.
Areas that may need to be reviewed include:
- Business and personal asset ownership
- Trading entity and asset holding entity arrangements
- Trust and company structures
- Personal guarantees
- Director and shareholder arrangements
- Business debt and lending arrangements
- Family group entities
- Estate planning considerations
- Insurance and financial advice needs
Stonehouse Accounting does not provide legal advice or asset protection legal advice. We can assist with accounting and tax considerations and work with your solicitor to help coordinate the broader advice process.
Asset protection should be reviewed before issues arise
Business succession planning
Succession planning is about more than deciding who takes over. It can involve ownership, management, family expectations, tax, cash flow, business value, estate planning, insurance, retirement goals and funding arrangements.
Stonehouse Accounting can help business owners work through the accounting and tax considerations involved in succession planning.
We can assist with:
- Reviewing current ownership structure
- Understanding business profit and cash flow
- Preparing financial information for succession discussions
- Considering tax implications of ownership changes
- Reviewing family group structures
- Supporting discussions with successors or incoming owners
- Working with solicitors on legal documentation
- Working with financial advisers on retirement and wealth planning
- Supporting gradual transition planning
Succession works best when it starts early
A planned transition gives business owners more time to consider tax, ownership, funding, family and retirement issues
Preparing your business for sale
A business that is well prepared for sale is usually easier for buyers, lenders and advisers to understand. Clean financial records, clear reporting and well-documented structures can help make the sale process smoother.
Stonehouse Accounting can assist with accounting and reporting support when you are preparing a business for sale.
Preparation may include:
- Reviewing financial statements
- Preparing sale of business income statements
- Reviewing profit trends
- Identifying normalised income and expenses
- Reviewing business structure and related entities
- Checking loan account records
- Supporting due diligence information requests
- Coordinating with your solicitor, broker or adviser
- Reviewing tax considerations before sale
We can assist with accounting and tax considerations for a business sale
Strategic planning and management support
Business owners make better decisions when they have clear information and a practical plan.
Stonehouse Accounting can assist with strategic business planning from an accounting and tax perspective, helping business owners understand their numbers and plan for the next stage.
Support may include:
- Reviewing business performance
- Understanding profit and cash flow
- Reviewing financial reports
- Identifying key accounting and tax issues
- Planning for growth
- Preparing for finance discussions
- Considering structure and compliance needs
- Supporting management reporting conversations
- Working with your broader professional team
We help you understand your numbers and make better business decisions
Working with your legal and financial advice partners
Business advisory, structuring and succession planning often works best when your professional team is connected.
Stonehouse Accounting can work with your solicitor, lender, broker, business adviser and licensed financial adviser where appropriate.
Where you are also a client of Stonehouse Wealth Management, our accounting and financial advice teams can work together with your consent. This can help reduce duplication and support more coordinated advice.
Partner coordination may include:
- Working with solicitors on trust deeds, company documents and succession agreements
- Working with financial advisers on superannuation, insurance, retirement and investment advice
- Working with lenders or brokers on finance-related reporting
- Working with business brokers on sale preparation information
- Working with estate planning professionals on family and ownership considerations
- Working with bookkeepers on records and reporting
Stonehouse Accounting provides accounting, tax and business advisory services
Legal advice is provided separately by qualified legal practitioners.
Who we work with
Stonehouse Accounting provides business advisory and structuring support for:
- New business owners
- Small business owners
- Family businesses
- Professional service businesses
- Companies
- Trusts
- Partnerships
- Business owners with multiple entities
- Business owners planning for growth
- Business owners considering restructure
- Business owners preparing for succession
- Business owners preparing for sale
- Existing Stonehouse clients who want coordinated accounting and financial advice support
How we work with
business advisory clients
1. Understand your business and goals
We start by understanding your business, structure, ownership, key concerns and what you are trying to achieve.
2. Review your current position
We review relevant accounting, tax and entity information to identify what needs attention.
3. Identify the key issues
We help identify the accounting and tax matters that may affect your structure, growth, succession or sale planning.
4. Confirm who needs to be involved
Where legal advice, lending advice or financial advice is required, we help coordinate with the right professionals.
5. Develop practical next steps
We agree the scope of work and help you move forward with clear, practical actions.
6. Support implementation and review
We can assist with accounting records, tax planning, reporting, entity administration and ongoing review as your business changes.
What information may be needed
The information required will depend on your business and the type of advice or support needed.
Common documents and records include:
- Prior year financial statements
- Business tax returns
- Current year management reports
- Business structure chart
- Trust deeds
- Company records
- Partnership agreements
- Shareholder or unitholder details
- Loan account records
- Inter-entity transaction records
- Payroll and staffing information
- Business plan or growth plan, if available
- Existing succession plan, if available
- Sale preparation documents, if available
- Legal documents, where relevant
- Details of other professional advisers involved
Business advisory and structuring FAQs
Stonehouse Accounting can help you understand accounting and tax considerations for different business structures. Legal advice and personal financial advice may also be required depending on your circumstances.
Yes. We can assist with accounting and tax setup considerations, registrations, record keeping and initial compliance requirements.
Yes. We can review your current business structure from an accounting and tax perspective and identify where further legal or financial advice may be required.
Stonehouse Accounting does not provide legal advice or asset protection legal advice. We can assist with accounting and tax considerations and work with your solicitor where asset protection advice is required.
Yes. We can assist with accounting and tax considerations involved in business succession planning and work with your legal and financial advice partners where appropriate.
Yes. We can assist with accounting records, financial statements, income reporting and tax considerations that may be relevant before a business sale.
Yes. We can work with your solicitor where legal advice or legal documentation is required.
Yes. With your consent, we can work with your licensed financial adviser. If you are a Stonehouse Wealth Management client, our accounting and advice teams can work together where appropriate.
Stonehouse Accounting can assist with accounting information and reporting that may support a valuation process. Formal business valuation advice should be provided by an appropriately qualified valuation professional.
No. You do not need to be a Stonehouse Wealth Management client to use Stonehouse Accounting.
Planning your next business move?
Whether you are starting, growing, restructuring, preparing for succession or considering a future sale, Stonehouse Accounting can help you understand the accounting and tax considerations and work with the right professional team.