Insights

With changes to UK GAAP taking effect in January 2026, FRS 102 will undergo significant revisions. Gaining an early understanding of these updates will help you prepare effectively.

We’re pleased to share that Neal Lees and Paul Hogarth from our Private Client team have written an article for the FT Adviser exploring how recent Autumn Budget changes to venture capital trusts (VCTs) could affect early-stage investment strategies.

We’re delighted to share that Meera Shah, Head of M&A at Buzzacott, was recently featured in Business Sale Report’s article “An insider look at intellectual property in M&A.”

We are pleased to announce that Buzzacott has been shortlisted for The Professional Services Management Excellence Awards 2026 in the Excellence in Marketing & Business Development category.

The recent Autumn Budget offers an insight into HMRC’s future areas of focus, through its announcements and future funding commitments. It is clear that HMRC will continue its efforts to address the tax gap, especially in relation to tax evasion, criminal activity, and the hidden economy. For businesses and individuals, this will likely translate directly into a higher risk of HMRC scrutiny and investigation.

As part of HMRC’s processes to ensure the integrity of the R&D tax relief scheme, compliance checks are becoming increasingly common. As such, they are not to be interpreted as a sign of potential wrongdoing, but as a routine safeguard. In this article, we explore what have we learned over the past couple of years so that businesses can prepare and respond effectively.

The Autumn Budget 2025 brings a mix of opportunities and cost pressures for real estate and construction. For property businesses, higher taxes on rental income and reduced capital allowances will impact returns, while business rates reform offers relief for smaller high-street businesses but increases costs for large commercial sites. In construction, rising National Minimum Wage, frozen tax thresholds, and changes to NICs will push up payroll costs. Meanwhile, halving capital gains tax relief on Employee Ownership Trusts makes them less attractive for succession planning and may prompt business owners to reconsider exit strategies.

Buzzacott advised Astra Holding on their acquisition of AB Key LLP, providing financial due diligence, tax due diligence, and transaction advisory services.