Testimonials

We are business owners from Dumfries and Galloway and we have had the rather unfortunate experience of being subjected to an enquiry by HM Revenue & Customs.

We had previously thought our affairs had been correct and up to date, however, we had not fully understood the taxation system and were unaware of certain reporting requirements and the interaction with international tax issues.

Having never had any former experience of an HM Revenue & Customs enquiry we did not know what to expect but from the start of the enquiry Armstrong Watson, and in particular, Scott McIver assisted us throughout the process.

When we first met Scott he immediately made us feel at ease and took on a great deal of the burden of the enquiry. Scott and his team, which also consisted of Graham Poles, collated and analysed all the necessary information. HM Revenue & Customs had requested details of our business and personal affairs for the previous 20 years and Armstrong Watson prepared a formal report for submission to HM Revenue & Customs.

Perhaps the most daunting aspect of the enquiry was the formal interview we had to attend with HM Revenue & Customs Officers. Scott and Graham both attended the meeting with us which provided us with a great deal of comfort.

Scott ensured there was always good and clear communication between us and HM Revenue & Customs so that we all knew exactly where we were, what was required and what needed to be done.

As a direct result of their efforts the penalties which HM Revenue & Customs could impose were reduced as far as possible. This in itself was a great result, however, by far the greatest benefit was knowing that we had Armstrong Watson and Scott assisting us through the process.

I have known Andrew as our tax adviser for over 20 years and during that time he has provided me with excellent business advice and helped in the decision making process and expansion of our successful family textile business. This has recently included advice and assistance in claiming substantial Research & Development tax reliefs, taking advantage of the ground-breaking technologies we have recently invested in.
He has also provided valuable tax advice relating to my accommodation and wedding venue business in Scotland, offsetting losses in the early years of business advantageously to minimise my personal tax liabilities.

We were the subject of a serious tax enquiry into both the company and the directors, concerning a fraud, with a real risk of criminal prosecution. The enquiry lasted for almost three years and throughout this period Andrew Mitchell was our rock, providing valuable advice and support to us in a calm and extremely professional manner and eventually negotiated a satisfactory financial settlement with HMRC. I would have no hesitation in recommending Andrew and Armstrong Watson to another client in a similar predicament.

Discussing matters of succession planning with family members is a challenging but necessary process if you wish to try and minimise inheritance tax. In recent years, with the help of Helen Thornley and the rest of the team at Armstrong Watson, we have been able to take proactive steps to manage our family’s affairs to the point where we are now confident about the future.

It was in February 2015 that I made the decision to sell my business. I spoke to my accountant at Armstrong Watson who informed me that they had a department who dealt with the sale of businesses.

I met with Alison and Catherine and a portfolio was put together describing my business.

My biggest concern was that my competitors and those that commissioned services would find out that I was selling. Alison and Catherine assured me that everything was done confidentially and the name of my business would not be released until it was absolutely necessary.

True to their word nobody found out about the sale of my business until it was signed sealed and delivered.

There are times when I would have given up if it was not for the support of Alison and Catherine. They dealt with the purchaser making it as easy a process as is possible. If ever I should have another business to sell I would certainly use them again and recommend them to anyone wishing to sell their business.

Grant Smith from Armstrong Watson took over our Accounts last year and has been like a breath of fresh air. It’s easy as a business owner to get bogged down by the daily grind of running the business and sometimes you need to look to the bigger picture. I’ve found Grant to be invaluable in this sense. He is both insightful and practical and is a great asset to our continued growth.

We engaged the Armstrong Watson legal sector team to provide outsourced FD services and to assist us through a period of transition following the departure of our previous in-house FD. Their knowledge of the issues and bespoke recommendations have helped to refocus our management thought process and implementation of our strategy. Armstrong Watson has refreshed the output of our accounting function and that has allowed our management team to focus attention where necessary. We use their user friendly KPI focused management information and this allows for a joined up approach with our strategy and informed management decisions. All in all, we are delighted with our decision to outsource our FD function and wish that we had done it long before.

I would like to thank the Yorkshire Corporate Finance Team at Armstrong Watson for assisting me in the sale of my business. They identified an appropriate buyer and negotiated a deal to meet my objectives for an exit with continued involvement for a certain period. Throughout the sale process they were always available to provide straight talking advice and took much of the strain out of what, at times, could have been a stressful process allowing me to continue to focus on the running of my fine wine business and ultimately securing me a successful outcome.

Armstrong Watson have looked after our payroll for a few years now and have been an absolute pleasure to work with. The service is prompt and efficient, there's always someone available to answer any questions and it's great to know that they're looking after everything. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

We moved to Armstrong Watson due to their specific legal sector expertise and knowledge. We have been very pleased with the quality and efficiency of the accountancy, tax and financial advisory services provided by Andy Poole, Graham Poles and the rest of the AW team. We value the fact they truly understand our business and the legal sector as this enables them to provide us with pro-active valued added advice and suggestions to make our business and strategic business planning even better.