Valuation Partners · United Kingdom
Independent Business, Share & Company Valuations
Valuation Partners provides independent valuations of businesses, companies, shares and intangible assets for clients throughout the UK.
- Independent and objective
- Clients throughout the UK
- Scope and fee agreed in writing first
- Reports for tax, court and transactions
Valuation summary
Illustrative
- IncomeDiscounted cash flow
- IncomeCapitalised earnings
- MarketComparable transactions
- MarketTrading multiples
- AssetAdjusted net assets
Our services
Our valuation services
Whether you need to value a company for sale, establish the market value of shares, arrange an EMI valuation, resolve a shareholder dispute or obtain an expert valuation for court proceedings, our specialists provide clear, objective and professionally reasoned valuation advice.
The reason you need a valuation decides the service, and the method follows the purpose.
Valuation services
Commercial, tax & reporting valuations
- Business & Company ValuationsIndependent valuations of private companies, SMEs and business interests for transactions, ownership decisions, commercial planning and financial purposes.
- Share & Equity ValuationsValuations of private company shares, minority interests, majority holdings, shareholder exits and different classes of equity.
- Tax & HMRC ValuationsBusiness and share valuations for capital gains tax, inheritance tax, share transfers, HMRC enquiries and other relevant taxation purposes.
- EMI, EOT & Employee Share SchemesValuation support for Enterprise Management Incentives, employee ownership trusts, growth shares and other employee equity arrangements.
- Transactions, Investment & SuccessionValuations supporting business sales, acquisitions, investment decisions, fundraising, management buyouts and succession.
- Intangible Assets & Intellectual PropertyValuations of goodwill, brands, trademarks, software, technology, licences, customer relationships and other identifiable intangible assets.
- Financial Reporting & Specialist ValuationsValuations for purchase price allocation, impairment testing, reporting requirements, insolvency, restructuring and other specialist purposes.
Litigation & expert
Divorce, Litigation & Expert Witness
Independent business and share valuations for matrimonial proceedings, shareholder disputes, court proceedings and other contentious matters.
- Business Valuations for Divorce
- Single Joint Expert Business Valuations
- Business Valuation Expert Witness
- Shareholder Dispute Valuations
- Business Valuation Expert Determination
Your situation
Whatever the reason for your valuation
Start with your situation, not with valuation jargon. Choose the sentence closest to yours to see what is involved and where to go next.
In your situation
“I am selling my business.”
Know a realistic value range, which add-backs buyers will accept and what reaches you after debt and adjustments, before negotiations begin.
Relevant service
Business Sale ValuationsWhat we value
Businesses, shares, ownership interests & intangible assets
Different assets, ownership interests and valuation purposes require different approaches. A controlling stake, a 5% holding and a trademark in the same company are three different valuation questions.
| Subject of valuation | |
|---|---|
| Entire businesses and trading companiesValued as going concerns, usually on maintainable earnings or forecast cash flows. | Valued as going concerns, usually on maintainable earnings or forecast cash flows. |
| Individual ownership interestsSpecific holdings, valued with regard to control, rights and marketability. | Specific holdings, valued with regard to control, rights and marketability. |
| Different classes of sharesOrdinary, preference, growth and investor shares, each with different economic rights. | Ordinary, preference, growth and investor shares, each with different economic rights. |
| Partnership and LLP interestsPartner shares, capital accounts and contractual rights on departure. | Partner shares, capital accounts and contractual rights on departure. |
| Business goodwillTransferable goodwill distinguished from goodwill personal to the owner. | Transferable goodwill distinguished from goodwill personal to the owner. |
| Intellectual property rightsPatents, copyright and know-how valued by the benefits their protection creates. | Patents, copyright and know-how valued by the benefits their protection creates. |
| Brands and trademarksCommonly valued by the royalties an owner avoids paying. | Commonly valued by the royalties an owner avoids paying. |
| Software and technologyPlatforms and proprietary systems, by income or replacement cost. | Platforms and proprietary systems, by income or replacement cost. |
| Customer relationshipsContracts and recurring relationships, often by excess earnings. | Contracts and recurring relationships, often by excess earnings. |
| Other identifiable intangiblesLicences, franchise rights and other separable rights. | Licences, franchise rights and other separable rights. |
Industries
Valuations across the industries that make up the UK economy
A dental practice, a SaaS business and a construction contractor are not valued with the same formula. Each sector has its own drivers of value, and we start from them.
Industry valuations
Professional services
Dental practices, Medical practices, Veterinary practices, Accountancy practices, Law firms, Consultancies, Recruitment agencies
Technology & digital
SaaS businesses, Software companies, E-commerce businesses, Digital agencies, Technology start-ups, Fintech businesses
Commercial & industrial
Manufacturing, Construction, Engineering, Logistics & transport, Shipping & maritime, Renewable energy, Oil & gas
Consumer & service sectors
Restaurants, Hotels & hospitality, Franchises, Retail, Care businesses, Education & training, Wholesale & distribution
Our approach
Our approach, in four stages
From instruction to report
Typical sequence
- 01
Understand the instruction
Determine what is being valued, why, at what date and for whose use.
- 02
Analyse the business or asset
Review financial performance, ownership rights, commercial circumstances and future prospects.
- 03
Determine value
Select and apply appropriate valuation approaches, assumptions and professional judgement.
- 04
Report the findings
Prepare valuation advice or a formal report suited to the agreed purpose.
Clients
Who we work with
Some clients come to us directly. Many are referred by the advisers they already trust. We work comfortably with both.
For professional advisers →Business owners
Valuations before a sale, a share transfer, investment or a change in ownership.
Shareholders
The value of your holding, whether you are leaving, buying out a co-owner or in dispute.
Solicitors
Independent valuations and expert evidence for family, corporate and dispute matters.
Accountants & tax advisers
Valuations for tax, share schemes and transactions that you can rely on for clients.
Corporate finance advisers
An independent valuation alongside your transaction work, without conflict.
Investors
Independent views on investee value, entry pricing and portfolio holdings.
Executors & trustees
Date-of-death and trust valuations of businesses and private company shares.
Insolvency practitioners
Valuations of businesses and interests in distressed and restructuring situations.
Why Valuation Partners
Independent. Objective. Reasoned.
Clients rely on a valuation for a sale, a tax return or a courtroom. It has to stand up to a reader who was not in the room, so every instruction is held to these standards.
- Independence and objectivity
- No interest in the outcome, no commission on a sale and a conclusion led by the evidence.
- Financial expertise
- Valuation built on detailed analysis of accounts, forecasts and ownership rights.
- A clearly defined scope
- What is valued, why, at what date and for whom, agreed in writing before work begins.
- Appropriate methods
- The approach is chosen to suit the business and the purpose, never applied by formula.
- Transparent assumptions
- Every key judgement stated, with sensitivity analysis where it matters.
- Detailed analysis
- Normalised earnings, balance sheet adjustments and share rights examined, not assumed.
- Understandable reports
- Reasoning written so that clients, advisers, HMRC or a court can follow it.
- Professional confidentiality
- Information used only for the engagement and handled with care.
Why the purpose matters
The same shares can have more than one correct value. The purpose fixes the basis of value, and the basis decides the answer.
One 20% stake, three values
Illustrative
A company worth £10m. The same 20% holding, valued for three different purposes.
Sale of the whole company
£1.9m to £2.0m
All shareholders sell together, so the holding usually receives its pro rata share of the price.
Gift of the shares, for capital gains tax
£1.1m to £1.5m
The holding is valued on its own in a hypothetical open market sale, so discounts for lack of control and marketability may apply.
Buyout ordered in a shareholder dispute
£1.7m to £2.0m
A court may order a valuation on a pro rata basis, in which case no minority discount applies.
How much does a business valuation cost?
Fees depend on the size and complexity of the business, the quality of the information available, the purpose of the valuation and the type of report needed. A limited-scope opinion for an internal decision costs less than a formal report for HMRC or a court. We provide a written proposal setting out the scope and fee before any work begins.
How long does a valuation take?
A straightforward valuation of a single trading company with up-to-date accounts can often be completed within a few weeks of receiving the information. Groups, complex share structures, historic valuation dates and formal expert reports take longer. We confirm the timetable when we agree the scope.
What information is required?
Usually recent statutory accounts, current management accounts, any forecasts, details of owners' remuneration, the articles of association and any shareholder agreement. Specific purposes need more, such as the date of death for probate or the letter of instruction in proceedings. We send a tailored information list at the outset.
Can you value an SME?
Yes. Small and owner-managed businesses make up a large part of our work. We pay particular attention to owner remuneration, personal and transferable goodwill, customer concentration and the reliability of accounts prepared mainly for tax.
Can you value just part of a company?
Yes. We value individual shareholdings, share classes and partnership interests. The value of a holding depends on the rights it carries, so a minority holding is not simply a pro rata share of the company's value unless the basis of value requires it.
Can you value a loss-making company?
Yes. Loss-making businesses may be valued by reference to their net assets, their prospects of recovery, or specific valuable assets such as technology or customer relationships. The approach depends on why the business is making losses and what a buyer would realistically pay.
Can you provide a valuation for HMRC?
Yes. We prepare valuations for capital gains tax, inheritance tax, probate, share schemes and other tax purposes on the statutory basis of market value, and support advisers if HMRC raises questions. No valuer can guarantee HMRC's agreement.
Can you provide an expert witness valuation?
Yes. We act as party-appointed experts, Single Joint Experts and reviewers of other experts' reports in litigation and arbitration, with our duty owed to the court or tribunal.
Can you provide a valuation for divorce?
Yes. We value businesses and shareholdings for negotiation, mediation and financial remedy proceedings, and accept Single Joint Expert appointments.
Do you work throughout the UK?
Yes. We act for clients across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and can consider international assignments where they fall within our expertise.
Next step
Request a valuation
Tell us what you need valued and why. We will review your requirements and come back to you with the scope, the information needed, an anticipated timetable and a professional fee.
- 01Instruction
- 02Scope
- 03Date
- 04Fee