Secure Your Business Future with Expert Succession Planning
Building a successful business takes decades of hard work, and ensuring that the legacy thrives for future generations is just as important. Without a clear plan, you risk family disputes, unnecessary tax bills, and disruption to everything you have created. At Lanop Business & Tax Advisors, we specialise in providing succession planning services tailored to business owners, families, and entrepreneurs. With our expert guidance, you can safeguard your wealth, provide clarity for your family, and protect your business from uncertainty. Our goal is to make your transition smooth, secure, and tax-efficient.
Comprehensive Accounting and Tax Services with Succession Planning
- Before choosing the right strategy, you need expert support that understands the tax, financial, and legal implications of succession. That’s where we step in. Our experienced team of succession planning consultants design strategies that reduce risk, save money, and ensure lasting peace of mind.
Smart Tax Structures
- We deliver succession planning solutions that minimise inheritance and capital gains tax. Through trust, reliefs, and careful structuring, we protect your wealth while ensuring a smooth transition.
Family & Business Harmony
- Our team ensures fair arrangements for all stakeholders. With our expertise in family wealth succession planning, we help you avoid disputes and create a clear, conflict-free process.
Legal & Financial Security
- From wills to shareholder agreements, our succession planning legal services provide watertight protection. Combined with our succession financial planning advisory services, you gain a 360° solution for your future.
What Accounting Services We Offer
Lanop Business and Tax Advisors offers extensive succession planning services tailored according to the unique needs of each client. Here are some of our services:
We design comprehensive exit strategies, whether you plan to transfer ownership within your family or sell the business to new leadership.
We work with financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and professionals to implement strategies that reduce risk, maximise value, and ensure continuity.
From cash flow forecasting to structuring trusts, we integrate finance and tax into your succession plan to deliver long-term stability.
Who We Help
We work with:
- Family businesses passing leadership to the next generation
- SME owners planning retirement or an exit strategy
- High-net-worth individuals seeking wealth succession planning solutions
- Professionals (lawyers, consultants, doctors) planning future ownership of their practice
Tax & Legal Considerations in Succession Planning
Effective business succession planning services go far beyond naming a successor. In the UK, inheritance tax at 40% can significantly reduce the value of your estate if no plan is in place. Many business owners are unaware that without proper structuring, assets could be tied up in probate, subjected to unnecessary tax, or even disputed among heirs. Our role is to protect you from these risks by creating a framework that is legally secure and financially efficient.
Challenges Businesses Face
- Worrying about inheritance tax and HMRC rules
- Uncertainty over successors and roles
- Family disputes over wealth distribution
- Fear of losing control after retirement
- No clear exit or retirement strategy
Family Business Continuity & Harmony
Family-owned businesses face unique challenges when it comes to succession. Unlike other enterprises, they carry both commercia and emotional weight, and disputes can quickly become personal. When leadership transitions are not planned, families often struggle with disagreements over ownership, roles, and decision-making authority. This can weaken both the family bond and the business itself.
Our family wealth succession planning services focus on aligning business objectives with family values. We work with you to identify future leaders, clarify ownership structures, and create governance frameworks that maintain stability. This ensures that decision-making is transparent and fair, reducing the chance of conflict. By engaging all stakeholders in the process, we help families reach consensus and set clear expectations for the future.
How We Solve These Challenges
- Draft legal agreements to prevent disputes
- Balance family needs with business continuity
- Reduce tax exposure with expert relief strategies
- Provide ongoing reviews as your situation evolves
- Clarify leadership roles with structured succession planning
Exit & Retirement Strategies for Successful Succession Planning
Not every business owner would want to transfer their business to the relatives. For many, the most effective path is selling the business, arranging a management buyout, or stepping back gradually while retaining partial involvement. In any case, it is critical to be a smart planner to ensure you get the most and safeguard your economic future.
Our succession financial planning advisory services are aimed at ensuring you retire on your own terms. We prepare financial projections, consider pension and investment plans, and design sales or acquisitions to limit capital gains tax and increase net worth. In case you wish to sell, we will take you through negotiations, valuations, selection of buyers to make sure that the result suits your interests.
In the case of owners who want to have a gradual departure, we develop strategies that enable you to decrease the involvement rate as you prepare future leaders. This will help in assuring the employees and clients that continuity is maintained. Lanop offers you the flexibility and security of knowing that your retirement is secure, your employees are secure, and your legacy is intact.
Our Identity
Integrity, honesty, and dedication are the core values at Lanop Business & Tax Advisors. Since launching our first Putney office in 2010, we’ve grown into a fully digital, UK‑based accounting and tax advisory firm that blends expert compliance with forward‑looking guidance and business strategy.
Our team of specialized chartered tax advisors and accountants delivers a full spectrum of services including tax planning, bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, and virtual finance director support all designed to help you manage your business more efficiently and confidently.
We believe accounting is more than numbers it’s about empowering your journey through modern finance. That means applying strategic insight, breaking down complex financial processes, and acting as your trusted partner not just submitting filings.
Put simply, Lanop Business & Tax Advisors is more than an accounting firm we are your strategic ally, dedicated to guiding your financial success with integrity, precision,
FAQ
Accountants for sUCCESSION pLAINNING
How does succession planning reduce tax?
Our succession planning financial services use tools like Business Property Relief (BPR), trusts, and lifetime gifts to lower inheritance and capital gains tax. By structuring ownership transfers carefully, we ensure more of your wealth passes to your family and less to HMRC.
Is succession planning only for families?
No. While family wealth succession planning is a common approach, many business owners choose to sell, merge, or transfer leadership to management teams instead. The right strategy depends on your goals, whether protecting family wealth or planning an exit.
When should I start succession planning?
Ideally, you should begin 5–10 years before retirement. Early planning gives time to implement tax-efficient strategies and prepare successors. However, even if retirement is close, creating a plan now can still protect your assets and family.
How long does the process take?
Timelines vary depending on complexity. A straightforward plan may take a few months, while multi-generational or high-value estates often need a phased approach with regular reviews. At Lanop, we adapt the process to your unique needs.
Can succession planning protect employees?
Yes. A strong succession plan provides continuity of leadership, which reassures staff and secures jobs. It shows clients and employees alike that the business will remain stable and trustworthy, even during transitions.
What happens without succession planning?
Without a plan, your family may face disputes, high taxes, or even business closure. In many cases, HMRC and the courts could decide what happens to your estate. Succession planning ensures you stay in control of your future.
How much do succession planning services cost?
The cost depends on the size of your business, estate, and complexity of your goals. We provide fixed-fee quotes after an initial consultation. Most clients find the tax savings and clarity provided far outweigh the upfront cost.
Why choose Lanop for succession planning?
At Lanop, we combine decades of experience in tax, legal, and financial advisory. Our succession planning consultants provide bespoke solutions, from tax relief strategies to family governance frameworks. We focus on protecting your wealth, business, and peace of mind.
Here's some other accountancy services we offer...
Get in touch
Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm
