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Co-branded client checklist

Add your firm's name and print a client-ready exit tax checklist to give your clients.

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Selling your business: tax checklist

Two years or more before a sale

  • Check every shareholder qualifies for Business Asset Disposal Relief, including spouses and family members.
  • Review cash, investments and property held in the company.
  • Decide whether a holding company, demerger or other restructure is needed.
  • Compare exit routes: trade sale, private equity, management buy-out or Employee Ownership Trust.

Twelve months before

  • Complete any restructuring, with HMRC clearances in hand.
  • Tidy up the share structure and employee share schemes.
  • Bring corporation tax, VAT and payroll fully up to date.
  • Plan dividends and pension contributions.

Before signing heads of terms

  • Compare offers on what you keep after tax, not the headline price.
  • Understand how earn-outs, deferred payments, loan notes and rollover shares are taxed.
  • Have the proposed structure reviewed for tax.

Before completion

  • Negotiate the tax warranties, indemnities and tax covenant.
  • Prepare disclosures against the tax warranties.
  • Diarise any elections with short deadlines.

After the sale

  • Note when capital gains tax is due, and the BADR claim deadline.
  • Review inheritance tax: cash usually doesn't qualify for Business Relief.
  • Agree where the proceeds will sit, with your wealth adviser.
Provided by your adviser with specialist transaction tax input from Transaction Tax Partners. General information, not advice: speak to your advisers before acting. Transaction Tax Partners is a trading name of ASWATAX LTD.

A simple way to start the exit conversation

Clients often ask their trusted adviser "what should I be doing before I sell?" This checklist gives you a clear, professional answer with your firm's name on it, and a route to specialist tax input when the deal needs it. Refer a client.

Last reviewed 8 October 2026

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What is the co-branded client checklist?

It's a one-page checklist of the tax steps a business owner should take before, during and after a sale. You add your firm's name and contact details, then print it or save it as a PDF to give to your clients.

Who is the checklist for?

Corporate finance advisers, M&A lawyers, accountants and wealth managers who want a simple, credible resource to start an exit planning conversation with business-owning clients.

Can I put my own firm's name on it?

Yes. The checklist shows your firm's name at the top and in the footer, with a note that specialist transaction tax input comes from Transaction Tax Partners.

Is anything I type stored?

No. The checklist is created in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere. If you accept analytics cookies, we record only that the checklist was printed, not what you typed.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Click Print or save as PDF, then choose Save as PDF as the printer in your browser's print window. The website menus and buttons are left out of the printed page.

What does the checklist cover?

Five stages: two years or more before a sale, twelve months before, before signing heads of terms, before completion, and after the sale. It covers reliefs, restructuring, compliance, deal terms, elections and inheritance tax.

Is the checklist advice?

No. It's a general planning prompt for your clients. Each step depends on the client's circumstances, which is where specialist advice comes in.

How do I refer a client who needs tax input?

Use the Refer a client form on our introducers pages. It takes about two minutes, and we'll come back to you within one working day with an initial view. You stay the lead adviser.

Can I share the checklist with my colleagues?

Yes. Anyone at your firm can create their own copy with their own contact details. There's no sign-up.

Will the checklist be kept up to date?

Yes. We review it alongside our guides when tax rules change, so printing a fresh copy gives you the current version.

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The earlier tax is considered, the more options you have. Book a confidential call.

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