Tax Advisory & Compliance

Expert Tax Advice From a Chartered Tax Adviser

Tax is not a back-office function. It is a strategic lever that affects how you structure your business, reward your team, raise capital and plan for exits. The Lumen Collective provides tax advisory services led by a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), delivering joined-up tax strategies that align with your commercial objectives.

We combine advisory depth with practical compliance delivery. That means CT600 corporation tax returns, VAT filings, annual incentive returns and HMRC correspondence sit alongside the strategic planning and structuring work. You get both from a single provider, with the compliance informed by the strategy and the strategy grounded in the detail.

Corporate Tax Planning and Strategy

We develop tax strategies that look across your business as a whole, not just at individual returns. Our corporate tax work covers tax-efficient structuring for groups, subsidiaries and holding companies, loan relationship and intangible asset planning, transactions in securities analysis and clearance applications, connected company rules and their implications for reliefs and rates, corporation tax computations and CT600 filings, and tax due diligence support for acquisitions, disposals and reorganisations.

For businesses undergoing corporate restructurings, including demergers, hive-ups, share-for-share exchanges and debt-for-equity swaps, we advise on the tax implications under capital gains and corporate tax legislation, and prepare HMRC clearance applications where required.

Business Taxes for Owner-Managed Businesses

Owner-managed businesses face a distinct set of tax considerations where personal and corporate tax planning overlap. Getting this right can make a significant difference to the after-tax returns for founders and shareholders.

We advise on profit extraction strategies including salary, dividends and pension contributions, choosing the right business structure (sole trader, partnership or limited company) and when to change, tax-efficient remuneration planning for directors and family members, capital gains planning including Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief), succession planning and business transfers including holdover relief and gift relief, and the interaction between personal and corporate tax to ensure decisions are optimised across both.

Our approach is practical and joined-up. We look at the business and the individual together, not in isolation.

VAT Advisory and Compliance

VAT is often more complex than businesses expect, particularly for those with mixed supplies, international transactions or property interests. We advise on VAT registration, group registration (VAT 51) and partial exemption, the domestic reverse charge for construction services, the Capital Goods Scheme for significant property and IT expenditure, cross-border supply rules and place of supply determinations, and VAT compliance including returns and error corrections.

Overseas Expansion

Expanding into new markets creates tax complexity that needs to be managed from the outset. The wrong structure can result in double taxation, unexpected permanent establishment risk or compliance obligations that are costly to unwind.

We advise UK businesses on the tax implications of trading overseas, including whether to operate through a branch or subsidiary in the target jurisdiction, permanent establishment risk and how to manage it, transfer pricing considerations for intercompany transactions, double tax treaty relief and foreign tax credit planning, VAT and indirect tax registration obligations in new territories, and withholding tax on cross-border payments including royalties, interest and management charges.

We work alongside local advisers in the target jurisdiction to ensure the UK and overseas tax positions are aligned. Our role is to coordinate the overall structure and ensure nothing falls between the gaps.

Tax Incentives: SEIS, EIS and EMI

For businesses raising capital or incentivising key employees, the UK offers some of the most generous tax-advantaged schemes available.

SEIS and EIS For businesses raising capital from angel investors or early-stage funds, SEIS and EIS qualification can significantly reduce the cost of equity. We advise on qualifying conditions and advance assurance applications, structuring investment rounds to maximise investor reliefs, compliance certificates (EIS3/SEIS3) and ongoing reporting, and investor-side tax mechanics including income tax relief, CGT exemption and loss relief.

EMI Share Schemes Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) are the most tax-efficient way for qualifying companies to incentivise key employees with equity. We advise on scheme design and HMRC valuation, option agreements and exercise mechanics, annual EMI returns and compliance, and interaction with other share-based arrangements including growth shares and CSOP.