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Ian Mills, Senior Partner, PKF (UK) LLP

Every business - whether it has been going a hundred years or a hundred days - goes through a cycle of growth and development. The length of that cycle ultimately depends on your business sector, how you deliver on your ambitions, and the success of your business model. PKF’s aim is to advise the founders, shareholders and directors of developing businesses on the issues they face at each stage of their evolution - and improve their business performance. In the articles included in this section we highlight some of the key areas on which we are working with our clients to help them understand and develop their business and their goals in the coming years:

Pensions

Pensions have been a hot topic during 2005 and with A-Day on 6 April 2006 fast approaching, it is vital to look at what the changes mean for your company. In two articles on pensions, we consider the impact that A-Day will have on your business. There are a number of options for your existing pension schemes, and understanding current or potential problems, communicating changes to staff, thinking laterally about the options and adapting to the new legislation will be a challenge for most companies in the coming year.

Corporate Finance

In 2005, the Alternative Investment Market celebrated its tenth birthday. The evolution of the three London markets - AIM, the Official List and Ofex - has enabled companies to choose a market that suits their needs. PKF considers the nature of the three markets today and the process involved in going public.

A second article looks at the trend for business leaders to make a career change and move into the world of private equity.

Forensic accounting

Fraud is something that affects other businesses - this typical denial is one of the factors that stop businesses from identifying and tackling fraud and the risks that lead to it. PKF takes an in-depth look at assessing risks and tackling financial crime. Advances in data-mining technology are one weapon in the fight against fraud - new tools have made it much easier to detect certain sorts of fraud and fraud risks.

Tax

There have a been a number of changes to UK tax laws and PKF looks at what these changes mean for businesses and reviews the possible changes that could affect you in the year to come. In a second article, we examine the proposed changes to tax on leased plant and machinery that will be effective from 1 April 2006.

PKF has been delighted to be associated with this edition of CEO Today. This highly informative magazine offers its readers a broad scope of coverage keeping CEOs abreast of the latest developments in corporate finance, HR, technology, outsourcing, health&safety and corporate property. We trust you will find CEO Today an interesting and worthwhile publication which will assist you in your day-to-day decision making.

Biography

Ian Mills is Senior Partner at PKF (UK) LLP. He became PKF's UK senior partner in 2005, having joined the firm as a partner in 1983. Prior to this, Mr Mills served as a senior inspector of taxes in the Inland Revenue. He has extensive experience of all direct taxation issues relevant to owner-managed businesses and listed companies as well as their shareholders. One particular area of expertise is the conduct of negotiations with the Inland Revenue in serious tax investigations: in this respect he regularly provides consultancy services to other professional firms.

 

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