MHA Moore and Smalley predicts record number of deals to start 2021

MHA Moore and Smalley is predicting a record number of deals taking place in the first quarter of 2021 after advising on more than £200m of activity in the ten months to October.

Andrew Feeke, the Preston-based firm's head of corporate finance believes that the widely anticipated changes to the capital gains tax regime next year, together with strong liquidity among funders, could lead to a record volume of deals between January 1 and April 5.

He predicts that even after some of the government loan schemes end, there will still be good levels of deal finance available as alternative funders look to continue their growth and enhance their client base. In the near term, there will remain strong appetite from private equity funders for well-managed businesses in the tech and healthcare sectors.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak asked the Office for Tax Simplification (OTS), an independent arm of the Treasury, to identify opportunities to simplify capital gains tax in relation to individuals and small businesses. 

Higher rate taxpayers currently pay a rate of 28% on gains on property and 20% on gains from other chargeable assets like shares. Basic rate taxpayers pay 18% on gains on property and 10% on other assets. A reduced rate of capital gains tax of 10%, formerly known as Entrepreneurs Relief (now Business Asset Disposal Relief), also applies to individuals selling all or part of a business, providing certain criteria are met.

The OTS published a report in November in which it recommended bringing capital gains tax rates more in line with income tax rates and a reduction in the annual tax allowance. With this as a backdrop, it is thought the chancellor could implement some changes to the tax rates as part of his next budget.

Andrew said: "Our deal activity has remained strong throughout the pandemic period with our team kept busy on deals spanning different sectors, including cross border deals. Many of the legal advisors and private equity contacts I speak to are witnessing a recent increase in activity levels.

"Our short-term pipeline of deals remains incredibly strong and a key driver of this is the possible increase in capital gains tax rates, likely to be introduced from April next year. We’re looking at a lot of MBO activity and Employer Ownership Trust transactions as owners, particularly those with cash on the balance sheet, look to accelerate transactions to realise value from the business before any potential changes come in.

"There is obviously uncertainty over capital gains tax after April which will probably weight the majority of next year’s deal activity in quarter one. However, I’m confident that even if we see a dip in activity for a few months, it will stabilise in the second half of next year and we’ll still see a similar amount of deal activity overall."

Andrew also warned: "On a more concerning note, I suspect there will also be an increase in business turnaround transactions when some of the pandemic support, such as Time to Pay arrangements come to an end and we may well see a number of pre-pack deals going through. The timing of the return of ‘Crown Preference’ could not be better from a HMRC perspective, providing HMRC with more power in an insolvency process."

• For further Lancashire business news, advice and analysis subscribe to Lancashire Business View or join the LBV Hub from just £2.50 per month. Click here to subscribe now.