Company acquisition & sale
As a rule, you only sell your own business once. Taking over a market companion can be part of the strategy or a happy coincidence. We plan and structure the process with you, even across borders, and take an active part in its implementation. Even when it comes to an investment you want to buy or sell, we help with valuation, information on subsequent financial and tax obligations, and transaction advice and implementation.
Company sales – not a one-way street
They are family businesses and that means that we look upon the whole process of selling a company from the end, too, from different perspectives and stick to our values: “The decision not to sell was very difficult for us. There was also a certain amount of disappointment. We had decided to sell long before, the family agreed. We also talked to our tax advisor. Then the whole process started – preparatory change of legal form with distributions and notary contracts, parallel valuation of our company to have an idea of the purchase price, and the preparation of a short presentation of our company. Our tax advisor then drew up a list of potential buyers, partly independently and partly with our help, and prepared a confidentiality agreement with a lawyer. With this, the potential interested parties were approached. We did not want any competitive bidding for our company, so we chose one out of two serious interested parties with whom we negotiated exclusivity for 3 months. This was followed by due diligence by his auditor and lawyer. It was a lot of work, all the audit reports, bank documents, personnel files, information about our customers and suppliers – but everything was in order. Then came the negotiations: we quickly agreed on the price. Then the catch – the buyer didn’t want to take on our second man, though essential member of our management team, and I was supposed to work for another 3 years. We didn’t like that at all, we would have continued to work as a team, but everything alone with a new shareholder – that was out of the question for us. And so the buyer said it would be too big a financial risk for him and it would also fit badly into his company. I think our second man and the buyer didn’t trust each other. No reproach from either side, but we then ended the process. We decided for ourselves to sell in 3 years, then our second man will be retired and we will be 70, until then we are happy to continue.”
Further services
We help you to navigate through the maze of German tax law.
Digital tax consultancy
Digital in/out client portal, digital transfer of your documents to us for accounting, financial statements and tax returns, digital payroll office – we are not the first, not the fastest with this service, but we are continuously expanding it. We can install these interfaces with you and use them in the daily battle.
Asset building
Your own company, rented real estate, a securities account with shares, distributing or accumulating funds – even statutory or private pension insurance contribute to asset accumulation. We will work this out with you!
Financial and investment planning
Sure, you can do without – if you have enough money in your account or know what works from your gut. For everyone else: Makes sense! Planning with details on depreciation, personnel cost development, development of inventories and changes in inventories, pre-tax and after-tax results, with cash flow and assessment of debt servicing capacity is indispensable if a really big investment is in the offing.
Your contact persons
Uwe Goebel
Managing director, tax consultant, lic. oec HSG
Stefanie Hülsmann
Managing director, tax consultant, business graduate (FH)