Financial Consulting & Transaction Advisory / Due Diligence
Due Diligence Services
Due diligence that shows what is actually being bought, earnings quality, hidden liabilities and the gap between story and books.
Overview
What this means in practice
Every acquisition price rests on claims: about earnings, working capital, compliance and what the seller has not mentioned. Due diligence is how those claims get tested before money moves. The financial and tax due diligence work examines the quality of earnings, the reality of the balance sheet, the compliance positions that could become the buyer's liabilities, and the related-party arrangements that change the economics, reported in findings that map directly to price, terms and warranties.
Who this is for
- ✓Buyers acquiring companies, business units or significant stakes
- ✓Investors entering SMEs and family businesses
- ✓Lenders and family offices testing a proposal before committing
- ✓Sellers running vendor due diligence to prepare before buyers arrive
What we help with
Quality of earnings analysis: sustainability, one-offs and accounting policy effects
Working capital trends and the normalised level the price should assume
Debt, contingent liabilities, guarantees and off-book obligations
Direct and indirect tax compliance review with quantified exposures
Related-party transaction analysis and dependence risks
Red-flag reporting tied to price adjustments, warranties and conditions
Documents typically required
- ✓Financial statements and audit reports for recent years
- ✓Management accounts and MIS for current periods
- ✓Tax filings and assessment status across direct and indirect taxes
- ✓Loan, guarantee and major contract documentation
- ✓Related-party transaction details and group structure
Common Questions
Questions clients bring to this practice
Are the profits you are paying for real, recurring and properly stated?
What taxes, dues or disputes will quietly transfer with the company?
How much of the business runs through related parties at non-market terms?
Our Process
A structured CA-led process from records to resolution.
Agree scope and the questions the deal actually turns on
Work the data room and management interviews against original records
Quantify findings and their impact on price, terms and risk allocation
Report clearly and support the negotiation of what diligence found
FAQs
Common questions, answered plainly
How long does due diligence take?
A focused SME review typically runs two to four weeks from data room access, depending on the quality of records. Poor records extend the timeline, and are themselves a finding.
What is quality of earnings, in plain terms?
Whether the profit shown is the profit you will actually receive as the new owner, after removing one-time items, unsustainable arrangements, under-provisioning and accounting choices that flatter the picture. It is usually the single most price-relevant part of diligence.
Is diligence worth it on a small deal?
Scope can be cut to fit the deal, but skipping diligence entirely means accepting the seller's numbers on trust. The most expensive findings we make are usually on deals the buyer almost closed without checking.
What if diligence finds serious problems?
Then it has done its job. Findings translate into price adjustments, escrows, warranties, conditions to closing, or a decision to walk away, which is sometimes the highest-return outcome of the entire process.
Do you do vendor due diligence for sellers?
Yes. Finding and fixing your own issues before buyers do keeps control of the narrative and the price. Vendor diligence consistently pays for itself in smoother negotiations.