Private equity (PE) is transforming industries around the world, and that is increasingly true of accountancy.Private equity capital is flowing into professional services as asset managers look for new opportunities in ahighly competitive investment environment. The influx of money, and often business expertise can also be beneficial to accountants, but the relationship isnot without challenges and needs to be carefully considered and managed. Accountancy – an appealing asset It’s not surprising that many PE investors view accountancy as a potentially lucrative investment. Accountancyfirms are solid, well-established operations at the heart of local business communities. They offer positivecashflows, recurring revenues and low risk. As their role evolves from a technical one to something morestrategic and advisory, the sector may be significantly undervalued. At the same time, the transformation of accountants into trusted business partners requires investment – intalent, technology and potentially, acquisitions. The growth focus that PE investment brings can also createopportunities for staff while also enhancing the service offering for clients. Compromise is key But for this to work, there needs to be an alignment of cultures and values. PE typically brings a commercialmindset and expects fast returns. A five-to-seven year exit plan is not always compatible with the traditionalaccountancy partnership model and its focus on long-term client relationships. For a PE investment to work, both parties will have to move towards the middle. The key for accountancy firmsis to ensure an alignment on vision, timelines and leadership continuity before accepting PE investment. Sayingyes to PE capital suggests an acceptance of the need for faster and more focused growth, but that cannot comeat the expense of the values that brought success in the first place. Consider the future In the scheme of things, five, six or seven years is not a long time. After that, PE investors will be expecting asignificant return on investment, achieved through resale, IPO or management buyout. In other words, things are going to change again. This can be positive, as the firm settles into a period of calm consolidation after a period of accelerated PE-driven expansion. But you do need to think about what the post-PE landscape might look like when you accept the investment in the first place. In particular, how might the PE timeline affect long-term decision-making, partner succession and brandsustainability? What is the plan for talent retention and service continuity at the end of the investment period? Network challenges For firms that are part of a global network like UHY, another consideration is the impact on cross-bordercollaboration. When firms accept PE investment, the network needs to guard against any dilution of brandidentity or collaborative instinct. Dynamics around shared investments can also change and need to be carefullymanaged. UHY’s own member firm in the US has concluded a commercial agreement to take PE capital but as a foundingfirm of the international network remains as committed to UHY now as it was 40 years ago, with values andcollaborative culture still a driving force for continued success. PE funding will add momentum to what isalready there. Nevertheless, networks like ours may need to develop clear policies on PE involvement tomaintain cohesion and ensure mutual benefit. The right PE support can bring benefits In many jurisdictions, non-accountants are restricted from owning equity in firms offering audit or otherregulated services. This can be addressed by ringfencing audit functions, using multi-disciplinary partnerships orlicensing brand/IP to an operating company. But firms must ensure that attracting PE will not breachprofessional standards. It is one more factor to consider before accepting PE investment. Private equity involvement brings majorchange, and like all changes it needs to be carefully considered and meticulously planned. It is not something toleap into without eyes wide open. Nevertheless, sympathetic PE ownership can help firms invest for the future and take the step up fromtechnical services providers to trusted business partners. It is not for everyone, but PE is at least worthconsidering if you are looking to accelerate the next stage of your business development journey. Autor Rhys Madoc – Chief Executive Officer UHY International

Dentro de las labores catalogadas como actividades de cumplimiento tributario, está la de presentardeclaraciones tributarias, cuyo objetivo debe ser el de realizar la presentación y pago de manera oportuna yque la declaración hubiere sido correctamente realizada en manera tal que su validez como documento no seaobjeto de reproche posterior. En este orden de ideas, recordemos que la declaración tributaria para quien cumple el deber de presentación, es la manifestación del valor del o de los tributos a su cargo (monto del pasivo), es documento soporte de cumplimiento, y es insumo para el reconocimiento contable respectivo; por su parte, para la autoridad tributaria es título ejecutivo de cobro en caso que fuere necesario requerir su pago por vía persuasiva y/o judicial, y es también un documento que puede controvertir por medio del proceso de fiscalización siempre que el mismo sea realizado antes que transcurra el término de firmeza.  El propósito es que todo esté acorde cuando se cumple el deber de declarar, sin embargo, dicha actividad no está exenta de errores. En esta oportunidad mencionaremos situaciones irregulares que pueden ocurrir trayendo como consecuencia, que la declaración remitida a la administración tributaria pueda entenderse como no válida o no presentada, con implicaciones y alcance diversos, que pretendemos abordar en el cuadro adjunto:   CHANGE REQUIRES TRUST The key to successful change is trust, the key to trust is communication, and the key to effective communication is clarity of purpose.  Articulate your goal Change is disruptive. It will impact the working lives of your employees, and just the prospect of change can lead to confusion and anxiety. To counter that, explain in detail and well ahead of time what the purpose of the change is, and what it will mean for the business. Then dig deeper – articulate the benefits of the change at the department, team and individual level. Help colleagues to understand the benefits of a successful change and the positive impacts on them. Stress the importance of collective action When change projects fail, it is often because employees do not have any immediate input into the change process. By contrast, when staff take ownership of change they are more likely to commit to its success. Stress the need for collective action, involve all relevant employees at the planning stage and then for the entirety of the change process, and give key members of staff specific roles and responsibilities. Invite debate Not everyone will agree with what you want to do or how you intend to do it. You need to take these opinions on board. Discussion and debate is healthy, and may actually lead to a better project. Outside consultants can be helpful, but employees who have insider knowledge on specific obstacles to change in your organisation – and ideas on how to do things more effectively – are invaluable. Create project-specific communication channels and give your teams the opportunity to critique, debate and smooth the path to change. Keep talking One mistake organisations often make is to offer opportunities for discussion and feedback at the start of a change management process, but not thereafter. By keeping the channels of communication open you are more likely to get early notice of upcoming roadblocks or growing staff frustration. People who have experienced the first phase of a large project will be in a better position to suggest ways of making the following phases flow more easily. Slice large projects into smaller chunks Working towards a distant goal can be demoralising – so split projects into sections and bring goals forward. Large change projects may naturally divide into multiple phases with distinct milestones. Even if they don’t, create milestones with interim goals to your overall objective and celebrate the successful completion of each phase. When a milestone is reached, recognise the achievements of those who contributed. Accept setbacks Inevitably, there will be challenges. When activities do not go to plan, accept it, learn from it and move on. Trying to hide challenges will only frustrate employees who are working valiantly to overcome them. Be transparent and open to fresh suggestions, whether a project is going smoothly or not. Be sensitive to changes in culture Change can have a significant impact on the culture of an organisation and individual teams. It can make people uncomfortable and less responsive to the challenges ahead. Be aware and be ready to listen and respond if you detect a rise in tension or if an employee raises an issue that requires focused, positive action. Change is a reality for businesses of all sizes, and how effective organisations are at managing it can make the difference between survival or decline. At UHY we try to embrace change in an open positive way, which means we can always be receptive to new methods of working – an approach that has served our member firms and their clients well. STRONG, FOCUSED LEADERSHIP None of this will happen without strong, focused leadership. It is up to your leadership team to create a culture of change that prioritises collaboration on the path to a common goal. Positive change is essential as firms evolve to meet new challenges and grasp new opportunities, so learning to manage change effectively is the key to future-proofing your business.  Autor Rhys Madoc – Chief Executive Officer UHY International

Organisational change is not easy. According to one survey of workers in the US, employees who experience change at work are more likely to report chronic work-related stress, and more of them plan to leave their organisation within a year (1). As we all know, stressed employees are less productive, and replacing experienced members of staff can be expensive and disruptive. With those facts in mind, it is clear that the better your business handles organisational change, the more manageable and successful that change is likely to be. What do we mean by change? It can mean anything from a merger with another business to implementing a new IT system. It might mean an office move, or a comprehensive restructuring of business teams. Whatever the change, it needs to be handled in a sensitive and collaborative way. The days when senior management could demand change and expect everybody to just get on with it are well and truly over.   CHANGE REQUIRES TRUST The key to successful change is trust, the key to trust is communication, and the key to effective communication is clarity of purpose.  Articulate your goal Change is disruptive. It will impact the working lives of your employees, and just the prospect of change can lead to confusion and anxiety. To counter that, explain in detail and well ahead of time what the purpose of the change is, and what it will mean for the business. Then dig deeper – articulate the benefits of the change at the department, team and individual level. Help colleagues to understand the benefits of a successful change and the positive impacts on them. Stress the importance of collective action When change projects fail, it is often because employees do not have any immediate input into the change process. By contrast, when staff take ownership of change they are more likely to commit to its success. Stress the need for collective action, involve all relevant employees at the planning stage and then for the entirety of the change process, and give key members of staff specific roles and responsibilities. Invite debate Not everyone will agree with what you want to do or how you intend to do it. You need to take these opinions on board. Discussion and debate is healthy, and may actually lead to a better project. Outside consultants can be helpful, but employees who have insider knowledge on specific obstacles to change in your organisation – and ideas on how to do things more effectively – are invaluable. Create project-specific communication channels and give your teams the opportunity to critique, debate and smooth the path to change. Keep talking One mistake organisations often make is to offer opportunities for discussion and feedback at the start of a change management process, but not thereafter. By keeping the channels of communication open you are more likely to get early notice of upcoming roadblocks or growing staff frustration. People who have experienced the first phase of a large project will be in a better position to suggest ways of making the following phases flow more easily. Slice large projects into smaller chunks Working towards a distant goal can be demoralising – so split projects into sections and bring goals forward. Large change projects may naturally divide into multiple phases with distinct milestones. Even if they don’t, create milestones with interim goals to your overall objective and celebrate the successful completion of each phase. When a milestone is reached, recognise the achievements of those who contributed. Accept setbacks Inevitably, there will be challenges. When activities do not go to plan, accept it, learn from it and move on. Trying to hide challenges will only frustrate employees who are working valiantly to overcome them. Be transparent and open to fresh suggestions, whether a project is going smoothly or not. Be sensitive to changes in culture Change can have a significant impact on the culture of an organisation and individual teams. It can make people uncomfortable and less responsive to the challenges ahead. Be aware and be ready to listen and respond if you detect a rise in tension or if an employee raises an issue that requires focused, positive action. Change is a reality for businesses of all sizes, and how effective organisations are at managing it can make the difference between survival or decline. At UHY we try to embrace change in an open positive way, which means we can always be receptive to new methods of working – an approach that has served our member firms and their clients well. STRONG, FOCUSED LEADERSHIP None of this will happen without strong, focused leadership. It is up to your leadership team to create a culture of change that prioritises collaboration on the path to a common goal. Positive change is essential as firms evolve to meet new challenges and grasp new opportunities, so learning to manage change effectively is the key to future-proofing your business.  Autor Rhys Madoc – Chief Executive Officer UHY International