Media Group

Our dedicated Media Group helps media businesses to ensure the financial well-being of their organisations and frees up the owners and directors to focus on the more creative aspects of the business. The team is partner-led supported by a team of media sector specialists.

We will provide you with the sound financial base you require to concentrate on managing and growing your business. We understand that in a highly competitive marketplace cash flow and financial performance are often major concerns. We can help address these concerns with you, ensuring your media business operates profitability and cost effectively, using best practice wherever possible

Our services have evolved in response to all the issues our clients have had inrunning a successful media business. We are here to provide ideas and advice that will add to your business:

Business Advice

We act not just as your accountants but as your business advisers, helping you with planning and strategy in order to achieve your objectives. We will make practical recommendations on how to resolve business issues, improve processes and optimise the impact on your bottom line

Managing Growth and Realising Value

If you have plans for growing your media business, then we are on hand to help you with growth management, deal structuring and funding growth. We will also advise you on the complexities of buying or selling should this arise

Tax Planning

One of our key strengths is in tax planning. Tax, including international tax, is considered in everything we do for our clients. We can assist you in minimising corporation tax liabilities whilst complying with tax legislation. We can discuss your potential business developments in order to bring relevant, practical and tested tax ideas to your attention. Our media tax specialists are dedicated to the efficient and timely management of tax issues. We will keep you informed of current issues affecting the media industry.

R&D tax credits

We have specific experience of research and development credit claims in the sector and have negotiated significant rebates and enhanced deductions for companies we act for, often identifying that a valid claim exists as part of our tax reviews

Employee Incentives and personal tax planning

Incentivising and retaining staff is a key issue for many media businesses. We have worked with our clients to provide a range of tax efficient incentives including equity based rewards such as share option schemes. We can also advise on personal tax issues. We have the ability to provide support clients on HR and employee issues.

Financial Rewards for Owners

Many of our clients are owner managed businesses. We advise on the best mix of financial rewards to minimise tax liabilities without undue risk. We take into account plans for the business as well as plans for the owners.

Audit

We can provide audit services where necessary as we have many media clients requiring a statutory audit. Our audit approach is modified to accommodate the nuances of each sector. The audit of a television production company for example differs significantly to that of a broadcaster.

International

Our international expertise includes media specific cross border and transfer pricing work. We have acted for subsidiaries of international groups with UK establishments. Some of our UK clients have overseas operations through subsidiaries and branches, requiring co-ordination with overseas advisers, often part of our GMN International network.

Who we help

Our Media Group brings together the expertise across the firm and focuses on

Television – broadcast, production, post production
Advertising and marketing – creative, digital, production, media buying, PR
Publishing – magazine and periodicals, B2B and B2C, digital, distribution

We also have clients in music, film and theatre.

Our typical client is a highly entrepreneurial, owner managed business but many are of significant scale and most come with an international element.

Usually our clients are growing in scale and often seek support in managing this growth. Managing cash flow and profitability often becomes a business critical matter. Exploiting intellectual property and rights is a regular area of advice. International expansion is almost the norm in our rapidly expanding digital landscape. We welcome the opportunity to work with media businesses in addressing these and all other issues they may face.

How we help

We believe what makes us different is how we look after our clients. Nothing is more important to us than helping businesses and the people who run them to realise their potential. We measure our success by our clients’ success and the length of the relationships we have with them.

We do this by providing a service that is always partner-led. Clients have our direct dial numbers and we hope and expect to be the first place they'd turn to for advice and support on any issue. By having access to partners directly it means that clients can get pertinent advice as quickly as is possible.

Accessibility and speed of response are key aspects of our service.

That's something that most advisers talk about so here’s some evidence to demonstrate how committed we are:

Goodman Jones genuinely understands us, our company and our history. That is invaluable.
Helen Davies – FD, Clinic

Our clients are our best source of referrals with most new work coming from existing client introductions.

We have a very high client retention rate due to the strong relationships we build with clients, who see us not only providing compliance services but being a first port of call for business advice.

We speak the same language as our clients, we don’t use technical jargon.

We take an active involvement in the sector, monitoring emerging business issues that will have an impact on our clients. We also have a network of specialist advisers both in the UK and overseas in order to provide our media clients with an all- encompassing service.

We are members of The Royal Television Society and The Media Society and regularly attend their events. We also attend MIPCOM, Cannes Lions, and Broadcast Live.

Our team has an affinity for the creative sector. We love what you do!

We are passionate about providing our clients with a service and attention that earns us a long-lasting relationship and the chance to watch the business evolve.