Accountants for Buying a Business

Buying a business is one of the most significant decisions you’ll ever make. Many business owners feel overwhelmed by the complexities, from understanding financial statements and negotiating fair purchase prices to ensuring tax efficiency and structuring the acquisition for long‑term success.

Our Perth-based accountants and business advisors are available to assist you, using their first-hand experiences to help make your journey into business ownership a success.

BOOK A FREE MEETING WITH A BUSINESS ACCOUNTANT

 

Most Popular Accounting Services for Business Purchases

Pre-Purchase Sanity Check & Structuring Advice

 

From $2,000 (excl. GST)

Business Acquisition Advice

Due Diligence Advice

 

From $5,000 (excl. GST)

Due Diligence Service

Advanced Tax & Asset Protection Strategies Report

 

$4,000 (excl. GST)

Tax Minimisation Strategies Report

Advice from Accountants for Buying a Business in Western Australia

The rest of this page is dedicated to providing you with an overview of the typical problems and associated solutions with regard to buying a business. These apply whether you are buying a business in Perth, elsewhere in WA or across Australia.

We’ve helped countless people along the business acquisition journey and stand ready to help you. When you’re ready to talk, book a meeting or send an enquiry.

The Problem:
When you’re considering buying a business, questions immediately arise: Are the financials as healthy as they appear? Could hidden liabilities derail your investment? Will the purchase structure suit your future growth plans? Without clear, specialist advice, you risk making costly decisions that could jeopardise your new venture’s success.

Our Solution:
At Munro’s, we take a holistic, problem‑solving approach. We work with you from the initial assessment through to closing the deal. Our process includes:

  • Comprehensive Due Diligence: We review financial records, assess cash flow and identify potential risks.
  • Tailored Acquisition Advice: We guide you through negotiations, assist with business valuation and recommend the optimal purchase structure, ensuring that the business fits your growth ambitions.
  • Tax & Compliance Strategies: Our specialists ensure that every transaction complies with Australian tax laws and that you benefit from available concessions and planning opportunities.
  • Ongoing Support: After the deal is closed, we continue to support you with business advisory and accounting services that help you integrate your new acquisition smoothly, attend to ongoing accounting and tax, and plan for future growth.

Key Outcomes and Benefits:

  • Informed Decision-Making: With our thorough due diligence, you gain a clear picture of the business’s true value and potential.
  • Risk Mitigation: We identify red flags early so that you can avoid costly pitfalls.
  • Optimised Structure: Our recommendations not only protect your investment but also set the stage for tax efficiencies and long‑term business growth.
  • Peace of Mind: With Munro’s by your side, you can focus on the opportunities ahead, confident that you’re making a secure investment.

Problem 1: FOMO

The fear of missing out is so powerful and can lead people to make terrible decisions. Buying a business requires you to put a lot of wealth on the line. You’ve got to think clearly and sceptically.

Solution
Be sceptical.

Outcome
Reduce the chance of buying an overpriced / non-profitable business.

Problem 2: Financing

How are you going to fund the purchase of the business? Do you need extra funds to satisfy ongoing financial obligations? What additional liabilities, guarantees and risks are you going to take on? Will you have sufficient cash to survive and eventually thrive?

Solution
Appropriate funding.

Outcome
The money you need to survive and thrive.

Problem 3: Setup for Future Tax Success

Tax is generally unavoidable, but the amount of tax you pay in the future will be heavily influenced by decisions made now.

Solution
Setup tax planning.

Outcome
Bare minimum tax.

Problem 4: Assets & Liability Protection

Operating a business increases exposures to extra liabilities and requires safeguarding of existing and new wealth as best as possible.

Solution
Basic asset protection + optionally advanced protection.

Outcome
At least the bare minimum wealth protection you should have.

Problem 5: How to De-risk

When arranging a due diligence, you should really follow the classic wisdom: you can’t just look at the iceberg above the ocean surface because there is so much hidden and dangerous below.

Solution
Comprehensive due diligence.

Outcome
Make a fully informed decision and know what you’re getting into.

Problem 6: Going into Business with Others

Whether you’re going into business with family or friends, it’s important to recognise that business life and the stresses it brings will give rise to new and sometimes challenging issues.

Solution
Clearly defined and understood intent with a proactive dispute resolution agreement.

Outcome
Mitigate the potential of messy and costly future disputes.

Problem 7: Setup Bookkeeping in Xero, MYOB, Quickbooks, etc

We cannot stress enough how vital it is to setup an accurate accounting system from the beginning.

Solution
Startup bookkeeping.

Outcome
Clean financial information from the beginning as opposed to a costly, uninformative mess.

Problem 8: Employing People

Employment, tax and superannuation laws impose a heavy burden on employers and you must give this responsibility the attention and care it requires.

Solution
Skilful and pragmatic support with implementing employment basics.

Outcome
Legally compliant employment arrangements.

Problem 9: Business Ownership Education

There is no one who knows everything about business. From the moment you buy your business, you’ll need to continually upskill to meet the challenges. Don’t start from scratch; tap into the knowledge and learnings of others.

Solution
Sprints, blended learning, community insights and coaching.

Outcome
The best leader you can become, as quickly as you can get there.

Frequently Asked Questions for Buying a Business

  1. What are the first steps in buying a business?
    Before proceeding, you should conduct preliminary research, understand your financial capacity (can you get a loan) and arrange for specialist advice. We help you assess whether a business aligns with your growth plans.

  2. How do I know if a business is fairly valued?
    Our valuation process uses multiple methods to ensure accuracy, considering cash flow, assets and market trends. We compare industry benchmarks to determine a fair price.

  3. What if I find hidden liabilities during due diligence?
    Identifying risks early is crucial. We advise on mitigating strategies and this may allow you to renegotiate terms based on unforeseen liabilities, ensuring you don’t overpay for potential risks.

  4. How can tax planning help when buying a business?
    Effective tax planning can significantly reduce your tax burden in the future. We work with you to structure the deal in a tax‑efficient manner, ensuring you take advantage of all applicable concessions and deductions.

  5. Are your services available only in Perth?
    While Munro’s is proudly based in Perth with deep local expertise, our compliance and advisory strategies are effective for businesses throughout Australia.

  6. What makes Munro’s approach different?
    We are known as “The Professional Problem Solvers” because we focus on understanding your challenges and crafting tailored solutions. Our approach is transparent, value‑driven and backed by over 100 Google reviews praising our responsiveness and specialist advice.

  7. How can a business accountant help improve my profit following the acquisition?
    Our specialists don’t just crunch numbers; we provide actionable insights that can help optimise your operations, reduce unnecessary expenses and ultimately boost your profit margins.

  8. What is the price for your structuring and due diligence service?
    Our pricing is transparent and reflects the complexity of your needs. Please visit our pricing page and contact us for a personalised quote.

  9. How long does the buying process usually take?
    Every acquisition is unique. Generally, the process can take several months from initial enquiry to final settlement, depending on whether you’ve already identified a target acquisition, your access to business loans, the complexity of due diligence and negotiations.

  10. Can you help if I’m considering a franchise purchase?
    Absolutely. We have assisted many clients in purchasing franchises by evaluating their financial performance and negotiating favourable terms.

Where To Begin

Get To Know Each Other Meeting

 

FREE (incl. GST)

How We Get Started

Come Along To An Improve Session

 

First Session is FREE (incl. GST)

Upskilling Event for Business Leaders

Munro's, where client service matters

Top 2% ranked Australian Accounting Firm

Play Ranking Explained

  • ★★★★★ — Leslie & Joan O'Halloran

    MUNROS what a great team:

    Munros have supported 3 generations of the O’Halloran family from Kojonup over the past 50 years. Starting with Donald Munro when he was Wesfarmers client Accountant.

    We are very grateful for their ongoing support in all accounting matters. Simon, Christine and their team are always willing to help whenever we need it.

    Congratulations on your 50-year celebration. All the best for the future.

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  • ★★★★★ — Laura Hooton

    Great Firm. Have been dealing with Christine for a few years and she is always there for advice and willing to help. Highly recommend.

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  • ★★★★★ — Ward Adam

    The family began with Don Munro at Wesfarmers. Simon and his professional staff at Munros have continued to give excellent service and advice over many years. Lil Ward and Carol look forward to our association with you in the future. Congratulations on 50 years.

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  • ★★★★★ — Boz

    Huge thankyou to Drew, Rama and the whole Munro’s team. Great service and easy to deal with. Was an absolute pleasure. A+

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  • ★★★★★ — Glenn Elliott

    Drew and Simon offer an amazing service at Munro’s as professional accountants and I have been using them for over 10 years now. Their customer service is second to none and I always receive prompt and reliable advice. Well done guys, keep up the great work!!

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  • ★★★★★ — Mike Eames

    Drew and the team at Munros have managed our tax for the past 4-5 years. Drew has the expertise to resolve all our queries and always provides excellent service. We would highly recommend Drew and team.

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  • ★★★★★ — Greg Berlin

    Munros have been doing my family tax returns for the past 3 years, and I’ve been nothing but delighted with the service they’ve offered. They took on a relatively complex set of returns, including sharing of CGT benefits between myself and my partner, and did exactly what I hoped they’d do, and more. Not only that, they always went above and beyond to explain what they have done and why, keeping us happy and at ease at all times during the tax return processes.

    And to top it off, their knowledge of the crypto space is phenomenal, as are the tools they’ve developed to report and get the best possible returns with cryptos in mind.

    Give them a try, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

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  • ★★★★★ — Darryl Chester

    Congratulations on 50 years of accounting.
    Munro`s have managed our family business affairs for approximately 45 years.
    Thankyou.

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  • ★★★★★ — Adrian van Bart

    I came over to Australia with a highly complicated cryptocurrency investing and trading portfolio. I never realised that I had to declare this in my tax returns as I had never cashed out into my bank account. I soon discovered that every transaction is taxable irrespective of whether or not you cash out. I contacted Munro’s in an outright panic and was put through to Cherie and explained everything to her. She immediately put me at ease and took control of my situation. From the start it was evident that I was in the care of a real professional tax consultant. I handed her a nightmare on a plate (3 years of highly complicated transactions) and she seamlessly worked through it. Cherie has incredible knowledge and experience and through this, Munro’s saved us thousands of dollars. I will remain at Munro’s until the very end. Thank you Cherie, you are the most knowledgeable and professional tax consultant that I have ever dealt with.

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  • ★★★★★ — Esteban Aguilar

    Thanks Mike and the team for making it easy to process my personal tax and for answering all my questions and concerns around CGT.

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  • ★★★★★ — D C

    Munro’s is delivering excellent results for me. My initial engagement was a complex situation comprising of many years of outstanding returns in both the traditional and cryptocurrency space. Drew, Sanjay and Saul were able to rise to the challenge and managed the whole process including preparation, lodgement and dealing directly with the ATO. They have always been friendly, responsive, diligent and provide actionable advice based on observations they have made from my data and by also understanding my personal goals and objectives.

    I am confident I have the right team by my side with Munro’s and I highly recommend Munro’s to anyone looking for top quality service and advice.

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  • ★★★★★ — Pond Family

    Highly recommend Munro’s accounting firm AAA +++

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  • ★★★★★ — Pond Family

    Highly recommend Munro’s accounting firm AAA +++

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  • ★★★★★ — Markus Mark

    Munro’s are an outstanding outfit mastering in complicated tax situations and are highly focussed on providing a client centred approach. I presented Saul with a complicated case of overdue tax’s and substantial crypto and share trading activity. To say that he handled this situation with aplomb is an understatement. He resolved my situation promptly and what seemed to be with ease. Sure it is great to have your taxes done by consummate professionals but for me this is not their best feature. It is the customer service that I received that was outstanding and exceeded my expectations. He was extremely patient and dealt with my constant questioning with a great attitude. Always polite and willing to offer his professional advice I sincerely felt like a had an ally in my corner. Saul was a pleasure to work with and I look forward to next years Tax Time.

    Mark.

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  • ★★★★★ — Louise Maguire

    I required some complicated advice from a business accountant on an urgent matter. It involved legal issues and advice as well as accounting advice.
    I contacted Drew Pflaum of Munro’s via the website, and he got back to me very promptly.
    Drew showed that he was well able and indeed very keen to think outside the square.
    Nothing was too much trouble and he has some very valuable professional contacts that he is able to consult with if needed.
    With Drew’s obvious intelligence and honesty coupled with an enviable network of contacts, and his keen desire to achieve the best results possible in a timely manner, I have no hesitation in recommending him for any sort of business accounting advice.

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  • ★★★★★ — David Boddington

    From the small technical stuff to the sage big picture advice, Simon and team Munro’s have been patiently guiding and safeguarding our family’s financial journey for decades. THANKS !! Here’s to the next 50 years!

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  • ★★★★★ — Chris Johnston

    Drew Pflaum and Munro’s have been Fantastic with my crypto portfolio and their advise on my taxation requirements regarding this. I am also very impressed with their promptness, expertise and dedication in all my accounting matters. I would recommend their services to anyone who wants a professional and up to date accounting firm.

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  • ★★★★★ — Jocelyn McPhee

    Congratulations to Munro’s for achieving 50 years in business.

    Special thanks and appreciation to Mike, Barry and the many staff throughout the years who have supported myself and my family with their professional services.

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  • ★★★★★ — Julie Snooke

    Mike assisted with our farm succession planning. Thanks to Mike’s in depth knowledge on this subject, this process has been smooth and amicable. We highly recommend Mike and his team for family business succession.

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  • ★★★★★ — Faye Sanderson

    Munro’s have helped build our business from strength to strength for over 40 years! No problem or question has ever been too large or too small and all have been dealt with in a timely and efficient manner. Thanks to Simon, Carl and the team for your continual excellent service.

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  • ★★★★★ — Robert Elliott

    Brilliant accounting firm I have trusted for almost 30 years with all of my business and personal accounting. Their service is second to none.

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  • ★★★★★ — Nathan Pintabona

    Professional, insightful and always supporting. Christine and Munro’s has helped me through all avenue’s and queries regarding investment, tax return, property, super and general finance. Really appreciative of their work and highly recommend!

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  • ★★★★★ — Margaret

    Congratulations to Munros on reaching its 50 Year Milestone!  This excellent firm has efficiently handled our Family’s affairs for 45 years, and into its 3rd Generation.

    We have been grateful for conscientious and good advice from Ted and now from Mike.  Roll on the next 50 Years!

    Best wishes from the Hodgson Family.

    5 Stars!

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  • ★★★★★ — Val McAlpine

    David and I have been loyal clients of Munros for many years—I think since we were married in 1962. David made all the decisions in those early years. I became a more active partner as we worked with Ted Wilhelm and Ian Arblaster until their retirement. We then worked with Christine Prasetia for our financial, accounting, taxation and our wills until David’s death in May, 2017. Christine has patiently guided me through taking up the reins of our business venture. She is very efficient and totally reliable in all our dealings. I feel fortunate to have Christine as my accountant and business advisor. Thanking you, Val McAlpine

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  • ★★★★★ — Val McAlpine

    David and I have been loyal clients of Munros for many years—I think since we were married in 1962. David made all the decisions in those early years. I became a more active partner as we worked with Ted Wilhelm and Ian Arblaster until their retirement. We then worked with Christine Prasetia for our financial, accounting, taxation and our wills until David’s death in May, 2017. Christine has patiently guided me through taking up the reins of our business venture. She is very efficient and totally reliable in all our dealings. I feel fortunate to have Christine as my accountant and business advisor. Thanking you, Val McAlpine

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  • ★★★★★ — Gautam Sathivel

    One of the best decisions we made was switching our accounting services to Munro’s. Especial thanks for Saul and Brian for their extensive knowledge, understanding our business requirement, goals and most importantly keeping us compliant. Extremely happy to engage with this organisation and team.

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  • ★★★★★ — JD Duv

    I highly recommend Drew Pflaum at Munro’s for any matter relating to property, crypto, business tax, etc. I’ve recently met with Drew and he was very diligent and knowledgeable in explaining the best possible options/solutions I have available for my business. Drew is definitely the go-to person for any complex tax matters.

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  • ★★★★★ — Tom Robson

    Drew and the team have been excellent from the day we began our journey with Munro’s. They’ve always been prompt with communication and provide advice that is clear and easy to understand. We’ve been very happy with their service over the last 3 years and look forward to working with them into the future. Thanks Drew, Nick, Simon and Carl!

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  • ★★★★★ — iORGANiC

    I am very pleased to recommend Cherie and Munros. They are friendly, polite, energetic, honest and reliable. We feel in good hands with our taxation and business commitments. We have been delighted that Munros thoroughly understand our business structure and requirements. We are always treated with respect. We feel a sense of integrity infuses the company which is very important. We feel that Munro are up to date with the regulations and knowledge in their field. We have never been let down or kept waiting for an answer. Cherie and Munros have helped with our business forward planning and I would recommend them to anyone who need someone that listens and provides professional solutions without fuss. Thank you Cherie and Munros!

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  • ★★★★★ — Will S

    The team at Munro’s has been of great assistance to me over the years, with a particular special mention to Drew Pflaum. They’ve helped me navigate some complex tax matters with proactive, insightful, and pragmatic advice. I highly recommend them for anyone seeking expertise in this area. Thank you again to the whole team and especially to Drew.

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  • ★★★★★ — Michelle

    Drew has been exceptional. Very knowledgeable, easy to understand, timely with his responses, he came in to bat for us when we needed someone to do that. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.

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  • ★★★★★ — Bren Croll

    As soon as I saw that Munro’s were recommended by the cryptocurrency tracking app CoinTracking for tax advice, I knew they must be absolute pros.

    Munro’s will be my accountants for life now. Nothing was too much trouble and everything has gone so smoothly.

    Here’s what Carl fixed for me for my latest tax return:

    reconciled complex history from various crypto exchanges, some of which are now defunct, which I had spent several days trying to get various AI models to assist with to no avail

    fixed my balance issue in CoinTracking to accurately reflect my position

    Corrected purchase and sales history for employee shares scheme

    Adjust various mistakes from my previous accountants and carry forward the adjustments

    Scrutinised previous tax returns to adjust missed capital losses from a kitchen renovation completed over a decade ago on an investment property that can now be used to offset future capital gains.

    Provide clear advice on every single thing I asked with no hesitation. It’s so obvious that these guys have seen it all and done it all.

    Because I’m with Munro’s now, I feel SO much more confident about some big financial moves where the nightmarish tax implications would otherwise boggle the mind.

    Thank you so much!

    By the way, I wasn’t asked to do this review or sent one of those “please review us on Google” emails. I am posting this because I’m so happy with the service I was provided, it sells itself and I suppose a perfect 5 star rating with 140+ reviews is a testament to the fact that all of Munro’s customers have a similar experience to me. If you have complex tax affairs I don’t think you’ll find anyone better.

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  • ★★★★★ — Chloe Pritchard

    I was looking for a business advisor for my small business in the Perth area and stumbled across Munro’s. On the website I was able to conveniently book an initial meeting with them to find out how I could achieve long term growth. One of their business accountants, Drew, promptly replied back and even helped accommodate a meeting on an earlier date. I met with him at their Perth office, and he was beyond helpful. After the meeting he followed up with an email, comprehensively outlining what we had discussed with great tips to help me move forward with growing my business. I really appreciated that Munro’s was willing to take the time to meet with me and help me even though my business is still a little too small to pursue Munro’s services. Drew didn’t try and upsell me and was so helpful and realistic with what I should do at this current stage in my business.

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  • ★★★★★ — Andy & Mary

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  • ★★★★★ — Doug Harwood

    Congratulations Munro’s… on your 50th year celebration.

    It has been a pleasure working with you, since we opened our business 8 years ago. In particular, Ben Paul has been supporting us for the whole journey so far and we can highly recommend his expertise & friendly service.

    Geoff, Doug & Yvonne Harwood

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