Capital allowances advisors

Construction claim assessment

Capital Allowances is a technical and specialist activity that requires an optimal blend of knowledge, experience, and attitude.

Read More Read Less

Our services are provided by senior advisers that have performed at the highest level across a variety of service platforms. Accounting, surveying and property consultancy experience blends together a considered and mature approach to claim solutions. We assume a thorough approach is required in all client requests but wherever possible we adopt simple, clear and disclosed services.

We believe capital allowances are an essential aspect in any project armoury and an invaluable value engineering tool. The inclusion of capital allowances estimates to project viability, feasibility, and financial modelling studies is paramount to enable our clients to fully consider project scope and returns. Maximising capital allowances then becomes an intrinsic project element, providing confidence to clients, and all stakeholders and interested parties.

Having a range of understanding through plant and machinery allowances, general plant, integral features, super deductions and first year allowances, structure and buildings allowances, contributions, grants, repairs, etc requires a holistic experienced approach to evaluate the best approach required.

Strategic acquisition advice

Our consultants have 20 plus years of advising on large and complex transactions through proactive planning and negotiation.

Read More Read Less

Best practice and a high level of understanding underpin capital allowances transaction strategies, whether in selling or buying scenarios. Adopting a bespoke forward-thinking strategy establishes a competitive advantage over the opposing transacting parties, and in this respect capital allowances is no different to client investment and negotiation advice. A little proactive planning using foresight and judgement goes a long way to providing knowledgeable and maximised tax outcomes.

The building fixtures environment has evolved many times over the last 20-30 years, with finally, in the last 5 years at least, HMRC achieving a greater level of control and transparency. Significant opportunities remain however, for both sellers and buyers through an understanding of seller structure and positioning, protection and creative use of allowances both unidentified or identified, or knowing the right information required at the right time out with the standard CPSE enquiries. The key to success is in engaging the right expert early.

Sectorising allowances

All industry sectors are unique but require a tailored and transferable approach of core disciplines.

Read More Read Less

Our cross trained senior surveying and tax experts have a unique set of skills which are required to assess, evaluate, review and document optimised capital allowances claims for our clients. We believe that core capabilities are essential to maximise savings in all industry sectors including offices, hotels and leisure, healthcare, manufacturing and so on. Whilst some industries require a more truly specialised approach such as the water industry or previously sports stadia and grounds (safety at work), we are also firm advocates of establishing expert knowledge in our client sectors.

Years of experience in listening to our clients business ideas and aspirations has taught us where best to place our focus in building strategies to increase allowances and savings. Existing building alterations may throw up a high degree of incidental assets, hotel projects will include a significant amount of embellishments and finishes, and healthcare builds will contain a high incidence of protective and clean assets. We listen, we learn, and we understand to how best develop our services to serve our individual clients.

Land remediation relief

An extremely rewarding tax relief that necessitates a highly specialised level of qualitative due diligence.

Read More Read Less

Capital allowances advice requires a good degree of technical due diligence and entitlement considerations, and a high focus on analytical cost skills. However, the extremely valuable land remediation relief requires an opposing approach. To secure this relief It is fundamentally important to carry out a thorough understanding and review of all relevant client, transaction, property, environmental considerations, remediation strategy, and relevant costs to advise clients property. Failure to do so could be very costly.

A full review of this tax relief by HMRC several years back resulted in higher levels of legislative entitlement to focus the financial benefit where previously intended. Robust due diligence is key and must be enacted with the both the client’s and project consultant’s assistance to enable full disclosure of all relevant case facts. Our consultants are highly motivated to ensuring all client’s take advantage of this valuable project saving but with the correct, detailed approach.

Key capital allowances contacts

Peter O'Brien

    • Principal & Managing Director
    • Valuation Advisory Services
peter.o'[email protected]
Peter O'Brien

News and updates

Avison Young analysis shows investor confidence grows in industrial sector as big-box investment volumes rise 9% year-on-year

An aerial image of a group of large industrial warehouse buildings 30 April 2025

New analysis by Avison Young reveals a resilient start to 2025 for the UK industrial and logistics sector, with big-box investment activity increasing by 9% year-on-year in Q1. The sector also recorded stable rental growth across most regions, with Scotland seeing a notable 3% rise in rents, highlighting ongoing demand for high-quality logistics space.

The Q1 investment total reached £393 million which is still below the five-year Q1 average, however, this is being driven by a lack of investment stock available within the market. Strong appetite remains from investors with the Southeast seeing the highest level of activity, totalling £130m whilst volumes in the Northwest totalled £75m. Key transactions included Valor Real Estate Partner, QuadReal’s acquisition of Tesco Distribution Centre in Thurrock for £130m and Tritax Big Box’s purchase of the Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre in St Helens for £75m.

Leasing activity for big-box distribution units over 100,000 sq ft was slightly softer in Q1. A total of 4.6 million sq ft of Grade A space was leased – 10% lower than the three-year Q1 average. Almost two-thirds (63%) of activity took place in the East Midlands, where the ‘Golden Triangle’ reaffirmed its strength through major deals including Amazon’s 956,000 sq ft facility in Kettering and DHL’s 497,000 sq ft lease in Corby.

Yorkshire also recorded a strong start to the year, with Grade A big-box take-up reaching 1.2 million sq ft in Q1 alone – exceeding the total for the whole of 2024 (712,000 sq ft). This underlines growing occupier demand in the region for high-quality logistics space.

The supply pipeline also remains healthy. Compared to Q4 2024, Grade A big box space under construction grew by 8%, reaching 55.7 million sq ft. Speculative development rose by 14%, bringing new stock to the market and supporting future demand. While the proportion of second-hand space has increased, this is providing with greater choice in a tightening market.

David Willmer, Principal and Managing Director, Industrial and Logistics at Avison Young, said: “Our outlook for the big box market for the remainder of the year is positive. Despite the decline in take-up levels, compared to Q1 last year, over 4 million sq ft of space is already under offer in April this year.

“Enquiry levels for big-box space remain encouraging and we believe that activity will be close to that of 2024, which is similar to pre-pandemic levels. It is also encouraging to see a rise in investment volumes, compared to Q1 last year, highlighting the sectors’ resilience and investors’ appetite for industrial stock across the UK.”

About Avison Young

Avison Young creates real economic, social and environmental value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people. As a private company, our clients collaborate with an empowered partner who is invested in their success. Our integrated talent realizes the full potential of real estate by using global intelligence platforms that provide clients with insights and advantage. Together, we can create healthy, productive workplaces for employees, cities that are centers for prosperity for their citizens, and built spaces and places that create a net benefit to the economy, the environment and the community. Avison Young is a 2022 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for 11 consecutive years.