The experts saving the park industry thousands in tax.


Posted by Justin Allitt in Park Industry News, September 27, 2022

Sell My Group speaks to Zeal, Specialist Chartered Tax Advisors and Qualified Property Surveyors

WHAT DOES ZEAL DO AND WHAT IS THEIR USP?

Zeal are a team of Chartered Tax Advisors that specialise in tax relief claims on the ‘embedded fixtures’ found within commercial properties, holiday and residential parks. Items such as electrical & heating systems, kitchens, bathrooms, water pipework, alarms and more. Due to the need for technical tax knowledge and property surveying experts, this not something accountants typically claim unless they use an expert like Zeal.

The team behind Zeal set out to ‘break the mould’ of traditional firms who only focus on property investments of £1m +. We bring this previously inaccessible service to businesses formerly overlooked due to their size, helping them benefit from substantial tax savings and cash repayments that most didn’t even know they were entitled to.

Unlike other firms, Zeal do not simply prepare a report to give to an accountant or HMRC – this often generates unnecessary costs for clients and an additional burden for their advisors. Having an in-house team of Chartered Tax Advisors and surveyors enable us to provide a fully inclusive package to our clients. We offer a cradle-to-grave service that includes professional aftercare, at no extra cost.

Our team will determine the qualifying expenditure, work out the tax implications, submit revised tax returns and deal with any enquiries from HMRC (in the unlikely event they arise). Zeal also offer a range of high value tax services, ensuring businesses and investors pay the right amount of tax.

WHAT IS THEIR COMPANY VISION?

From day-one, the founders of Zeal wanted to do things differently and make claiming tax relief on ‘embedded fixtures’ simple, hassle free, cost effective and available to all businesses, no matter the size. Our vision is to change the way people think about tax by finding better ways for more businesses to benefit from available tax reliefs and untapped tax savings.

Tax is very rarely a favourite topic of discussion, however, Zeal’s aim is to put ‘tax on the agenda’ – helping owners better understand their tax position and ensure they only pay the right amount of tax (and no more). We are committed to making things better for our clients and will leave no stone unturned.

WHAT TYPE OF COMPANIES DO THEY WORK WITH?

Our team have a wealth of experience, especially in the hospitality sector, regularly helping owners of holiday homes, lodges and operators within the park industry. Zeal is the preferred partner for several well-established associations and organisations including Sell My Group, Sykes Holiday Cottages and The Association of Scottish Self-Caterers (ASSC). We are also members of the British Holiday & Home Park Association, National Holiday & Home Parks Alliance, and Park Home & Holiday Park Association (PH&HPA).

We have worked with, and continue to work with, owners of Hotels, Pubs, Restaurants, Care Homes, Industrial Units, Holiday Parks, Holiday Lets, Shops and various other businesses, all of which could entitled to this tax benefit.

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERISE YOUR GROWTH TO DATE AND WHAT HAS DRIVEN IT?

Zeal’s success and growth has been beyond what we ever expected. The business began with three directors cramped into a storage unit only big enough for two desks and one phone – taking turns to make calls. Fast forward five years, Zeal are an award-winning firm with three offices and over 30 staff members. The business ranked 7th place in Fast Growth 50 Wales list for 2021.

Any business however is only as good as the team behind it, and this is certainly true for Zeal.

Our success has largely been because of the hard-work and commitment from our staff. We are proud of our team, which is genuinely more like a family. We have brothers, husbands and wife’s and best friends working at Zeal. We care about our staff and help them develop in any way we can, from putting staff through professional qualifications to wellbeing support.

The drive of our team to do better for clients has helped us continue to grow. Last year alone, Zeal identified around £50m in unclaimed allowances for businesses and unlocked £12m in tax savings and cash rebates for clients from HMRC. It is our passion for tax and what we do, that truly spurs us on.

More importantly, we love saving our client’s tax.

There is nothing quite like delivering a client a large sum of tax savings, knowing that you did the best possible job for them and that they are thrilled with the results.

Whilst our focus has remained on giving overlooked businesses the support, they do not otherwise have access to, our growing reputation has and continues to attract larger, multi-million-pound clients including Wyldecrest Parks, Celtic Manor/ICC Wales, Brains Brewery and Orbis Education & Care.

HOW DOES ZEAL HELP PARK OWNERS?

Park operators are one of many business types that are eligible to claim capital allowances tax relief on their investments in purchasing, building or refurbishing their sites. Within a typical holiday park , qualifying items include things from services under the ground and fixtures like bathrooms, kitchens, heating & electrical systems within buildings on the site Holiday homes, cottages and lodges also qualify.

Typically, between 20%-40% of the price paid to purchase, build or renovate the park is identified in unclaimed capital allowances, resulting in an average of £80,000 in tax savings per park. It does not even matter how long ago the property was purchased, built or refurbished; claims can still be made now!

Zeal have already help park operators from all over the UK save millions of pounds in tax and could help you reduce or even eliminate your next tax bill, reclaim a cash rebate for any tax may have been unknowingly overpaying and unlock thousands of pounds in tax savings to mitigate future tax payments for years to come. We have a 100% success rate on HMRC submitted claims.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR AND HOW ARE YOU ADDRESSING THESE?

As a significantly underclaimed tax relief, one of the biggest challenges Zeal faces is educating operators within the park industry of their eligibility to claim.

Having never heard of this tax benefit, many park owners and their advisors are unaware that they are missing out on thousands of pounds. Some even hold the belief that their accountant has already claimed for them, not realising the need for specialist tax knowledge and the skills of surveyors are required.

After overcoming these initial challenges, our team often face client perceptions questioning the legitimacy of this UK tax legislation, concerned it is a tax loophole or simply just “too good to be true.”

Zeal understands these concerns and tackle them head on.

We equip our team with rigorous training to ensure they can explain every aspect of making a claim without using technical or confusing jargon to make things as simple and clear as possible. Zeal’s specialists work alongside clients’ accountant/advisors to reassure them of the legitimacy of this tax relief and help them claim their entitlement. Our ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot additionally helps overcome clients’ scepticism and demonstrates Zeal’s credibility.

WHAT ARE ZEAL’S TARGETS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?

In addition to continuing in our mission of helping business owners become aware of, and claim, the tax relief they are entitled to, Zeal has some very exciting targets in place for the next five years to build on the incredible growth experienced so far.

Our plan is to increase our partnership network and establish our brand and service familiarisation. Working with professional advisors and industry associations to support their business property clients enables us to educate and create more exposure for this little known, but hugely beneficial tax relief.

As we carry on growing, we will also look to expand our team and open another new office, in Scotland, to support growth.