Good questions.
Straight answers.

A standard signed report starts from $1,495 + GST ($1,644.50 including GST) for suitable, straightforward matters. Scope, information requirements and the fixed fee are confirmed in writing before commencement. Complex, multi-entity, historical-date and court-related matters are quoted separately after scoping.

Yes. Once we have understood the business and the purpose, we confirm a fixed fee for the agreed scope. The fee only changes if the scope changes, for example if a second entity or an additional valuation date is added, and any change is agreed with you first.

Multiple entities or trusts, unusual assets, limited or unreliable financial history, disputed assumptions, a historical valuation date, urgent timing, or the requirement for a formal expert report for court. Each of these adds work, and we say so before you commit.

No. The first call is free and there is no obligation. It usually takes ten to fifteen minutes to understand the business, the purpose and the timing, and we follow up in writing with the recommended scope and fee.

No. The fixed fee covers the agreed report. There are no search fees, travel charges or printing costs added afterwards.

For straightforward matters, the typical draft timeframe is 5 to 7 business days from receipt of all requested information. Any deadline should be raised before engagement so we can confirm it is achievable. Finalisation follows your factual review of the draft and resolution of any questions.

Often, yes. Tell us the date and why it matters (a settlement, a court timetable, a contract condition) and we will confirm feasibility before you commit. Where a genuine rush is required, we say what it costs before starting.

When all requested information has been received, not when the enquiry is made. Sending complete, reconciled records at the start is the single biggest thing you can do to shorten the timeframe.

Usually recent financial statements, current management accounts, balance sheet details, ownership information and background about the business. The exact checklist depends on the purpose and structure and is sent with the engagement proposal. See our information checklist.

No. Start with the purpose and an outline of the business. We can discuss the likely scope and the information needed before you prepare anything. Documents are shared later through a private, secure link.

Usually not. Most engagements are completed through calls, video meetings and secure electronic document exchange. Where a site visit would materially inform the analysis, we discuss it at scoping.

Documents are exchanged through a private link, held for the engagement and the retention period described in our privacy notice, and never shared with anyone outside the engagement without your authority.

The agreed scope usually identifies the interest being valued, the valuation date and basis of value; summarises the information relied on; explains financial adjustments and the selected approach; and sets out the conclusion, assumptions and limitations. It is written to be understood by the intended reader, not just by another valuer.

The report is prepared and signed by the valuer responsible for it, and you deal with that person from the first call to the signed report. There is no hand-off to a junior team.

Yes. We do not promise a particular value or an outcome favourable to one party. The conclusion follows the agreed basis, the information and the analysis. If limitations prevent meaningful work, we say so in the scope rather than in the report.

The report is written to a professional standard, with the evidence, method and assumptions set out so a reviewer can follow the reasoning. If your adviser or the intended recipient has specific requirements, tell us before engagement and we will confirm the report meets them or say if it will not.

Not necessarily. A valuation expresses an opinion on a defined basis and date. An actual transaction price can also reflect negotiation, payment terms, buyer-specific benefits and the circumstances of the sale. Read business value, asking price and sale price.

An estimate, including the range from our online calculator, is arithmetic on typical bands. A signed report tests the earnings, the evidence for the multiple and what sits outside operating value, and it can be relied on by the people named in it. See estimate versus signed report.

Yes, subject to the agreed scope and available information. The rights attaching to the interest and the applicable valuation basis need to be considered; a percentage of the whole is the starting point, not the answer.

No. The standard fee is for suitable business valuation work. Where expert evidence is required, the appointment, instructions, independence and report requirements need separate scoping and confirmation, and the fee is quoted for that work.

Yes. We value the defined interest at the required date and document the evidence and method. Whether a concession, rollover or other tax treatment is available is a question for your tax adviser, and the report does not guarantee acceptance by a tax authority.

Often, yes. Suitability depends on the records available for that date and what was known at the time. Historical work is scoped separately.

Yes. With your authority, we can discuss the scope and information requirements with your advisers. This is particularly useful where an agreement, tax transaction or court process sets specific requirements.

Yes, but not with an earnings multiple. Value may rest on net assets, a credible forecast, intellectual property or strategic factors. Read can a loss-making business have value.

Valuation Group is based in Double Bay, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. We work with business owners, shareholders and advisers across Sydney, and assist clients Australia-wide through calls, video meetings and electronic document exchange.

Jackson Wilson is your initial point of contact. Call 0433 475 518 to discuss the business, the valuation purpose, the required date and any deadline.

Valuation Group is a trading name of Valuations Group Pty Ltd (ACN 702 469 252), the company that also operates Oliver Group, Family Law Valuation Co. and HPNA. The same valuer signs the work across the group.

No. The service is business valuation. We do not broker sales, introduce buyers, or give legal, tax or financial advice, and the report says so.