By Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer — Assetica, Dubai, UAE
Definition: A free three-page PDF from Assetica: the documents a valuer will ask for, grouped by financial, legal, operational and tax; the eight value drivers buyers price, with a strong, partial or gap self-assessment; and a table of which report each purpose needs in the UAE, from a sale or fundraise to the Golden Visa, corporate tax, a DIFC or ADGM dispute or a bank facility, with the standard and turnaround for each.
Section A lists the documents to gather: three years of financial statements, current management accounts, tax filings, the trade licence and constitutional documents, the shareholder register, material contracts, a revenue-by-customer breakdown and the fixed asset register, each with a one-line note on why a valuer needs it. Section B scores the eight drivers that decide where a business lands in its multiple range: recurring revenue, owner dependence, customer concentration, audited accounts, contracts, a management layer, working capital and related-party hygiene. Section C maps purpose to report: who has to accept it, the standard usually applied (IVS, RICS Red Book, IFRS 13) and the typical turnaround of five to seven business days, or two to three expedited.
Most engagements lose a week to chasing documents. Front-loading that work means the scoping call ends with a fixed fee and a start date. The value-driver section is the part owners find uncomfortable and useful: owner dependence, customer concentration and unaudited accounts most often move a business from the top of its range to the bottom, and most owners have never scored themselves on them.
Who is the checklist for?
Owners and finance leads preparing for a sale, a fundraise, a Golden Visa application, a corporate tax restructuring or a shareholder buyout who want to know what will be asked for before they commission a valuation.
Is this the same as a valuation?
No. It prepares you for one. A valuation report is prepared by Assetica to IVS and RICS Red Book standards and is the document authorities, banks and courts rely on. The checklist gets your evidence in order so that report is faster and more defensible.
What happens after I download it?
You get the PDF immediately and a copy by email. A valuer may follow up once to ask whether you would like a scoping call. There is no mailing list and no further contact unless you ask for it.
How long does a valuation take once the documents are ready?
Five to seven business days for a standard report from receipt of complete documentation, with two to three day expedited delivery available for visa, transaction or filing deadlines.