Your walk-away number: what you'll actually keep when you sell
The sale price isn't what lands in your bank account. Work out your real number early, so you negotiate with confidence and never get a nasty surprise at the end.
By This article covers tax and financial matters. It's general information to help you ask better questions, not advice for your situation. Velaro isn't a law firm, registered tax agent or licensed financial adviser. Please check anything important with a qualified adviser before you act.
In short
- The sale price isn't what you keep. Debts, costs, tax and adjustments come off first.
- Know both your 'at completion' and 'total' numbers if part is paid later.
- Work backwards from what your next chapter needs.
Most owners have a number in their head for what the business should sell for. Very few have worked out what they'll actually keep. The gap between the two can be large, and discovering it late is one of the main reasons owners get cold feet halfway through a sale. Doing the maths early turns an anxious guess into a confident decision.
Start with the price, then subtract
From the sale price, take off business debts that must be cleared at completion, such as equipment finance, loans and overdrafts. Take off your own costs: accountant, solicitor and any broker or adviser fees.
Then allow for tax on the gain, which can vary enormously depending on your structure, how long you've owned the business and which small business concessions apply.
Don't forget the adjustments
At completion there are often adjustments for stock, prepaid expenses, customer deposits and employee entitlements, depending on what you agree. These can move the final figure up or down.
Ask your accountant to model them so they're not a surprise on the day.
Separate now money from later money
If part of the price is paid over time or linked to future performance, work out your number two ways: what you receive at completion, and your total over the full period.
Knowing both helps you decide what structure suits your plans, whether that's paying off a mortgage now or funding retirement over several years.
Free tool
Work out your walk-away number
Two minutes, private, nothing stored.
Then work backwards from your life
Here's the question most owners never ask: what do you actually need? Think about your next chapter, your retirement income, the trip, helping the kids, the security you want.
Your financial planner can turn that into a number.
If your walk-away number covers it, you can negotiate calmly. If it doesn't, you've learned something important while there's still time to act: grow profit, reduce debt, plan tax, or wait a year.
Why this makes you a better negotiator
When you know your real number, you stop reacting to headlines and start comparing offers on what matters to you. You'll also recognise a good structured offer when you see one, because you'll know exactly how it affects your outcome.
Your checklist
What to do next
- Write down the price you have in mind
- List debts to be cleared at completion
- Estimate adviser and sale costs
- Ask your accountant to estimate tax and concessions
- Model completion adjustments
- Work out what you need for your next chapter
Example
An owner expected to walk away with close to her asking price. Her accountant's model, after equipment finance, tax and costs, showed a noticeably lower figure. She spent another year paying down debt and qualifying for a small business tax concession, and her eventual walk-away number was higher than her original estimate.
An illustrative example, not a real client or transaction.
Questions owners ask
Who should help me work this out?+
Your accountant for tax and adjustments, and a financial planner for what you need in retirement.
Is tax always payable on a business sale?+
Not always in full. Small business CGT concessions can reduce or remove it for eligible owners. Get advice.
When should I do this?+
Before you talk seriously to any buyer, ideally a year or more ahead.
Sources and further reading
Information checked against these sources as at October 2026. Rules and thresholds can change, so check the current position with your adviser.
Important
This article is general information only. It doesn't take your personal circumstances into account and isn't financial, legal, tax, employment or valuation advice. Velaro Group is a buyer of businesses. It isn't a business broker, licensed financial adviser, registered tax agent or law firm, and it doesn't act for sellers. Please get advice from your own accountant, solicitor or financial adviser before making any decision. Read the full disclaimer.
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