How Much Does a Business Valuation Cost in Australia?
Green Standard’s Independent Business Valuation costs $1,995 + GST. Accountants and advisers who refer matters pay $1,495 + GST per referred matter, complex valuations start from $2,995 + GST, and an additional historical valuation date is from $495 + GST where the engagement permits it. Cost in general follows the scope, the number of entities, the purpose and the type of report, and a free broker appraisal is a different document from a paid independent valuation.
- The published fees are $1,995 + GST for an Independent Business Valuation, $1,495 + GST for adviser-referred matters, from $2,995 + GST for complex valuations and from $495 + GST for an additional historical valuation date.
- Cost follows the work: the scope and interest being valued, the number of entities, the purpose, the valuation dates and how complicated the earnings are to normalise.
- A free broker appraisal estimates a likely sale price, while a paid independent valuation documents its reasoning for a stated purpose and date.
- A report prepared as expert evidence for court is a separate engagement, scoped and priced separately.
- Compare quotes by what each one covers, not by the headline fee.
What does a business valuation cost at Green Standard?
An Independent Business Valuation is $1,995 + GST for an established trade or field-service business. Accountants and advisers who refer matters pay $1,495 + GST per referred matter. Matters with more moving parts are quoted from $2,995 + GST as a fixed fee in writing before work begins, and a value at an additional historical date is from $495 + GST where the engagement permits it.
| Engagement | Fee | With GST at 10 per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Business Valuation | $1,995 + GST | $2,194.50 |
| Accountant and Adviser Partner, per referred matter | $1,495 + GST | $1,644.50 |
| Complex Valuation | From $2,995 + GST | From $3,294.50 |
| Additional historical valuation date | From $495 + GST | From $544.50 |
The GST column is simple arithmetic at 10 per cent, shown so you can see the total. Whether GST is recoverable by your business is a question for your accountant.
The partner fee is for accountants and professional advisers who refer valuation matters regularly. It covers streamlined client onboarding, keeping the adviser informed with the client’s authority, a secure document portal and a repeat-client workflow, and the report is still independent and addressed to the client.
Each engagement produces a written report, with a draft provided before the report is finalised. The typical turnaround is 3 to 7 business days once all required information has been received, and complex matters can take longer. The pricing page lists each fee.
What makes one valuation cost more than another?
A valuer’s fee follows the amount of work involved and the care the purpose demands. The main drivers are these.
- Scope. Valuing the whole business is a different task from valuing a minority share, and a business with one trading line is quicker to understand than one with several divisions.
- Number of entities. A trading company, a trust that owns the plant and a related entity that owns the premises each have to be understood, and so does the way they fit together.
- Purpose. A valuation for planning is a different task from one that another party will test, as in a partnership exit or a dispute.
- Valuation dates. A current value and a value at an earlier date for a past event are separate pieces of analysis, each resting on what was known at its date.
- Complexity of the earnings. Many normalisations, related-party dealings, heavy customer concentration or significant plant all add analysis.
- Report type. A standard valuation report and a report prepared as expert evidence for court involve different instructions and duties.
- Quality of the records. Clean, reconciled accounts and organised documents shorten the work, and records that have to be rebuilt lengthen it.
None of this should come as a surprise. We confirm the scope, the valuation date and the fee in writing before you commit, and a matter that is more complex than a standard valuation is identified at that point.
What counts as a complex valuation?
A matter is quoted from $2,995 + GST when it has features that add real analysis. The usual ones are multiple entities or divisions, significant plant and equipment, unusual ownership structures, partnership and shareholder disputes, complex normalisations, significant customer concentration and historical valuation dates.
Whether a particular matter is quoted as standard or complex depends on the facts, so the way to find out is to describe it at the start. The table shows how four illustrative matters line up with the published fees.
| Illustrative matter | Where it points |
|---|---|
| One company, one valuation date, an owner who wants a value for planning | Independent Business Valuation, $1,995 + GST |
| The same business, referred by the owner’s accountant as a partner matter | Accountant and Adviser Partner, $1,495 + GST |
| A trading company and a trust that owns the plant, with a co-owner in dispute about an exit | Complex Valuation, from $2,995 + GST, confirmed in writing before work begins |
| A valuation with an additional date, such as a current value plus a value at an earlier date for a past event | Additional historical valuation date, from $495 + GST where the engagement permits it |
The matters are illustrative. Every real matter is scoped individually.
Are free broker appraisals the same as a paid valuation?
No, they answer different questions. A broker or agent appraisal is an opinion of the price a business is likely to achieve on the market. It is often free because it is usually offered to win a listing, which is useful context when you read one.
An independent valuation costs money because it is prepared for a stated purpose and date by someone with no stake in the outcome, and the reasoning is written down so that an accountant, co-owner or lawyer can follow it. A free appraisal is a reasonable way to gauge the market. It is a weaker basis for a decision where someone else will test the number. Our guide to business valuation versus business appraisal compares the two in detail.
When is a paid valuation worth the fee?
When someone other than you will test the number, or when the decision resting on it is large compared with the fee. A free appraisal is enough if you are curious about the market or choosing a broker. It is not enough in situations like these.
- A partner or shareholder is being bought out, and both sides need a figure they can accept.
- An accountant needs independent evidence of value for a restructure or a capital gains tax question.
- A buyer, a lender or the other party to a dispute will want to see the reasoning and not just the answer.
- You are planning a sale 12 to 24 months ahead and want to know what a buyer is likely to mark down.
As a matter of scale, a fee of $1,995 + GST is about one third of one per cent of an illustrative $600,000 sale price. That comparison is only an illustration. The worth of a valuation lies in the decision it informs, which is why we ask about the purpose at the start.
What does the fee include?
The Independent Business Valuation includes:
- A review of the financial information you supply.
- Normalisation of earnings to what a new owner could expect to keep.
- A valuation method selected for the business and the purpose.
- An industry and business risk assessment.
- Consideration of plant, vehicles and equipment.
- An owner dependency assessment.
- Goodwill analysis.
- A valuation range and conclusion.
- A professionally prepared valuation report, with a draft provided before it is finalised.
The work is done remotely anywhere in Australia. You begin with an online intake at our start page, upload documents through a secure client portal, and your accountant can help if you authorise it.
What is not included?
A valuation has limits, and it helps to know them before you commit.
- Tax advice or legal advice. Whether you need a valuation for a tax purpose, and what any tax or legal consequence is, are questions for your accountant, tax adviser or lawyer.
- A broker’s work. A valuation does not set your asking price, market the business or find a buyer.
- Expert evidence for court. A report prepared as expert evidence involves different instructions and duties to the court, so it is a separate engagement, scoped and priced separately. We do not say that any court or tribunal will accept a report. See valuations for disputes.
- An audit. A valuation relies on the information supplied to it. It is not an audit of the accounts.
- The fees of your other advisers, such as your accountant, lawyer or broker.
How do you compare quotes for a business valuation?
Compare what each quote covers before you compare the number. A lower fee that leaves out something you need is not cheaper. Questions worth asking each provider:
- What interest is being valued: the whole business or a share?
- At which date or dates, and for what purpose?
- Who may rely on the report?
- Will you receive a draft to check before the report is finalised?
- Does the fee depend on the result, or on winning a listing or a sale? An independent valuer’s fee should not depend on the number reached.
- What would change the fee, and will you be told in writing before work begins?
- How long will it take once the information is in?
To get a fee for your own business, complete the intake at our start page. Our guides on documents needed for a valuation and preparing a trade business for valuation show how to have the information ready, which is the part owners control.
This guide is general information, not legal, taxation or financial advice. Examples are illustrative. The appropriate valuation approach depends on the circumstances and purpose of each engagement.