Every valuation report states a value at a particular date. It is one of the first things we ask for when you start, and almost every question in the information request is framed around it.
What the valuation date is
The valuation date is the day the value is stated at. It is not the day you order the valuation, and it is not the day the valuation report is issued. The business is valued on what was known, or could reasonably have been known, at that date.
How to choose it
The purpose usually decides it. A share transfer is valued at the date the shares change hands. A restructure is valued at the date it takes effect. Where a tax matter is involved, your accountant will usually know the date that applies.
If you are not sure, ask whoever asked you for the valuation. It is best settled before you start, because the information request is built around it.
A date in the past is normal
A valuation date is often in the past, such as the end of the last financial year. That is fine: the financial statements for that period are usually the ones the valuation relies on.
The date comes first. The figures, the questions and the result all follow from it.