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Investor Overview

Tax Efficient Investing

The UK government provides a number of tax-efficient investment schemes for savers and investors.  Find out more about how these schemes can make a positive impact to your portfolio.

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Tax Efficient Investing

Discover 6 of the Most Tax Efficient Investment Wrappers Available

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are two investment wrappers provided by the UK government to encourage investment into early stage companies by providing an array of tax reliefs.

From SEIS tax reliefs like 50% income tax relief to EIS tax reliefs like capital gains tax deferral, both schemes can aid in maximising the returns and minimising the risk associated with venture capital investments, and both also benefit from shares being exempt from income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

But whilst two of the most well-known routes that exist within the UK alternative investment space, when observing the wider scale of tax efficient wrappers the UK has to offer, routes such as VCTs, the ISA, and SSAS and SIPP pensions can also be considered.

With all providing a generous level of tax reliefs and incentives, understanding the role and potential of each can be crucial to ensuring you are saving and investing in the most tax efficient manner each year.

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SEIS

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme

Designed to support investment into very early stage companies, the SEIS mitigates part of the risk associated with investing in startups using generous tax reliefs, notably 50% income tax relief on the value of your investment.

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EIS

Enterprise Investment Scheme

As the older sibling of the SEIS, the Enterprise Investment Scheme provides an array of tax reliefs and incentives across income tax, capital gains and inheritance tax to investors investing into startups and scaleups.

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VCT

Venture Capital Trusts

As funds listed on the London Stock Exchange, investors can purchase shares into VCTs which in turn make venture capital investments into early stage companies, offering investors numerous tax reliefs.

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ISA

Individual Savings Account

Whilst the name longer does this method of tax efficient investing justice - today there are five separate products within the ISA family, with two investment products rather than savings - the ISA provides investors with a £20,000 annual tax-free allowance.

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SSAS

Small Self Administered Scheme

A form of defined contribution pension that allows up to 12 members greater control over how and where their pension funds are invested, all of the standard pension tax reliefs are accessible, but with considerably greater opportunities available.

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SIPP

Self Invested Personal Pension

A pension wrapper that gives you greater control over your investments, similar to a SSAS, SIPP pensions afford investors with all of the standard pension tax reliefs whilst allowing a greater variety of assets to be held.

Minimise Risk. Maximise Returns.

The GCV Portfolio

Our Most Recent Tax Efficient Opportunities

Wherever possible we wrap our investment opportunities to be SEIS-eligible or EIS-eligible. Whilst not possible for all companies - some sectors are excluded - we aim to provide our network of experienced investors with access to a number high quality, carefully selected EIS or SEIS investment opportunities each year.

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Round 2
Seed
Open For Investment

n-gage.io

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 588,963
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about n-gage.io
Round 1
Completed

Intelligence Fusion

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 400,000
Funds Raised: £ 556,800
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Intelligence Fusion
Round 1
Completed

n-gage.io

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 150,000
Funds Raised: £ 170,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about n-gage.io
Round 1
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 150,000
Funds Raised: £ 225,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
Round 2
Super Seed
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Funds Raised: £ 800,000
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
Round 3
Growth
Completed

Finexos

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 695,456
Round: Round 3
Minimum Investment: £ 500
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Finexos
Round 3
Series A
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 250,000
Funds Raised: £ 278,855
Round: Round 3
Minimum Investment: £ 1,000
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
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The Benefits

7 Key Benefits of Tax Efficient investing

From saving for later life to reducing tax bills and contributing to the UK's thriving startup landscape via venture capital, investing tax efficiently can pose a host of benefits for investors keen to minimise risk and maximise returns, and understanding how they work is key to utilising them.

Numbers-01
Maximising
Returns

With wrappers such as the SEIS allowing you to claim back up to 50% of your investment off your income tax, your net returns could be increased notably.

Numbers-02
Minimising
Risk

Through schemes such as the SEIS and EIS that offe loss relief, should an investment not achieve positive returns, investors can offset any losses against their inheritance tax or capital gains tax bill.

Numbers-03
Reducing
Tax Bills

By claiming back potentially significant sums of your investments through benefits like 50% income tax relief, you have the ability to cut your tax liabilities considerably.

Numbers-04
Planning
for Later Life

Pension wrappers such as SIPPs and SSASs give investors greater control over where their pensions are invested, providing access to a diverse range of alternative investments.

Numbers-05
Portfolio
Diversification

Targeting varying degrees of risk and return, and existing across a broad range of asset classes and industries, tax efficient investments can play a key role in a diversified portfolio.

Numbers-06
Alternative
Focus

Residing in the alternative investment space, tax efficient investments are often more resistant to the high market volatility traditional investments arprone to. 

Numbers-07
Impact
Investing

Whether it's funding the next wave of transformative startups or regional housebuilders, tax efficient investments can generate long term, positive impact effectively.

Portfolio Diversification.
Superior Returns.

Free Investor Guide

An investor's guide to tax efficient investing

Providing an insight into the tax efficient investment options accessible to UK investors, our free guide is a useful introduction to the schemes and wrappers that can help you maximise returns and minimise risk when investing into early stage companies.

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Tax Efficient Investment Guide (1)

FAQs

Answer your tax efficient investing related queries

Should you have any further questions on tax efficient investing, venture capital or anything at all surrounding what we offer at GCV, you can contact us at any point - but we've provided a selection of frequently asked questions below.

  • Whilst tax efficient investments can be advertised across a range of mediums, promising varying results, it can be beneficial to form the basis of your investment sources from well-researched, reputable, proven co-investment platforms or investor networks.

  • Tax efficient investments can come in the form of a range of asset classes, target varying degrees of risk and return and be based across a range of industries and geographies. Consequently, assessing your personal investment goals and which alternative investment aligns with them is crucial - whether that be SEIS-eligible startup investments aimed at ultra-high growth, or fixed term property bonds centred around steady, forecasted repayments.

  • Where a wide range of information on tax efficient investing is readily available at the touch of a button, ensuring sources are up to date, unbiased and accurate can be a crucial task when researching the ever-evolving tax efficient investing landscape  - why not try the GCV Invest content library as a starting point?

  • GCV offer experienced investors the opportunity to invest in carefully researched early-stage businesses with high growth potential.

     

    We specialise in opportunities that are SEIS and EIS qualifying, offering investors generous income tax reliefs of between 30% and 50% when making the investment and no capital gains tax on investment profits at realisation stage.

If you would like to learn more about tax efficient investing and remain up to date with industry news, you can explore our insights page below.

Insights
Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.
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Risk Summary

Estimated reading time: 2 min

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  • You could lose all the money you invest
  • Most investments are shares in start-up businesses or bonds issued by them. Investors in these shares or bonds often lose 100% of the money they invested, as most start-up businesses fail.
  • Checks on the businesses you are investing in, such as how well they are expected to perform, may not have been carried out by the platform you are investing through. You should do your own research before investing.

You won't get your money back quickly

  • Even if the business you invest in is successful, it will likely take several years to get your money back.
  • The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
  • Start-up businesses very rarely pay you back through dividends. You should not expect to get your money back this way.
  • Some platforms may give you the opportunity to sell your investment early through a 'secondary market' or 'bulletin board', but there is no guarantee you will find a buyer at the price you are willing to sell.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

  • Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. Learn more here.

The value of your investment can be reduced

  • If your investment is shares, the percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
  • These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don't have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong

  • Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker.
  • Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated platform, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA's website here.

For further information about investment-based crowdfunding, visit the crowdfunding section of the FCA's website here.
Driving Growth.
Creating Value.
Delivering Impact.

Backed by

Growth Capital Ventures (GCV) is backed by funds managed by Maven Capital Partners, one of the UK’s leading private equity and alternative asset managers.