What is Enterprise Investment Scheme UK?

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are UK government schemes designed to help smaller higher-risk trading companies raise finance, by offering a range of tax relief to investors who purchase new shares in those companies.

What is the purpose of the Enterprise Investment Scheme?

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is a government-backed initiative offering tax reliefs to investors who buy new shares in qualifying companies. This type of investing is for people who: Want to hold shares in small companies with potential to grow to many times their current value.

What are enterprise investments?

The Enterprise Investment Scheme helps riskier companies by giving their investors federal tax relief, which acts as an incentive to investors, making the potential purchase of those companies’ shares more appealing.

How do I invest in Enterprise Investment Scheme?

There are two ways to invest in EIS: by investing directly in a single EIS-qualifying company or by investing through a fund manager that builds up a portfolio for you. Both options could have a place in an experienced investor’s portfolio.

Are EIS a good investment?

A potential win for start-ups and investors. But EIS isn’t just potentially good for the investor. It’s been pivotal in ensuring start-ups in the UK can reach their potential. Under EIS, small businesses can raise up to £5million each year, and a maximum of £12million in the company’s lifetime.

How many years can you carry back EIS relief?

When to claim your relief If you invest with EIS, SEIS or SITR, you can claim relief up to 5 years after the 31 January following the tax year in which you made the investment. For VCTs, you can claim relief up to 4 years after the end of tax year of assessment in which you made the investment.

What qualifies BPR?

To receive BPR, you must have owned the business or business assets for at least two years before your death. So, if you pass away shortly after acquiring the asset, your estate won’t be eligible for the relief. The exception here is if you inherit the asset from your spouse, who also owned it for less than two years.

What happens if an EIS company goes bust?

Income Tax – Relief Withdrawal: – If the EIS company goes into liquidation within (generally) three years of the share issue, Income Tax relief originally given is clawed back. – However, if the value received on liquidation is considered insignificant or no value is received at all, no Income Tax relief is withdrawn.

How much can a company raise EIS?

EIS is designed so that your company can raise money to help grow your business. It does this by offering tax reliefs to individual investors who buy new shares in your company. Under EIS, you can raise up to £5 million each year, and a maximum of £12 million in your company’s lifetime.

How much can I invest in SEIS?

The maximum amount an individual can invest in a SEIS company is £100,000 per tax year. The maximum amount of investment that a qualifying company can receive is £150,000.

What is the difference between VCT and EIS?

Dividends. One key difference between EIS and VCT is the tax treatment on dividends. Dividends paid out to VCT shareholders are tax free while dividends paid out to EIS shareholders are taxable. It is worth noting that dividends are much more commonly paid by VCTs than companies EIS funds tend to invest in.

What is the difference between EIS and SEIS?

The key difference between the two is that SEIS is explicitly targeted at start-ups and very early-stage companies, while EIS can be used by larger and more mature companies – though these are still relatively small and young in the context of the business and corporate landscape in the United Kingdom.

How long do you have to hold EIS shares?

EIS investments need to be held for 3 years for the tax reliefs to be retained.

Who is eligible for EIS tax relief?

To qualify for this relief, income tax relief must have already been claimed – and not withdrawn by HMRC. Also, investors have to hold the shares for at least three years, and the company must remain EIS-qualifying for at least three years.

When can I claim EIS tax relief?

You will normally claim EIS tax relief when you complete your tax return. You will be asked some information which is included in your EIS3 certificates. These are certificates you receive from each of the companies you invested in, typically a few months after the investment.