Publications

Following in the footsteps of Venture Capital Trusts, Enterprise Investment Scheme and Alternative Investment Market, we’re switching to reporting on the ins and outs of the Business Relief market on a quarterly basis.

Business Relief is now a decidedly middle-aged 44 years old, but it has proved its value and continues to have a lot to offer. It has become a stalwart of family business protection and growth business funding.

This first dynamic quarterly update gives you all the usual in-depth analysis of the figures, identifying the trends shaping the market, as well as expert commentary and insight on what’s happening right now. That includes the potential Coronavirus consequences and Budget impacts – direct and indirect.

This year, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) reaches an important milestone: It has now been one of the most important growth markets in the world for a quarter of a century. And despite the ups and downs, especially those recently created by Coronavirus impacts and measures to save lives, it is still going strong, offering support and funding to many smaller companies that will be essential in the UK’s economic recovery.

Our new format, bringing you more regular quarterly updates, will give us the opportunity to carefully chart how AIM performs. We specifically consider the impacts on those that qualify for the government’s tax-advantaged Venture Capital Trust, Enterprise Investment Scheme and Business Relief programmes.

We’ve transformed the analysis and insight by switching to an exciting and attractive interactive format to make it easier to digest and engage with.

At this strange time of unprecedented government interventions, unpredictable outcomes and unexpected issues, there may never have been a more apt time to take a read of what the experts, including the London Stock Exchange and fund managers, have to say and grab yourself up to two hours of structured CPD (not including breaks) in the process.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) continues to be one of the most successful tax-advantaged investment solutions, a quarter of a century after making its debut.

Our new format, bringing you quarterly updates rather than once-a-year snapshots, allows us to build up a clear picture of what is happening in this dynamic market – and we’re using an exciting, engaging and attractive interactive format to bring all the statistics and analysis to life.

The first quarter of 2020 has been one like no other, and we can expect plenty more shocks over the coming months, with no-one knowing quite how the current coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic will play out. In such times, it is good to look long-term, something that is a hallmark of EIS. So take a read of what the experts, including the EIS Association and fund managers, have to say and grab yourself up to two hours of structured CPD (not including breaks) in the process.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) celebrate their 25th birthday in 2020 but the market appears to be only just getting started, with rising demand from both investors and investee companies seeking to take advantage of the benefits these investment vehicles can offer.
As the market grows and matures, we are responding by changing the way we cover the tax-advantage landscape, by moving from annual reports to quarterly updates that will give readers a clearer picture of developments as they happen and a better understanding of the landscape, rather than an annual snapshot.
As well as containing all our usual figures and analysis from the MICAP platform, this Update includes the latest government statistics plus performance data provided from the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). It also has expert commentary and takes a look ahead at what we can expect in the coming months, including March’s Budget.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) raised £731 million in 2018/19 – the second-highest amount since their inception, meaning they continue to be a vital source of tax-efficient investment into UK small businesses. With such strong interest, we believe the time is ripe to provide advisers with a clear and insightful explanation of the rules and operating structures surrounding VCTs.

Recent government changes mean that there is now a greater focus on higher-risk investments, and as interest in the market continues to rise, understanding VCTs is more important than ever.

This Guide takes a practical, impartial look at VCTs to give advisers and paraplanners the confidence to discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of this market with their clients.

2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), and a number of legislative changes over the past few years mean it is quite a different beast to when it started a quarter of a century ago. While its aim of utilising tax-efficient investments to support small UK businesses remains undiminished, the rules around this have been given an overhaul. 

We, therefore, think the time is right to provide an update on those changes and offer financial advisers and paraplanners the tools to confidently and successfully navigate this market for their clients.

This Guide offers an impartial look at the nuts and bolts of investing in the EIS, offering practical support for advisers considering this market for their clients.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) has gone through a number of changes in recent years but continues to prove its resilience and importance to UK small businesses. With the recent risk to capital change taking it back to its roots, there is a high degree of optimism within the market that it will continue to flourish in the coming years.

Our sixth edition of the Enterprise Investment Scheme Industry Report reflects this positivity in the market, with our adviser survey, roundtable discussion and industry debate with the managers all suggesting that the market has been changed for the better and EIS will continue to grow.

This report examines the market in more detail, as well as providing and analysing the latest government data and statistics from the MICAP platform. It also takes a closer look at the future of knowledge-intensive companies and the government’s knowledge-intensive fund.

As the government’s IHT take continues to increase year on year, the importance of Business Relief (BR) as an estate planning method has certainly not diminished. The OTS’ second report in its review of IHT recognised the importance BR in supporting family-owned businesses, and growth investment. While it has recommended addressing some inconsistencies in the rules governing BR qualification, it has also suggested changes that would open more trades and structures to BR eligiblity. 

This is a sector that offers advisers additional tools in their estate planning arsenal but it’s important to stay up to date with developments and create and leverage expertise to obtain the best client outcomes. 

With post-Brexit economic forecasts and an intensifying government concentration on IHT collection, it’s hard to foresee any dilution of IHT in its current format any time soon. In fact, IHT receipts are forecast to reach almost £6 billion in just three years.

Recommending an investment to mitigate IHT at a time of so much economic and political upheaval seems like a daunting task. The latest edition of our BR Industry Report suggests otherwise, with an adviser survey finding that less than 4% of advisers who recommend BR, view it as harder to recommend in the current Brexit turmoil. Almost all advisers also predicted their use of BR to increase or stay the same over the next two years, with the rest expecting it to stay the same.

AIM focused BR managers took a battering in Q4 2018 and the government is shouting from the rooftops about closing the tax gap amid increasing IHT investigations. It’s clearly not a time to go it alone. But, while there may be increased scrutiny of all estate planning, there is certainly plenty of scope for new opportunities for those with the relevant BR expertise. A need for tax-efficient vehicles to accept funds disallowed from pensions and indications of under-use of BR by lower value estates are good places to start.