VCT, EIS & SEIS compared

An at-a-glance comparison of tax efficient schemes.

At Tony Dicker we can advise individuals in the Bristol area on a range of tax-saving opportunities. The following article compares Venture Capital Trusts, the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.

The reliefs for Venture Capital Trusts (VCT), the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are similar in many respects, but there are some significant differences. The table below highlights the main reliefs. For further details see the facts sheets for each type of investment.

	VCT	EIS	SEIS
Annual investment limit	£200,000	£1 million *	£100,000
Income tax relief for subscribers	30%	30%	50%
Clawback if held for less than	5 years	3 years	3 years
Reinvestment relief period
– before gain made	N/A	1 year	Same tax year
– after gain made	N/A	3 years
Tax free dividends?	Yes	No	No
Tax free capital gains?	Yes	Yes (after 3 years)	Yes (after 3 years)
Tax relief for losses?	No	Yes	Yes
IHT business property relief?	No	Yes	Yes

* This is increased to £2 million provided that anything above £1 million is invested in knowledge-intensive companies. There is no limit on CGT deferral.

For more information on Venture Capital Trusts, the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, individuals in the Bristol area should contact Tony Dicker.

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VCT, EIS & SEIS compared

The latest news

Business believes UK tax system is 'fundamentally unfair', research suggests

UK SMEs 'exploring new sources of finance', research finds

Study suggests UK employees 'work longest hours in EU'