Venture Capital Trusts
Enjoy up to 30% tax relief & tax-free dividends with Venture Capital Trusts.
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This includes expert advisers who are well versed in Venture Capital Trusts. Read on to discover more or click below to get in touch today.
Why Invest in VCTs?
The Government provides a number of appealing tax benefits to individuals who invest in Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs). This includes a 30% income tax rebate on new investments up to £200,000 per tax year.
VCTs are suited for those looking for a long term investment of 5 years or more. You will need to hold the investment for this duration to qualify for the tax benefits it provides.
What are Venture Capital Trusts?
VCTs are a type of investment in small early-stage companies. The Government wants to encourage investment into these growing businesses and offers generous tax benefits. VCTs can potentially give you higher returns but they do come with extra risks, as the companies they invest in can be harder to sell.
Are VCTs right for me?
VCT’s can be a great option for individuals looking to diversify their portfolio with tax efficient investments. VCT’s are best for those investors who are able to invest for a minimum of five years.
If you have used your pension and ISA allowances, you may want to consider adding VCT’s to your investment portfolio.
Recent VCT Offers
Below are examples of VCT offers that give an idea of the types of investments that BulbFin Advisers can help with:
Albion VCTs. Albion Capital Group LLP is seeking to raise up to £80 million across six VCTs, with an over allotment facility of up to £20 million. Target raises and over allotments vary between each VCT. Investors can invest in just one VCT, or can split their subscription between any of the VCTs that are still open.
Proven VCTs. Beringea LLP is seeking to raise up to a combined £40 million, with an over-allotment of £20 million for 2x Proven VCTs. The offer launched on 03 December 2021 as a joint offer. Investors can elect to invest into one, or both VCTs.
| Product Name | Type | Theme | Target Dividend | Target Funds | Max Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion VCTs | Generalist | Technology, Healthcare Education, Renewable Energy | 5% of net assets (NAV) | £80 million across six VCTs | £200,000 per investor |
| Proven VCTs | Generalist | AI, Digital Health, Blockchain | 5% of net assets (NAV) | £40 million across two VCTs | £200,000 per investor |
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Frequently Asked Questions – VCTs
What is a VCT?
VCTs are listed companies that invest in a diversified portfolio of smaller and unquoted companies in the early stages of their growth. This includes companies who are AIM* listed.
The Government incentivises investing in early-stage firms as supporting an innovation-driven economy generates significant benefits including more jobs and wealth creation.
*The AIM (Alternative Investment Market) is a specialised unit of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) for smaller, more risky companies.
Its worth speaking to a financial services expert to find out if investing in VCTs is right for you.
Is investing in VCTs a tax efficient way to save for retirement?
It can be if you have used up your annual or lifetime pension allowances and annual Isa allowance.
VCTs can be particularly useful for higher earners whose annual pension allowance has been tapered back to between £4,000 and £40,000.
Why not schedule a call with one of BulbFin’s expert financial advisers. On that call, we will help you make an informed decision as to whether investing in VCTs is right for you.
What tax relief can I expect on VCTs?
You can currently claim up to 30% income tax relief on VCTs and the maximum annual investment you can claim tax relief on is £200K.
VCT shares must be held for a minimum of five years in order to permanently keep the tax relief.
There is no capital gains tax (CGT) to pay when you dispose of the VCT.
Tax reliefs depend on individual circumstances and may change in the future and being able to successfully claim tax reliefs depends on the VCT maintaining its VCT-qualifying status.
Find out more. Contact Bulbfin to set up a call.
What is the difference between VCTs and Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS)?
The key differences between VCTs’ and EISs are the tax reliefs and investment approaches. It’s important to use the right one for your financial and tax planning needs.
Both have 30% income tax relief but with an EIS the minimum hold period is 3 years and a VCT is 5 years. However, it could take longer to exit an EIS as exits generally happen when the managers sell a company.
Who do you recommend VCTs for?
A VCT could be considered as part of a tax-efficient portfolio for retirement however it’s important to understand the risks before you decide to invest. The value of an investment and income from it can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the full amount you invest.
Talk to one of our experts and we will advise on whether investing in VCTs is right for you and your retirement planning.
How many types of VCT are there?
There are various different types of VCT:
Generalist VCTs – the most popular as they invest in a wide range of companies at various stages of development, in all different sectors.
Specialist VCTs – tend to invest in companies within one specific sector.
AIM VCTs – invest into companies which are, or are about to be, listed on the AIM market.
Limited life VCTs – designed to be lower risk and aim to invest capital and then wind up and distribute assets to shareholders within five to seven years.
What are the risks of investing in VCTs?
Any investment carries a degree of risk.
Investing in early-stage companies is high risk, so attractive tax reliefs are also available to compensate you for some of that risk.
The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.
You need to be comfortable with the risk levels and it is important to have a long-term investment horizon and not to invest money that you might need in the short term.
An investor may not get back the amount invested.
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Risk Warning
Any investment carries a degree of risk and your investments may decrease in value or fail. The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.