Q. I've heard about the great tax breaks available under the SEIS scheme. Is this something I can use for my business?

A. The seed enterprise investment scheme (SEIS) provides investors in small companies with 50% income tax relief, and an exemption from tax for 50% of the gains they reinvest in SEIS shares (for 2013/14). However, you can't use SEIS to invest in a company you control, as the investor and his associates (basically close relatives), must not own more than 30% of the company. The trade undertaken by the company must also be less than two years old, so to use SEIS the company has to be undertaking a new venture, and be a new clean company.


If you have an idea for a new business and you are willing to involve other investors, you may be able to use SEIS to fund that business. But please talk to us first, as there are a number of trades that can't use SEIS, and other conditions to meet.