Ilyas Patel Accountants in Preston
In this article, we look more closely at tax-efficient company structures for higher rate taxpayers, namely Family Investment Company LLPs.
Tax-efficient investments for higher rate taxpayers: An introduction
If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, you are likely aware of the high tax rates that can apply to your capital gains and dividend income, making tax-efficient investing a critical aspect of your financial planning. An inefficient investment strategy could significantly impact your overall returns. Fortunately, there are several tax-efficient investment options that you may not be aware of. One such option is a hybrid company structure that can help you reduce your tax bills and maximise your investment returns. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this structure and explore how it can help you achieve your investment goals.
If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, investing your surplus capital in a tax-efficient manner is crucial to maximise returns and minimise tax liabilities. However, traditional investment structures can pose challenges for those who own a trading company, such as affecting the company’s status for CGT and IHT purposes, not qualifying for Business Property Relief (BPR), and not qualifying for CGT business asset disposal relief (BADR) if the company is sold.
To address these challenges, a hybrid company structure may be a viable solution. Keep reading to learn more about how this structure can help you invest tax-efficiently and avoid potential problems.
Discover how you can further enhance your tax efficiency by considering limited companies in addition to LLPs. If all the members of your LLP are higher-rate taxpayers, including a company member could reduce the tax burden on the LLP’s income. This member could be allocated a profit share, according to the rules, providing a tax-efficient medium for money to flow from a trading business to an investment portfolio. This method can help avoid triggering significant personal tax bills for the individuals involved, as illustrated in the following scenario.
If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, investing tax-efficiently is crucial to ensure maximum returns. However, investing through a trading company could affect its status for CGT and IHT purposes, and shareholders may not qualify for relief.
One way to mitigate this is to loan funds from the trading company to a separate investment company, which can then introduce capital into a family investment LLP. This allows for tax-efficient investment without jeopardising the trading company’s status for CGT and IHT purposes.
For example, Blue Funnels Limited loaned surplus cash to an investment company, which introduced the capital into the family investment LLP to buy shares and property. The passive loan asset won’t qualify for business property relief, but it shouldn’t affect the overall status of the trading company.
Limited companies as members of an LLP provide tax-efficient investment and tax planning benefits in terms of CGT and IHT. These benefits were discussed in Part One of this series.
For higher rate taxpayers, tax-efficient investment strategies are essential. One effective approach is to use Family Investment Company LLPs.
These LLPs offer several benefits, including the ability to reduce tax burdens, facilitate the movement of money from trading businesses to investment portfolios, avoid triggering significant personal tax bills (such as CGT and IHT), and protect your trading status.
By utilising a Family Investment Company LLP, you can invest tax-efficiently and ensure that your investments are managed effectively. This approach provides greater control and flexibility than traditional investment strategies, making it an ideal choice for higher rate taxpayers looking to maximise their returns.
To summarise, a family investment LLP can provide substantial tax benefits for families, including income tax and capital gains tax planning, inheritance tax relief, SDLT planning, and tax-efficient use of surplus funds from trading businesses. Seeking professional advice is essential to fully understand the potential advantages of this structure. To learn more, follow the instructions below.
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