With investment, your capital is at risk.
\nVCTs (Venture Capital Trusts) are investment companies that are listed on the London Stock Exchange and set up to invest in small UK businesses that meet certain criteria. To encourage support for these businesses the Government offers generous tax benefits for VCT investing. This also reflects the higher-risk nature of the companies they invest in.
\nVenture Capital Trusts invest in small or early-phase businesses that are either unquoted or listed on AIM (the London Stock Exchange’s market for growth companies). These businesses need investment in order to develop. They can potentially give you a high return, but they can also be much riskier than larger, more established companies as their shares can be illiquid and hard to sell. Also, you must remain invested for at least five years to keep the tax credit, so VCT shares are also long-term investments. Because of these factors, they should only form a small part of your overall investment portfolio. Please see the Important information and Further details below for further information.
","contentType":null,"key":"e6b5b795-9ee3-42ed-906c-e65766f7f2bb","properties":null},"settings":{"contentType":null,"key":"2c4eec48-c04a-4a1c-b2be-e835ebaa992a","properties":null},"blockType":"fullTextBlock"},{"content":{"text":"Small businesses need investment to grow – potentially giving investors a high return but with more risk.","contentType":null,"key":"cef34b61-21ee-497d-b7e0-be3d53a9b976","properties":null},"settings":{"contentType":null,"key":"e3778760-3aa6-4659-b489-3b813bdb5aea","properties":null},"blockType":"quoteBlock"},{"content":{"text":"There are strict rules on which companies are eligible for VCT investment. Each VCT will typically hold 20-70 of these companies, depending on how long it has been running.
\nVCTs offer several tax benefits to encourage investment into higher-risk companies. These tax benefits make VCTs popular among higher and additional-rate taxpayers.
\nhigher-risk companies.
\n| Tax year(s) | \nIncome tax credit | \nMinimum holding period | \nCapital gains tax deferral? | \n
| 1995/96 - 2000/01 | \n20% | \n5 years | \nYes | \n
| 2001/02 - 2003/04 | \n20% | \n3 years | \nYes | \n
| 2004/05 - 2005/06 | \n40% | \n3 years | \nNo | \n
| 2006/07 - present | \n30% | \n5 years | \nNo | \n
There are a variety of strategies to be found on the VCT market. They all invest in smaller companies and give you tax relief, but they are different in their approaches to managing risk and reward.
\nMost Venture Capital Trusts are Generalist VCTs. These typically invest in unquoted companies across a range of sectors, although some larger VCTs will also hold AIM-listed shares. Generalist VCTs use a range of different approaches. Some focus on young companies that aren’t yet profitable but have strong potential. Others look at more mature businesses and some take an asset-backed approach similar to Limited Life VCTs.
\nInvestments are usually made through a combination of loan notes or preference shares alongside equity in the business. Loan notes and preference shares give the VCT a potential income source. They also have greater security than equity as they rank ahead of ordinary shareholders in the event of a potential wind-up.
\nVCT management teams often place directors on the boards of unquoted companies they invest in, especially when they are the main shareholder. They monitor the investment and guide the business to an eventual exit – usually a sale to another investor or trade buyer, but sometimes a stock market listing.
\nAIM VCTs focus on companies that are listed on AIM – the London Stock Exchange’s market for smaller growth companies. Their management teams usually have a background in fund management rather than private equity investment. Unlike Generalist VCTs, investments are normally made through ordinary shares rather than loan notes or preference shares, and it is rare for the VCT to seek board representation.
\nAs these shares will fluctuate in value, AIM VCTs can potentially be more volatile than Generalist VCTs, especially as unquoted companies are valued periodically rather than daily. However, they do have more flexibility since ordinary shares are more easily sold on the market – unlike a position in an unquoted company.
\nFurther details
\nhigher risk investments
\nVCTs should be regarded as higher risk investments. VCTs are only suitable for UK resident taxpayers who can tolerate higher risk and have a time horizon of greater than five years. Historical or current yields should not be considered a reliable indicator of future returns, which cannot be guaranteed. Share values and income from them may go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount originally invested. Owing to the nature of their underlying assets, VCTs are highly illiquid. Investors should be aware that they may have difficulty, or be unable to realise their shares at levels close to that that reflect the value of the underlying assets. Tax levels and reliefs may change, and the availability of tax reliefs will depend on individual circumstances. You should only subscribe for new VCT shares on the basis of the relevant prospectus and must carefully consider the risk warnings contained in that prospectus.
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