SEIS/EIS

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) offer some of the most valuable tax incentives available to investors supporting early‑stage and scaling businesses.

Whether the aim is to structure investment to qualify for reliefs, ensure the company meets the detailed eligibility requirements, or maximise the significant tax advantages available, careful planning is essential to fully leverage these schemes.

Reliefs include income tax relief, capital gains tax exemptions, deferral relief, and inheritance tax advantages. However, these reliefs sit within a strict and highly technical legislative framework. Maintaining compliance is essential, as failure to meet the conditions can result in loss of relief for investors and exposure to HMRC challenge.

Given the value of the incentives and the complexity of the rules, both companies and investors benefit greatly from specialist, proactive advice when implementing SEIS and EIS arrangements.

Key Considerations for SEIS and EIS Qualification

Our first step is to ensure that both the company and the investment meet the qualifying criteria. This often requires detailed assessment of trading activities, company structure, investor profile, and commercial objectives.

Core areas include:

• SEIS qualifying conditions
  

  Ensuring the company satisfies the requirements, including the fundraising cap, qualifying trade rules, and limits on employee numbers and asset values.

• EIS qualifying conditions
  

  Managing the more extensive EIS rules, including the lifetime investment limits, eligible trading activities, and qualifying subsidiary structures.

• Advance Assurance
  

  Preparing and submitting Advance Assurance applications to HMRC to provide confidence to prospective investors that the investment will qualify for relief.

• Share structure planning
  

  Designing appropriate share classes and rights that satisfy the SEIS/EIS rules while still meeting commercial needs.

• Investor relief claims
  

  Supporting investors in securing the available reliefs, including income tax relief, capital gains exemptions or deferral, and loss relief.

• Knowledge‑Intensive Company (KIC) provisions
  

  Utilising enhanced limits and extended time periods available to qualifying R&D‑focused companies.

• Combined SEIS and EIS structuring
  

  Implementing SEIS for early‑stage investment followed by EIS for larger or subsequent funding rounds is common and requires careful sequencing.

Where needed, we liaise directly with HMRC on your behalf, ensuring Advance Assurance is obtained, compliance is monitored, and all ongoing obligations are met.

Our Process

To support a smooth and fully compliant SEIS/EIS implementation, we follow a structured, comprehensive approach:

1. Initial assessment
   

   We review the company’s activities, commercial objectives, and funding requirements to determine eligibility for SEIS and/or EIS reliefs.

2. Detailed compliance review
   

   We assess trading activities, corporate structures, and investor profiles to identify any issues that could affect qualifying status.

3. HMRC Advance Assurance
   

   We prepare and submit the application, manage correspondence with HMRC, and address any technical questions raised.

4. Implementation and monitoring
   

   We support the company in implementing the appropriate share structure, issuing shares correctly, and monitoring compliance on an ongoing basis.

Focused on Your Objectives

Whether your objective is to raise tax‑efficient investment, attract investors with compelling returns, or support long‑term growth, our advice is designed around your priorities. You can be confident that your SEIS/EIS arrangements will be structured and maintained to deliver maximum benefit while remaining fully compliant with all regulatory requirements.