Advisers buck predictions and shun alternative tax-planning tools

Providers still maintain demand is growing

Nicola Brittain
clock • 2 min read

Advisers are shunning alternative investments such as EIS and VCT schemes despite widespread speculation recommendations would increase in the wake of recent changes to pension rules.

The reduction in the life-time allowance and changes to the inheritance (IHT) regime are most often cited as reasons for increased investment into Enterprise Investment Schemes (EISs) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs). The lifetime allowance will reduce from £1.25m to £1m this April while the pensions freedoms introduced in April 2015 changed IHT rules so that savers could pass on more of their pension to children without incurring a tax charge of 40%. A recent report from Intelligent Partnership suggested these changes have meant advisers are turning to alternative investments while ...

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