BanktotheFuture.com Case Study: Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme Investor – Caren Downie

We spoke to Caren Downie, ex-Fashion Director at Asos.com and TopShop, about her experience becoming a first time investor and how she invested £100,000 and claimed back £64,500 from the government through the seed enterprise investment scheme (SEIS).

Here is what Caren had to say…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I first came across BankToTheFuture.com, the CrowdInvesting platform in November 2012 and was immediately inspired by the concept. BankToTheFuture.com is based on a simple truth and obvious need to change the way we look at investing. When I first started looking at investing I was excited but also scared; after all I was a fashion girl and hadn’t got a clue about finance. I had never even thought of doing anything like this before and really didn’t know what it meant or how to go about it.

My accountant explained that there could be a particularly tax efficient way of making an investments in equity CrowdFunding listed companies on BankToTheFuture.com known as SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme). You would receive up to 50% income tax relief on the investment and be able to roll 50% of any capital gains liabilities into the shares (plus no capital gains if the business succeeds). So in effect up to 85% tax relief! I was very happy to think of my money helping businesses I really believed in. The process is so simple and there is lots of helpful information readily available on the BankToTheFuture.com site, so there is no excuse.

I am loving being involved at the beginning of an enterprise. Each new opportunity is exciting, pulling in favours to make things happen and sharing in the success. It is inspiring and motivating; all in all the best kind of investment as it is so much more than financial. So far I have invested £100,000 through the platform and I look forward to building my portfolio further.

I have claimed back £64,500 of that from HMRC too so will be investing further.

For more details on Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme click the green SEIS star on any of the qualifying BankToTheFuture.com listed businesses and a short video animation will pop-up explaining how SEIS can work for you.

Source: BanktotheFuture.com