Fundraising is a big challenge for start-ups, especially in the early stages. It is a strain for the founders and requires a lot of time and energy. However, when it goes well, it is an exciting boost of confidence. It is crucial to approach fundraising with a plan and remain focused throughout pitching investors and making decisions.
The typical process for a funding round is a complex process. It starts with doing your homework by preparing a business plan including the statement for the capital raised and how you will use it, goes through research target investors and preparing pitch deck and financials, receiving offers, agreeing on terms and sealing the deal. The actual time scale of the process depends on the attractiveness of the proposition and the efficiency of the investors and their advisors but anywhere between three and six months is fairly typical. During this time, we will be right by your side. We will help you evaluate and improve your business plan, we will prepare the financials and make sure you use all tax incentives for angel investors available to make your business attractive.
“We value the Tax Concept team very highly. Delivering high quality work in bookkeeping, management accounts and acting as our CFO, we always receive tremendous care and attention. The team are professional and friendly and are a pleasure to work with.”
Tzvetan – Vida wines & spirits
his scheme is designed to help your company raise money when it's beginning to trade. If your company is a start-up and you're looking to raise money for your business, it can be tough to convince potential investors to provide the necessary funding. This is because your company has little trading history, insufficient assets to offer as collateral and a higher degree of uncertainty. The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is designed to offer tax reliefs to individual investors who buy shares in your company. You can raise up to £150,000, which you can use for a range of business purposes.
Investors may recover 50% of the cost of the shares, up to a maximum of £100,000 each tax year. The relief is deducted from the investor's personal tax liability, providing there is sufficient tax liability against which to set it off.
Under the Enterprise Investment Scheme, you can raise larger capital to grow your business. The EIS offers investors income tax and capital gains tax relief to encourage investment in unquoted smaller businesses. The scheme has proved highly popular, particularly in young tech companies. You could raise up to £5 million each year with a maximum of £12 million in the company's lifetime.
There are a variety of tax perks for investors that choose to invest in qualifying companies. They can recover 30% of the cost of the shares up to a maximum of £1,000,000 per year. If the shares are disposed of at a loss, the investor may set the loss against other income.
With a traditional accountant, you're simply paying for a tax bill; with Tax concept and Xero as a technology partner, you get an added value- real-time reporting and analysis.
In order for an investor to qualify for SEIS and enjoy the significant tax advantages, both the company and the investor must meet various criteria. If you fail on a technicality, your investors will not be impressed.
Whenever a business raises finance it is entering into a long-term commitment. But what exactly have both parties committed to undertake and for how long? These are questions that need to be fully answered by a professional who understands your business and its needs.
Your investor might want to be consulted /or even vote/ on management decisions. YOu might expect them to bring experience and knowledge as well as cash. These are points that need to be thought through carefully and we often discuss with our clients.
