On the back of the first Labour Government Budget for 14 years Fundamental Asset Management have put together an initial response relating to AIM investments.

From April 2026, AIM Shares will only benefit from 50% relief as opposed to 100% relief currently. This means AIM shares will be taxed at an effective 20% Inheritance Tax rate from 6th April 2026.

Other Business and Agricultural assets will still benefit from 100% relief for the first £1 million and thereafter will receive 50% relief, again an effective rate of 20%.

It is our understanding that the £1m threshold will NOT apply to AIM shares.

While we would have preferred 100% relief to remain, we are pleased that the relief hasn’t been removed completely, as was speculated, and still offers compelling reasons to invest in AIM.

The AIM market clearly shares our view as we are seeing a significant rally today in our AIM portfolios. Investors had clearly been worried about the potential scrapping of the relief in recent months and AIM had significantly underperformed other markets. The changes made today should also put an end to speculation for several years to come.

In other changes to Inheritance Tax, bands have been frozen for another two years to 2030 likely resulting in more estates paying Inheritance Tax and inherited personal pensions will be subject to Inheritance Tax.

There were also changes to Capital Gains Tax announced. From today, the lower rate will increase from 10% to 18% and the higher rate from 18% to 24%.

ISA allowances have been frozen until 2030. The limit will remain at £20,000 for ISAs, £4,000 for Lifetime ISAs and £9,000 for Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds.

A further potential (positive) upshot of the Budget in regards to AIM shares was that inherited personal pensions will be subject to Inheritance Tax.

As ever with a Budget, it will take some time to fully digest the details but on the surface, solely looking at it from the perspective of our portfolios, the opportunities look positive.

To discuss the above, please contact us on [email protected] or call 01923 713 890

The Professional Investor is a new podcast series which goes inside the mind of a UK based professional investor. It explores; the secrets of asset management, gives the inside scoop on the latest developments from the front line of the investment industry as well as analysis and opinion on what is going on in the economy.

For Episode 1 of The Professional Investor Podcast; the professional investor is Chris Boxall. Chris is co-founder and portfolio manager at Fundamental Asset Management.

Chris gives his opinion on the Budget and explains some of the changes he would like to see at the London Stock Exchange.

Chris has 25 years as a professional investor under his belt having worked in New York as well as the UK. Back in 2004, Chris and his colleague Stephen Drabwell brought an American approach to investing over to the UK when they founded Fundamental Asset Management. The firm as well as managing general portfolios, has a focus on smaller companies on AIM including running a specialist AIM for Inheritance Tax Portfolio Service. Chris is the long term editor of the popular research site Investor’s Champion.

Key topics:
• The Budget
• The London Stock Exchange
• The Financial Times coverage of Chris’ recommendations

Webinar: “How Do You Use AIM For Inheritance Tax Planning?”

Previous Fundamental education webinars

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Chris Boxall on LinkedIn

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Disclaimer: This podcast, all opinions and information are for educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Trading and investing carries a high level of risk and are not right for everyone. If you need financial advice, consult with a regulated financial adviser in your country before making any decisions.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Fundamental’s AIM IHT ISA and General portfolio is a discretionary investment management service where clients can obtain 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax, benefit from the capital growth and income afforded by the AIM market and retain control of their assets.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

Fundamental now offers its standard AIM IHT Growth Portfolio, as well as its newer AIM IHT Income Portfolio service.

All portfolios are managed by the same team of managers and researchers that have delivered exceptional returns since the firm’s founding in 2004.

You can find out more from the link here or by contacting [email protected] or calling 01923 713894.

ANOTHER RECORD
The latest data on tax receipts from HMRC shows that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for April 2023 to December 2023 of £5.7 billion were £0.4 billion higher than in the same period a year earlier.

The 7.5% increase means the Treasury is on course to take record receipts of about £7.6 billion from IHT in the 2023/24 tax year, after surging to an all-time high of £7.1bn in 2022/23 – a £1 billion increase on 2021/22. This all results in more and more families are having to pay IHT.

Higher receipts since March 2022 are due to a combination of higher volumes of wealth transfers following recent IHT-liable deaths, recent rises in asset values, and the UK government’s decision to maintain IHT tax free thresholds at their 2020 to 2021 levels, up to and including 2027 to 2028.

A proven, effective and straightforward tax planning method to help mitigate Inheritance Tax is by investing in the shares of qualifying companies listed on AIM, which benefit from Business Relief (‘BR’). What this means is if you buy and hold shares in such companies, you could potentially pass on those shares IHT free provided that:

• the shares are held for at least two years and are still held on death
• the company still qualifies for BR at the time of the investor’s death

You could buy as few or as many shares as you wish. There is no upper limit or allowance. Provided the above conditions are met, the whole value of the investment – be it £10,000 or £10 million – should attract 100% IHT relief.

WATCH OUR WEBINAR “AIM TO SOAR IN 24?”
Our latest webinar reviews 2023 and asks is “AIM to soar in ’24?” Watch it here.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Fundamental’s AIM IHT ISA and General portfolio is a discretionary investment management service where clients can obtain 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax, benefit from the capital growth and income afforded by the AIM market and retain control of their assets.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

Fundamental now offers its standard AIM IHT Growth Portfolio, as well as its newer AIM IHT Income Portfolio service.

All portfolios are managed by the same team of managers and researchers that have delivered exceptional returns since the firm’s founding in 2004.

You can find out more from the link here or by contacting [email protected] or calling 01923 713894.

With today’s HMRC announcement that Inheritance Tax (IHT) Receipts are up £1billion to £7.1bn, Fundamental Asset Management give some tips for keeping the money you want to leave your family out of the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s hands. Fundamental’s portfolio manager, Chris Boxall explained:

“Using AIM for IHT is the easy, non-contentious way of getting IHT relief on investments on behalf of your estate when you pass away; keeping Jeremy Hunt’s hands (or whoever is the Chancellor at the time) off your money.”

Fundamental Asset Management’s Top Tips:

1)

Do you have old ISAs that are going to form part of your estate upon death? You might wish to transfer these into an AIM IHT Portfolio to save up to 40% of their value through IHT relief. Fundamental Asset Management accept transfers-in of old ISAs.

2)

Consider if “only” using this year’s ISA allowance is going to reduce your IHT liability as much as you want in the long run. You may also want to invest in a non-ISA AIM IHT portfolio to allow your family the opportunity to potentially inherit more of your money when the time comes.

3)

View the investment to be over at least a 5-year period. If you cannot afford to be without this money, it may be that this investment is not right at this time. It also potentially enables you to better see the investment opportunities AIM can deliver.

Remember, for your estate to not pay Inheritance Tax on the investment – a saving of 40% – your investment needs to be in certain AIM shares that qualify for Business Relief. The shares need to:

• Be held for 2 years or more and still held at death; and
• Be held in a company that still qualifies for Business Relief at the time of the investor’s death.

Fundamental Asset Management’s AIM Inheritance Tax portfolio service can help you leave more of your money to your family instead of HMRC. To find out more about the benefits of AIM, please speak to our Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall, via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894.

Is it time to be greedy when others are fearful?

It has been a painful time recently for AIM investors. In the upcoming Fundamental Asset Management webinar on Wednesday 12th October at 3pm we ask: AIM: cheap for good reason or bargains to be snapped up?

To register your spot and to be able to watch it after the event, please click here.

Fundamental’s portfolio managers Chris Boxall & Stephen Drabwell will be reviewing the last quarter as well as looking ahead to Q4.

AGENDA
– Q3 Review.
– What lies ahead for Q4.
– It has been a terrible time for AIM stocks; could now be the time to invest?
– Trading performance vs share price performance.
– Valuations.
– Impact of “mini budget”.
– Questions.

For more information about reducing Inheritance Tax using Business Relief (also known as Business Property Relief) click here.

To find out more about the benefits of investing in AIM shares for IHT planning purposes, please get in touch via email at [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894

Will your money help HMRC break another record?

HMRC’s latest figures released today show that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for April 2022 to July 2022 are £2.4 billion; £0.3 billion higher than in the same period a year earlier.

Will your family have to pay IHT to HMRC after you have passed on? If this is something you wish to help your loved ones avoid, investing in qualifying AIM stocks could be for you.

If a client invests in certain AIM shares that qualify for Business Relief for 2 years and provided they are still held at death, the estate will not pay Inheritance Tax on them – a saving of 40%. Fundamental Asset Management’s AIM Inheritance Tax portfolio can help you plan for your family’s future.

Inheritance Tax mitigation

A Fundamental AIM Inheritance Tax portfolio achieves 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax after only two years. Not seven years as is the case through a gifting or trust approach.

Existing ISAs can also be transferred to Fundamental providing greater potential savings for your loved ones.

This video presentation here provides a brief introduction to the Fundamental AIM IHT portfolio service, while our webinar here reviews the second quarter of the year and discusses our ESG and PRI developments.

To find out more about the benefits of investing in AIM for Inheritance Tax planning purposes, where sustainability is also a key consideration, please speak to our Business Development Manager Jonathan Bramall via email [email protected]  or phone 01923 713 894.

Fundamental Asset Management
www.fundamentalasset.com

In the sixth of our series – The Fundamentals – about going back to the basics of investing in AIM shares for Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning purposes, we look at How long do you need to hold a qualifying stock for it to receive IHT relief?

We recently ran a webinar for financial advisers where we answered questions on How to use AIM for Inheritance Tax Planning? We received a number of questions regarding the length of time shares must be held to benefit from IHT relief. With the risk warning that we are not tax advisers as well as that tax benefits depend on circumstances and tax rules can change, we have put our understanding of the rules below.

What is the length of time a Business Relief (BR) qualifying stock must be held so a client’s estate does not need to pay Inheritance Tax?

• A share (and any replacements) must have been held for at least a total of 2 years and still be held on death.
• The company must still qualify for Business Relief at the time of the investor’s death.

Does the overall AIM portfolio need to be held for 2 years to claim BR or is it on a share by share basis?

• It is on a share by share basis.

If a qualifying stock is sold and new qualifying stocks are purchased, does that reset the clock?

• As long as the whole of the money from the sale of the stock is reinvested, the calendar does not reset.

Does HMRC publish a list of qualifying AIM stocks which, if held for 2 years, would qualify for IHT relief?

• No, HMRC doesn’t produce a list but this is where using experts such as Fundamental Asset Management comes into play. Not only do we select stocks based on the qualifying criteria but we also keep them under review in case their Business Relief qualifying status changes. It is also worth noting that as well as the potential of saving 40% on IHT, our AIM for IHT portfolio service has seen historical growth that has outstripped other indices and competitors over many years.

For more information about reducing Inheritance Tax by using Business Relief click here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Business Development Manager Jonathan Bramall via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894

The Fundamentals Series

• Introducing The Fundamentals series
• The Fundamentals #2: How to use ISAs for Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning?
• The Fundamental #3: The perils of exit fees & support for a client’s estate
• The Fundamentals #4 – What is the Fundamental AIM Inheritance Tax Portfolio?
• The Fundamentals #5 – How to use AIM to stop HMRC taking money from your family?

Our Educational Webinars also provide plenty of further information.

Fundamental Asset Management
www.fundamentalasset.com

In the fifth of our series – The Fundamentals – about going back to the basics of investing in AIM shares for Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning purposes, we look at: How to use AIM to stop HMRC taking money from your family.

Figures released yesterday by HMRC showed they took £6.1 billion in Inheritance Tax for March – up by £0.7 billion on last year. How can clients use AIM  to reduce the amount their family pays after they pass away?

One way is for a client to invest in certain AIM shares that qualify for Business Relief for 2 years and provided they are still held at death, the estate will not pay Inheritance Tax on them.

What is Business Relief?

Business Property Relief or BPR (now known as Business Relief) was first introduced in 1976 to allow family businesses to be passed down through generations free of IHT. Its scope subsequently widened and since 1996 it was made available for a range of assets, including limited companies. This means if you buy and hold shares in such companies you could potentially pass on those shares IHT free provided that:

• the shares are held for at least two years and are still held on death
• the company still qualifies for BPR at the time of the investor’s death

You could buy as few or as many shares as you wish. There is no upper limit or allowance. Provided the above conditions are met, the whole value of the investment – be it £10,000 or £10 million – should attract 100% IHT relief.

Please note, tax benefits depend on circumstances and tax rules can change.

Inheritance Tax mitigation

A Fundamental AIM Inheritance Tax portfolio achieves 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax after only two years. Not seven years as is the case through a gifting or trust approach.

Upcoming webinar: How to use AIM for Inheritance Tax Planning? Your Questions Answered

Join Fundamental Asset Management’s Co-Founders Chris Boxall & Stephen Drabwell on Wednesday 4th May at 3pm 2022 as they answer your questions on using AIM for Inheritance Tax Planning. To register for the webinar click here.

What Would You Like To Know?

Now is the time to ask us and we will endeavour to cover it in the webinar.
Send your questions to: [email protected]

The Fundamentals Series

• Introducing The Fundamentals series
• The Fundamentals #2: How to use ISAs for Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning?
• The Fundamental #3: The perils of exit fees & support for a client’s estate
• The Fundamentals #4 – What is the Fundamental AIM Inheritance Tax Portfolio?

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Business Development Manager Jonathan Bramall via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894

Our Educational Webinars also provide plenty of further information.

Fundamental Asset Management
www.fundamentalasset.com