This year's new VCT (venture capital trust) offer season, where investors can apply for new shares and enjoy immediate tax benefits, is in full swing. Each year, VCTs seem to attract money faster than the previous year, meaning interested investors need to act fast once offers go live, although it is important to understand all the risks involved before making an investment decision.Experts believ

Experienced investors may be aware of an investment which benefits from a 30% boost straight off the bat. But for the uninitiated, welcome to the world of venture capital trusts (VCTs).Venture capital trusts are funds that allow investors to claim up to 30% income tax relief on an investment of up to £200,000 a year.You need to hold the investment for at least five years, but any dividends will b

If you want to add some spice to your portfolio and mitigate your tax bill it is worth looking at the current range of venture capital trust (VCT) offers.Investing in a VCT enables you to get immediate exposure to a portfolio of small businesses which the VCT's manager reckons have significant growth potential. They might be companies that are disrupting existing sectors or ones offering opportuni

Investors have raced to buy a part of Crowdcube. The crowdfunding platform was hoping to raise £5 million by offering the public a chance to take a stake in its business, but more than £50 million had been pledged in a pre-registration period which closed on 18 July.In 2016 investors arguably have more options than ever before when it comes to gaining exposure to start-up investments. The growth

Higher-rate taxpayers are increasingly looking for alternative tax benefits as the government tightens up the roles around pensions. This is making venture capital trusts (VCTs) a popular choice for people across the country.Venture capital trusts are funds that allow investors to claim up to 30% income tax relief on up to £200,000 invested in a VCT per year. You need to hold the investment for a

Venture Capital Trusts are private equity funds that trade on the London Stock Exchange. They mainly invest in small, unquoted or AIM-quoted UK companies and provide an important source of early stage funding for these types of businesses.The most common format are the generalist VCTs that hold a broad range of stocks operating in different sectors of the market. There are also those that focus sp

Many people get excited about initial public offerings (IPOs) as it often provides a chance to invest in a young, fast-growing company that could become the next big name in the world of business. Yet there's growing appetite to back such stories even earlier by investing when they are a private business. That's where venture capital trusts (VCTs) play an important role as they are tax-efficient b