Junior ISAs

Junior ISAs were introduced to encourage parents to save money for their children and to provide an alternative to the Child Trust Funds (CTF) that were only available to children born after 31 August 2002 and before 3 January 2011. It is possible to transfer CTF funds to a Junior ISA.

Junior ISAs were made available in November 2011 after CTFs were phased out. However, unlike the CTF accounts, the government does not contribute any public funds. Investments are available in cash or stocks and shares and a child can have one or both types of Junior ISA.

The money in the account belongs to the account holder. The child can control their account from the age of 16, although any money saved cannot be withdrawn until they turn 18. Junior ISAs automatically turn into an adult ISA when the child turns 18.

Any income from CTFs or Junior ISAs is exempt from Income Tax and CGT on the child or the parent even where the invested funds came from the child’s parents. The current subscription limit for both CTFs and Junior ISAs is £4,368. It has been confirmed that the limit will increase to a generous £9,000 from 6 April 2020.

Draft regulations concerning the introduction of a new type of tax-free children’s savings account have been published. The new accounts will be known as Junior Individual Savings Accounts (Junior ISAs) and are expected to be available from 1 November 2011. Comments on the draft regulations can be made until the end of May. The Government intends to make the final Regulations in July 2011.

The new savings accounts have been introduced to encourage children to save money and will go some way in making up for the phasing out of the Child Trust Funds to save the Government some £500m per year. However, the new savings accounts will be run by private providers and the government will not contribute any public funds.

The new account will have the following key features:

  • All returns will be tax free.
  • Funds placed in the account will be owned by the child and would be locked in until the child reaches 18 years of age.
  • Investments will be available in cash or stocks and shares.
  • Annual contributions will be capped at £3,000 per year.
  • Junior ISA accounts will by default become adult ISAs on maturity.
  • All UK resident children who do not have a CTF will be eligible for Junior ISAs.
Back


Case Studies

The Tax Man

Minimise the stress of an investigation and make use of our extensive experience in securing best outcome for our clients

Business Valuation in Distress

Take advantage of our impartial and rigorous due diligence procedures

FD in The Cupboard

Our innovative ideas are here to improve your business performance and secure appropriate and cost effective funding

Contact us

For a FREE initial consultation
For a Fixed Fee Quotation

BY POST OR IN PERSON

Chandos House, School Lane Buckingham,
Buckinghamshire MK18 1HD

BY TELEPHONE

01280 823904

BY FAX

01280 822090

BY EMAIL

info@tearlecarver.co.uk

The Tax Man

The Tax Man

A new client was introduced to us via a recommendation with whom we arranged to meet on a regular basis in order to determine a number of changes that we felt were needed to their business structure. The client was at the time operating as a husband and wife partnership. The business was flourishing and had a number of large contracts with big organisations.

At the start of the process they were still heavily immersed in their day to day operations so we can get a full flavour for their ambitions, aspirations and growth plans. We quickly recognised there were sufficient tax savings which can be achieved by changing the structure from a partnership to a corporate entity. We carried out a business valuation and disposed of the goodwill from the old to the new business. Unfortunately, as often is the case with efficient tax planning, HMRC got involved and disputed our valuation.

An HMRC investigation can be a very stressful time for any client, even for those best prepared. However, our client had minimal input in the HMRC communication as we dealt with this professionally behind the scene. As an added benefit, our client could rest on the security that all work was covered by insurance and therefore all costs and time in dealing with this enquiry were covered by the fee protection policy we had put in place.

The initial approach taken by HMRC was very aggressive and they tried to present an argument that there was no goodwill in the business. We challenged HMRC’s view that the goodwill was worthless. After lengthy correspondence and numerous telephone calls, HMRC agreed 100% with our original valuation, which preserved our original tax saving plan for the client. Tax savings on this case where in the region of £75K at the outset, with ongoing savings of £6,000 per annum. We are pleased to add another happy client to our portfolio.

Business Valuation in Distress

Business Valuation in Distress

Selling a business is never an easy process, but when disputes arise, the need for a reliable third party due diligence process is even greater.

Tearle & Carver have extensive understanding of the requirements for remaining objective when managing a potentially difficult company buyout. In one such case, we were approached by the courts to act as independent accountant for an acrimonious business sale in which one partner was exiting the business and selling shares to the other. Given the circumstances, both sides had totally polar views of what their business was worth.

After arranging an initial meeting with the company, we were thorough in ensuring we completed due diligence, validating the figures in the accounting records, carrying out adjustments where appropriate, and drafting a set of reliable management figures within the framework required by the court.

A draft version of the report detailing our findings and conclusions was submitted to both parties, giving them the opportunity to voice any queries or concerns and ensure all relevant factors had been taken into account.

Through this process, we were able to submit a final report to the courts that was both binding and acceptable to both parties, effectively resolving what could otherwise have been a time consuming and costly process for all sides.

FD in The Cupboard

FD in The Cupboard

For smaller companies, it is often not possible or cost effective to pay for a full-time Financial Director.
Many of our clients therefore make use of Tearle & Carver’s extensive expertise to provide the services of an FD as and when required.

In this case, we were approached by the management team of an organisation looking to acquire the existing business via an MBO (Management buy out). Their business plan had proved ineffective for securing funding, and what they needed was financial expertise from someone with a developed understanding of the company’s internal workings.

Tearle & Carver helped deliver the solution our clients were looking through utilising our bank contacts in order to make the MBO viable, while also building a robust business plan and preparing our client for the rigorous vetting process. To help with cash flow issues, we introduced factoring which led to improved cash flow management.

We advised on the appropriate business valuation and structure, and continued to prepare monthly accounts to track profgress once the management were fully in command of all the information they needed to move their business forward.

In order to best assist these clients through the crucial first year of ownership, we attended board meetings on a regular basis, a service that we continue to provide to date.

With our continually developing understanding of their business, this client is able to remain confident that Tearle & Carver can provide any financial support they may need, now and in the future.