SEIS and EIS advance assurance
Advance assurance from HMRC, prepared by a lawyer. £449 fixed.
Investors want to know their tax relief is likely before they commit. We check that you qualify, prepare and file your application with HMRC, and answer HMRC's questions until it is granted. One fixed fee, no hourly billing.
How it works
01
Check you qualify
Free on the platform: answer the questions on the SEIS and EIS page and see whether the company, the trade and the shares fit, before you spend anything.
02
Send us your documents
Buy the fixed fee of £449 on the platform and upload what we need. We read the plan, the forecasts and the articles for anything HMRC will question.
03
We file it with HMRC
We complete the application and submit it online within five working days of having your documents.
04
We deal with HMRC until it is granted
HMRC often comes back with questions. We answer them for you, and send you the assurance letter to share with your investors.
Do you qualify?
SEIS or EIS, side by side.
The main tests from 6 April 2026. There are more (a qualifying trade, a UK permanent establishment, no pre-arranged exits, independence from other companies), which the free check on the platform takes you through.
| SEIS | EIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Investors' income tax relief | 50% of the amount invested | 30% of the amount invested |
| How much an investor can put in a year | Up to £200,000 | Up to £1 million (£2 million if the extra is in knowledge-intensive companies) |
| How much the company can raise | £250,000 in total | £10 million a year and £24 million in total (£20 million and £40 million if knowledge-intensive) |
| Company age | Trading for under three years | First commercial sale within the last seven years (ten if knowledge-intensive) |
| Size | Gross assets up to £350,000 and fewer than 25 employees | Gross assets up to £30 million before the issue and £35 million after, fewer than 250 employees (500 if knowledge-intensive) |
What we need from you
- Your business plan, showing the trade and how the money will be used
- Financial forecasts, and your latest accounts if you have any
- Your articles of association and current cap table
- Details of the round: amount, share class, and the investors you are talking to
- Draft investment documents, if you have them (term sheet, subscription or shareholders' agreement)
Missing a plan or forecasts? Send what you have; we tell you what HMRC will expect to see.
Fixed fee
£449
- Eligibility check of the company, the trade and the planned shares
- Business plan, forecasts and articles reviewed for SEIS and EIS problems
- Application completed and submitted online to HMRC
- HMRC's follow-up questions answered until it is granted
After the round: the compliance statement (SEIS1 or EIS1) so your investors get their certificates, from £549 fixed.
Start your applicationQuestions
What is advance assurance?+
A letter from HMRC saying that, on the information you gave, the company and the planned share issue look likely to qualify for SEIS or EIS. It is not a guarantee of relief, but most angel investors and many funds will not invest under SEIS or EIS without it.
Is it compulsory?+
No. You can issue the shares and file the compliance statement without it. In practice investors ask for it, because it tells them the relief is likely to be there before they put money in.
Can we apply for SEIS and EIS together?+
Yes, in one application. Many companies raise a first tranche under SEIS and the rest under EIS; the SEIS shares must be issued before the EIS shares, even if only by a day.
How long does HMRC take?+
It varies with HMRC's workload, often several weeks. Apply well before the round closes. HMRC also expects to see the investors you are talking to; speculative applications without them can be turned away.
What does the fixed fee cover?+
The eligibility check, the review of your plan, forecasts and articles, the application itself, and answering HMRC's questions until it is granted, for £449. If your structure needs changing first (for example the articles or a holding company), we tell you and quote before doing that work.
What happens after the round?+
Once the shares are issued and the company has traded for four months, the compliance statement (SEIS1 or EIS1) goes to HMRC so your investors get their certificates. We do that too, as a separate fixed fee, and the platform reminds you when it is due.
Raising soon?
Advance assurance is one part of a round. On the platform you also get the round documents filled in from your terms, a data room for investors, share certificates and the filings afterwards, with a lawyer when you need one.
General information about UK tax reliefs, not tax advice, and no guarantee that HMRC will give assurance or that investors will get relief. The limits change; we check them on the date you apply.