13:11 PM, 16th March 2023, About 3 months ago
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I posed the question “What is a Family Investment Company?” to Chat GPT recently and was pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of its response, as follows: –
“A family investment company (FIC) is a private limited company that is established by a family or group of individuals to manage and control their collective wealth. The main purpose of a family investment company is to hold and manage family assets such as property, shares, and other investments.
The company is owned and controlled by family members, who are also the shareholders of the company. The directors of the company are usually members of the family, and they make decisions about the company’s investments and how the wealth is distributed.
One of the key advantages of a family investment company is that it provides a flexible structure for managing and distributing family wealth. It can help to protect family assets, as well as facilitate estate planning and wealth transfer from one generation to the next. Additionally, it can offer tax advantages, as the company can retain profits and pay corporation tax at a lower rate than personal income tax.
However, setting up a family investment company can be complex and may require professional advice from lawyers and accountants.
I then asked Chat GPT to “Tell me more …” and the results were equally impressive, as follows …
“Sure, here are some additional details about family investment companies:
At this point, I got a “Load Failed” error, so I started a new Chat GPT thread with “Tell me more about Family Investment Company”. This was the response …
“A Family Investment Company (FIC) is a type of investment vehicle that allows families to manage and protect their wealth over generations. It is a private limited company set up by a family, with the intention of holding, managing and investing assets on behalf of its members.
The primary advantage of an FIC is that it enables a family to consolidate and control its wealth and protect it from potential risks such as divorce, lawsuits, or bankruptcy. By establishing an FIC, family members can pool their resources and make collective investment decisions, rather than each person managing their own investments separately.
Another benefit of an FIC is the ability to pass down wealth to future generations in a tax-efficient way. Shares in the company can be gifted to children and grandchildren, allowing them to benefit from the family’s wealth while also minimizing inheritance tax liabilities.
In terms of structure, an FIC typically has a board of directors made up of family members, and may also have non-family members such as professional advisers. The company’s assets are owned by the FIC, rather than the individual family members, which helps to simplify the management of the assets and protect them from potential legal claims.
Overall, a Family Investment Company can be an effective way for families to manage and protect their wealth over the long term, while also providing a flexible and tax-efficient vehicle for passing wealth down to future generations. However, it’s important to seek professional advice before setting up an FIC, as the legal and tax implications can be complex.”
Again I typed “Tell me more”, and this was the response …
“Structure and Governance: A Family Investment Company is typically set up as a private limited company in which the family members own shares. The company is governed by a board of directors, which may include family members, independent directors, or both. The board is responsible for making investment decisions and overseeing the company’s operations.
Overall, a Family Investment Company can be an effective way to manage and protect family wealth over the long-term, while also providing tax benefits and succession planning opportunities. However, it’s important to seek professional advice before setting up an FIC”
This is the point I got another “Load Failed” error, but despite that, I have to admit to being very impressed!
In 2019, HMRC launched a task force to investigate any wrongdoing concerning these structures, but now it was announced in the Financial Times on 5th August 2021 that the HMRC had disbanded their unit.
In light of this good news, Ranjan Bhattacharia (Succeed in Property) and Mark Smith (Cotswold Basrristers) recorded the 16-minute video below to recap on what a Family Investment Company is and how it can help you in your property business.
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