How to get SEIS advance assurance from HMRC (2026/27)

What advance assurance is

Advance assurance is an opinion from HMRC, given before you issue shares, on whether your company and the planned share issue are likely to meet the rules of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme. Angels like it because it takes one worry off the table before they send money.

It is optional. No law says you must have it, and plenty of rounds close without it. In my view it is worth the effort for any UK pre-seed round that expects to use angels, because the first question many of them ask is whether SEIS is in place.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check HMRC guidance or speak to a qualified adviser before you rely on any of it.

What it does and does not cover

HMRC is clear that advance assurance for SEIS and EIS covers only certain conditions of the schemes, based on the information you gave. HMRC does not endorse the business or give a view on how the investment might perform.

That matters for how you describe it to investors. You can say HMRC has given advance assurance on the information supplied. You should not say HMRC has approved the investment, and you should expect careful investors to do their own checks.

The SEIS limits your company has to meet

On HMRC's SEIS guidance, your company can raise up to £250,000 through SEIS in total. That figure includes any other de minimis state aid received in the three years up to and including the date of the investment, so a grant can eat into your allowance.

At the time the shares are issued, your gross assets must not exceed £350,000 and you must have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees. If you already carry on a qualifying trade, it must not have been carried on for more than three years.

For investors, the relief is 50% income tax relief on up to £200,000 a year, per HMRC's investor guidance.

Who can apply

A company secretary or a director can make the application. An authorised agent can apply for you, but they need a dated authorisation letter issued within the last three months, and confirmation for each new application.

Most founders ask their accountant or the lawyer drafting the round to apply. If you do it yourself, give yourself a few evenings to collect the documents, because the form asks for more than a short description of the business.

What to gather before you start

HMRC's list includes the amount you plan to raise, a business plan with financial forecasts, your latest accounts if you have them, your memorandum and articles of association, and a register of members that is current at the date of the application.

You also explain how the money will be used to grow and develop the company, and send the documents you have used to pitch to investors plus any shareholder or subscription agreements. If your articles still carry the standard Companies House template, read them with your lawyer before you apply, because share rights can affect whether shares qualify.

The risk to capital condition

For SEIS, EIS and VCT applications you have to explain how your company meets the risk to capital condition. In HMRC's EIS guidance this means the company aims for long term growth and the investment carries a risk that the investor will lose more capital than they are likely to gain as a net return.

Write this section with care. Describe what you are building, why it can grow, and where the real risk sits. A plan that reads like a safe, income-producing business invites questions.

Investor details and timing

HMRC usually expects details of prospective investors, unless you are listed on AIM or raising through a fund manager, business promoter or crowdfunding platform and can show their agreement. If your lead angel is committed, say so in the application.

HMRC's guidance does not give a decision time, so I would not plan around a fixed turnaround. Apply as soon as your documents are ready and before you set a closing date. Do not issue shares while you wait unless your adviser has confirmed the risk.

After you have the letter

Shares must be paid up in full, in cash, when they are issued. Under SEIS you have three years to spend the money on qualifying activities, and relief can be withheld or withdrawn if you break the rules for at least three years after the investment.

Investors claim relief up to five years after the 31 January following the tax year of the investment. Keep a clean record of the share issue, the cash received and how you spent it. If you are still building your investor list, InvestorUniverse ranks UK angels and funds against your stage, sector and cheque size.