• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

Making your warchest work for you

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #11
    Most of what I would say is posted in here...
    http://forums.contractoruk.com/accou...lush-fund.html


    FWIW since I posted that I found out LondonMidland have free car parking in there stations for EVs (no charging points though) so another £1500 a year saved! As other people pointed out the cheapest method of motoring in a old banger and claim your 45p/mile. I've been doing that for 8 years and decided a new motor was in order and an EV is the most efficient for tax and running cost purposes. Went with a BMW i3 Range extender (REX) as the charging infrastructure is patchy at best so at least you have the REX as a backup to recharge the battery on the fly and can keep topping up with unleaded till you get back home. It's lovely inside, drives itself in stop start traffic uptp 25 mph, is faster than an M3 on the 0-40 and you can pre heat the interior from your smart phone so no scraping required to defrost.

    I've also been to see an accountant about starting a business doing property development on land at the side of my house. Once planning permission is approved I'll be forming a new group company, and a sister "Myco construction Ltd" company. Transferring a bunch of cash from my contracting company to fund the ground works and taking on a commercial mortage for the rest [ at 8-12% and guaranteed personally by me ].

    Going to build 3 flats. The best part - I am lending the land to my company to build on with an IUO, that once the flats sell gets paid back to me free of capital gains tax as it was part of my primary domestic residence. £75,000 tax free - not bad. I still have the original house - just no side garden which is only used as a drive anyway. space at the front for parking.

    Any losses in the construction co can be offset against corporation tax of the contracting co - via the group. Though I expect to make £150k. That will be kept as retained profit to repeat the process/ become my alternative pension fund.

    You need to be looking to buy a house with land spare if you want to do this. Ideally a 3 storey end town house - that can also be converted to flats afterwards. For about £50k, you can split the original house into 3 floors and sell it as 3 units for about 50% more than what it's worth as a single house. Council might be supportive as you are effectively creating affordable homes without using green land. I expect to make £100k on the house conversion.

    You'll have to pay corporation tax on the profits. The new builds are VAT free, but conversions you pay full VAT. So I might leave that for a while and do some more house / flat building elsewhere and just rent out what is my current PDR.

    Just employ a decent Building PM and carry on with the day job. Treat yourself as customer / specifier and don't get involved in something it's cheaper to employ someone else to do. Just check up everyday that some progress has been made.

    The final bit I've done is started my Mrs up in business with a loan doing importing / exporting via 3rd parties. She's at home doing sweet FA and I can't earn any more money without paying 40% Tax. So I've got her on the web showed her how to get the suppliers and now she's on it. Could end up earning more than me based on profit margins! You can buy stock and have it delivered direct to Amazon for order fulfilment. Or do it from the garage in spare time till it gets up and running. Always do test order with Chinese suppliers as quality control is non existent. Expect delays from anyone... even in UK. We were told 3-4 weeks for a clothes order and 8 weeks later we still haven't had delivery.
    Signed sealed and delivered.

    Comment


      #12
      Originally posted by Forbes Young View Post
      "Can" being the operative word. Investments can also plummet in value, losing you plenty of hard earned cash. In my opinion, you should take the advice of investment experts when investing your funds (including buying/selling stocks and shares).
      This sort of advice really riles me - An IFA will most often just sell you a fund managed by some fund manager and get his commissions. You can quite easily avoid that by just going through an ETF vehicle. These industry experts more often then not honestly have no clue including the guys who come on the radio or write columns in the newspapaer

      Rather then have all contractors go to IFA's why dont you explain what advice the IFA is likely to give. The spectrum of people on these boards are all very similar - More then 10K to invest and company money not needed any time.

      If you want to make it more exciting assume low risk / moderate risk / high risk so you can provide three structures

      Comment


        #13
        Originally posted by Jack Kada View Post
        This sort of advice really riles me - An IFA will most often just sell you a fund managed by some fund manager and get his commissions. You can quite easily avoid that by just going through an ETF vehicle. These industry experts more often then not honestly have no clue including the guys who come on the radio or write columns in the newspapaer

        Rather then have all contractors go to IFA's why dont you explain what advice the IFA is likely to give. The spectrum of people on these boards are all very similar - More then 10K to invest and company money not needed any time.

        If you want to make it more exciting assume low risk / moderate risk / high risk so you can provide three structures
        Some IFAs are better than others of course but the top ones will be able to give you comprehensive advice with different options, based on a client's overall individual position. They should be a lot more expert than the average contractor as they need to undertake comprehensive CPD each year and apply annually for their licence, to show they continue to be experts in their field. Its not about how much commission or fees you pay, its about how much net you make from an investment.

        Comment


          #14
          Making your warchest work for you

          w ww.deposits.org. Not sure if a foreigner can open an account, though. Worth looking into?
          Last edited by cojak; 4 December 2014, 07:29. Reason: taken out the linky

          Comment

          Working...
          X