Employee Ownership Trusts still in play despite tax changes
Rob Buckland weighs up the evidence of a viable alternative to a more traditional sale
Hello Rainmakers,
Selling to an employee ownership trust (EOT) has become a popular and effective method of succession planning since they were introduced 16 years ago.
But a change to their Capital Gains Tax (CGT) treatment introduced last November has pushed down the number of inquiries about EOTs received by advisors, resulting in a fall in deals completed.
Rainmakers subscribers get two unique pieces a week (one in summer), but also full access to our back catalogue of investigations, scoops, and sector insights like this one, also The Secret Investor, interviews with entrepreneurs, and the leaders from other VC and PE investors like Endless, BGF and WestBridge.
So are EOTs still a viable alternative to a more traditional sale?
If the business owners are motivated purely by maximum tax avoidance, then it’s time to ditch any thought of an EOT and stick to a traditional trade sale.




