Alternative Investment Market (AIM) ...
The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the Main Market. Flexibility is provided by less regulation and no requirements for capitalization or number of shares issued.
Investments into some AIM (Alternative Investment Market) stocks qualify under the Business Property Relief rules thereby allowing the investment to be outside of your estate for IHT after 2 years.
The rules relating to Business Property Relief are complex, particularly in relation to investments made into AIM listed stocks. Any investment made into a qualifying AIM stock will be considered to be entirely outside of your estate for IHT purposes after 2 complete years of ownership. However, if the HMRC consider the stock does not meet it’s criteria for qualification, the stock will still be considered part of your estate. We recommend we build a diversified portfolio of around 20 AIM stocks with the aim of selecting only AIM stocks that will qualify for Business Property Relief. This will be based on our understanding of the Business Property Relief rules and the information available to us and we will not be able to accept responsibility for any investment which is later deemed to be non-qualifying by the HMRC.