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Budget 2015: Isas to include equity crowdfunding

George Osborne wants to extend Isa eligibility to companies that raise equity through crowd funding or on alternative exchanges
March 18, 2015

Lost in the small print of George Osborne's Budget was a pledge to explore the inclusion of crowd-funded equities within his new "Flexible Isas" – a validation of fast-growing platforms Crowdcube, Seedrs and Syndicate Room. But don't get too excited: last year the Chancellor announced he was extending ISA eligibility to peer-to-peer loans, and the consultation on how that will work is still ongoing.

Other securities that will become permissible within Isas include listed bonds issued by a co-operative society or community benefit society and "SME securities issued by companies trading on a recognised stock exchange". This may be a reference to stocks on the ISDX Growth Market - known as PLUS before being bought and rebranded by interdealer broker ICAP (IAP) in 2012 - but Investors Chronicle was not able to verify this. The exchange hosts companies including brewer Shepherd Neame, which has a market capitalisation of £154m, and vineyard Chapel Down.