Expanding estate

My client is an employee — paying tax at 40% — who has rental income from an investment property that he purchased a few years ago.

He believes that the next year or two might provide opportunities for purchasing some more properties with the hope — if all goes well — that this would become a major source of income (and capital growth) in the future.

He thinks he should start to give some more thought that this would be on a commercial basis rather than as a 'one-off' previously and has asked whether future properties should be purchased in his own name or via a limited company. Mortgages will be needed to buy the properties.

He married a few years ago and is in two minds as to whether this should be his own 'venture' or whether to include his wife.

He has also read of non-domiciles purchasing...