SEIS Advance Assurance Service for UK Startups
HMRC SEIS Advance Assurance for UK founders. Approved every time.
Investors will not commit until you have the letter from HMRC. We write your application from scratch, file it, and handle every follow-up until it lands in your inbox. 100% acceptance rate across every application we have filed.
Without SEIS Advance Assurance, your round stalls.
Angel investors expect to see the HMRC letter before they wire money. Without it, founders lose weeks of momentum chasing commitments that will not close. Most rounds die in that gap.
Investors will not commit
SEIS gives angels 50% income tax relief plus CGT and loss relief on investments up to £200,000. They want the relief locked in before they sign. No Advance Assurance letter, no cheque.
Templated applications get rejected
HMRC reviewers see hundreds of recycled forms a week. The templated platforms have a noticeable rejection rate because the language is too generic for the case officer to assess properly. Each rejection adds another month.
The eligibility traps are hidden
Trade exclusions, group structure rules, the £350,000 prior-funding cap, the 25-employee limit, the gross-assets test. Miss one and the application bounces. Founders rarely know the rules until HMRC tells them no.
Time you do not have
Once you decide to raise, the clock starts. Angel intros cool. Round momentum decays. A six-week back-and-forth with HMRC is the difference between closing in this quarter and losing the round.
Written by a human. Approved by HMRC.
We are not a form-filler. Every application is built around your business, your trade, and the actual investor commitments you have lined up. That is why HMRC says yes the first time.
Personally written
Drafted from scratch for your business, not pulled from a template library.
100% approval
Every application we have ever filed has been accepted by HMRC.
Free resubmissions
If HMRC ever pushes back, we rewrite and refile at no extra cost.
Fast turnaround
Application submitted to HMRC within 7 working days of kickoff.
From kickoff to HMRC letter. We do the heavy lifting.
Three stages. You stay focused on building the business and talking to investors. We handle every word that goes to HMRC.
Strategy call
30 minutes. We confirm your eligibility, walk through your business and your fundraising plan, and tell you exactly which documents HMRC will want to see.
We build and submit
We write the application, the cover letter, and prepare any supporting documents you need. We file directly with HMRC and confirm receipt.
HMRC review
HMRC normally responds in 4 to 8 weeks. We are the point of contact for every question they raise and handle the response on your behalf until the approval letter lands.
Two ways to work with us. No surprises.
Pick the application-only service if your business plan, pitch deck, and forecast are already investor-ready. Pick the bundle if you want us to write the lot.
- Eligibility review against HMRC criteria
- Application drafted from scratch
- Personalised cover letter
- Direct submission to HMRC
- We handle all HMRC follow-up questions
- Free resubmission if rejected
- Submitted within 7 working days
- Everything in Application Only
- Investor-grade business plan
- 15 to 20 slide pitch deck
- 3-year financial forecast (Excel)
- Cap table and SEIS-friendly structure review
- Unlimited revisions on all documents
- Submitted within 14 working days
- Business plan: £500 + VAT
- Pitch deck: £750 + VAT
- Financial forecast: £500 + VAT
- Cap table review: £250 + VAT
- Investor one-pager: £250 + VAT
- Same writers, same standard
- Bundle with the Application for a discount
All pricing is fixed. No retainers, no monthly fees, no per-investor add-ons. Pay once, and we are with you until HMRC approves.
Personal beats templated. Every time.
The dominant platforms run founders through a templated wizard and submit the same form for everyone. HMRC reviewers know the format. We write yours from scratch, which is why ours keep getting approved.
| Avvale | Templated platforms | |
|---|---|---|
| Application written from scratch | Yes, by a human | Template wizard |
| HMRC acceptance rate | 100% to date | Not published |
| Free resubmissions | Included | Extra fee |
| Direct human contact | Same writer end to end | Support ticket queue |
| HMRC follow-ups handled | We respond on your behalf | You handle them |
| Time to submission | 7 working days | 2 to 4 weeks typical |
| Price for application | £350 + VAT, fixed | Subscription required |
Real founders. Real approvals.
A snapshot of what founders have said after we landed their Advance Assurance letter and their round closed.
"We had been quoted six weeks by a tax adviser and a higher fee by Seedlegals. Avvale had the application with HMRC in five days. Approval came back two weeks later and our angels released funds the same week."
"What I did not realise is how badly a generic application reads to HMRC. The team rewrote our trade description and the activities section, and it went through first time. Saved the round."
"We picked the bundle because we had nothing written. Business plan, deck, and forecast were back in two weeks and HMRC approval landed three weeks after submission. Felt like having a fundraising team for the price of a single retainer month."
"Honest, fast, and they actually picked up the phone. Our lead angel asked for the letter before he wired and we had it within three weeks of starting. No drama."
"HMRC had questions about our trade because we sit close to financial services. Avvale handled the back and forth, sent a clarifying note, and the approval came through. I never had to email HMRC once."
"Tried a platform first and got bounced. Came to Avvale, they rewrote the case, refiled, and we were approved a fortnight later. Wish I had started here."
Questions founders ask before booking.
Who is this for?
UK-registered limited companies raising from angel investors, EIS/SEIS funds, or syndicates that expect Advance Assurance before committing. Most of our founders are pre-seed or seed stage, under two years trading, and raising between £100K and £250K.
What is SEIS Advance Assurance and why do investors ask for it?
It is a written indication from HMRC that your company is likely to qualify for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme. Investors care because SEIS gives them 50% income tax relief plus CGT and loss relief on investments up to £200,000 in your company. Without the letter, most angels will not release funds.
Are you really 100% approval rate?
Yes. Every application we have filed has been accepted by HMRC. We refuse to file applications that we believe will fail eligibility, which is a big part of how we keep that rate. If we do not think your business will qualify, we tell you on the strategy call and we do not take your money.
What happens if HMRC pushes back?
We respond on your behalf. HMRC occasionally asks for clarification on trade activities, structure, or use of funds. We handle the entire correspondence, write the response, and refile if needed. If a rewrite is required, it is free. The risk sits with us, not you.
How fast can you deliver?
Application Only: filed with HMRC within 7 working days of kickoff. All-In Bundle: filed within 14 working days. HMRC then typically responds in 4 to 8 weeks, though some cases close faster.
What do I need to provide?
Company number, founder details, a description of what the business does, intended use of investor funds, and a list of any investors who have committed in principle. If you do not have a business plan or forecast yet, the bundle option includes those.
How are you different from Seedlegals and other platforms?
The platforms run you through a templated wizard. HMRC reviewers see hundreds of those forms a week and the language reads as generic, which is a known driver of rejections and follow-up questions. We write yours from scratch, by hand, for your specific trade and case. That is why ours keep getting approved and why the risk sits with us rather than you.
Do I need committed investors before applying?
It helps but it is not required. HMRC wants to see that you are realistically raising. A soft list of interested angels or a clear plan to approach SEIS/EIS funds is usually enough. We will tell you exactly how to phrase this on the call.
Are we eligible for SEIS?
The headline criteria are: UK-registered, under three years old, fewer than 25 employees, gross assets under £350,000 at the time of investment, less than £250,000 in prior SEIS funding, and operating in a qualifying trade. We do a full eligibility review on the strategy call before you commit to anything.
Is the strategy call really free?
Yes. 30 minutes, no obligation. You get a straight answer on whether you are likely to qualify, what HMRC will want to see, and a clear quote. If we cannot help, we will say so.
Can you also handle EIS Advance Assurance?
Yes. EIS Advance Assurance is filed on the same form and we handle both together when a company is close to the SEIS cap or planning a follow-on raise. We will scope this on the call.
Is my information confidential?
Yes. Everything you share is treated as confidential and we are happy to sign an NDA before the call if you prefer.
Your round is waiting on a letter from HMRC. Let us go and get it.
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We confirm your eligibility, scope the application, and tell you exactly what HMRC will need. No obligation.