The Sunday Times personal finance guide to tax-free savings - Christopher Gilchrist

Nobody likes the taxman, especially when it comes to the inroads he can make on your savings. But a desire to escape tax has led people into all sorts of rash moves, from leaving money under the mattress, to complicated "tax-free" schemes which enrich no-one but their promoter, or to downright cheating - which can land you in jail!;The smart thing to do is to make maximum use of legal tax-free and tax efficient schemes. The opportunities are considerable today, and making quite simple decisions could now, quite literally double your money in the years to come.;From the basics of investment and tax, with a look at the traps, this work advises on how to plan a sensible investment strategy for maximizing a tax sheltered portfolio. The guide also makes the distinction between "tax-free" and "tax-efficient" schemes and examines the different risk levels of investments: such as offshore funds, personal equity plans, life assurance bonds and venture capital funds.