GOLD OIL, Oil Exploration in South America (Moderated)

Carl- the taper relief you are referring to (in which the gain you pay tax on reduces by 25% after one year, 50% after two) only applies to companies which qualify as Business Assets- hence BATR which is its acronym.

For an AIM-listed company to qualify for this it must not have a secondary listing on a major exchange elsewhere, and must qualify as a trading company (i.e: not make its profits, or intend to make its profits, through investments)- I would class GOO as a trading company, but I am not a qualified tax professional.

As a rule of thumb: If you can get a company's shares into your ISA then it does not qualify for BATR (the critera are mutually exclusive), if you cannot then in MOST cases it does.

please note that the advice given on the link Carl points us to is incomplete, "Shares in trading companies on AIM qualify automatically as business assets" is false (I have had this confirmed by a tax professional in the past).

Hope this is of help,
ND