Succession

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted families of wealth to accelerate their succession planning and check if existing plans are still fit for purpose.

The seismic disruption has created shockwaves last seen during the Global Financial Crisis with low interest rates ushering in tax-efficient transfers of multigenerational wealth and advantageous investment opportunities in assets at marked down prices.

Family offices in India have professionalised at an astonishing rate in the four years since Campden Family Connect was founded, but engaging the next generation remains a key concern and the coronavirus pandemic is causing pain as portfolios lose value.

The fourth anniversary this week of the pioneering global membership community for ultra-high net worth families in India was the ideal opportunity to take stock of what the family office space has achieved in the country, how it is looking now and where it can progress.

In late February, news broke that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has set up a new team to investigate the use of Family Investment Companies (FICS) with a focus on Inheritance Tax (IHT).

A significant number of family businesses do not have a succession plan in place. Failure to address this is likely to be to the detriment of the business in the long-run. The family need to decide what the future of the business looks like, and crucially which family members, if any, wish to be involved.