Tax Planning & Tax-Efficient Investing

Tax planning is about organising your finances so you make appropriate use of the allowances, reliefs and tax-efficient investments available to you.

It is not simply about reducing the amount of tax you pay today. Good tax planning considers your investments, pensions, savings and future income together, helping you build and eventually access your wealth as tax-efficiently as possible.

Compare the best UK financial planning firms with our expert comparison, reviews and guides. See how top providers differ on fees, investment approach, services, and performance so you can find the right firm to grow and protect your wealth.

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Saltus - Award Winning Financial Planning		Minimum £250,000	Initial Fees 1%-2%	Ongoing Fees 0.6%-1.5%	Customer Reviews 5.0★★★★★★★★★★(Based on 500 reviews)	Request Info Saltus Reviews	Featured Financial Planner	Features: FCA Regulated FSCS Protected	Our Review Saltus Expert rating Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team. 5.0★★★★★★★★★★Excellent Our experts have rated Saltus across one key area of our review framework. Wealth Manager Rating5.0 Pros Strong investment performance Bespoke client service Transparent, tiered fees Cons £250k minimum investment Initial advice charge Limited DIY option Our verdict Saltus won "Best Wealth Manager" in the 2026 and 2025 Good Money Guide Awards for it's tailored financial planning and investment services. Saltus stands out in the UK wealth management industry by blending personalised financial planning with a sophisticated investment approach more often found in institutional circles. Founded in 2004, the firm manages over £10 billion in assets and holds Chartered status for its financial planning division, reflecting high standards in advice. Summary Saltus takes a highly personalised route from the outset, matching clients with advisers who align with their goals and communication preferences. Their planning process includes robust cashflow modelling and tax optimisation, resulting in comprehensive strategies that span life planning and investment management. Their investment performance, as independently benchmarked by the ARC Private Client Indices (ARC PCI), is particularly impressive. Saltus has outperformed peers over 3, 5, and 10-year periods across cautious, balanced, growth, and equity risk categories — all while generally taking less risk. For instance, their core Growth strategy delivered an annualised 7.2% return over five years to the end of 2025, compared to 4.6% for the ARC benchmark. Fees are competitive and decline as portfolios grow, with no exit charges and transparent upfront costs, especially for larger portfolios. The ongoing cost for a £1.5m client portfolio in their core investment strategies is around 1.45% (including financial planning), and investment-only clients benefit from reduced charges. Client satisfaction is high, reflected in a 2025 Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 67 (well above the financial services average) and a 97% client retention rate. For context, Apple’s 2025 NPS score was 61 and Amazon’s 47. Bain & Co suggest that a score of 70 or more places a company in the ‘world-class’ category. A good choice for high-net-worth individuals seeking top-tier financial planning and strong, risk-adjusted investment performance.

Why Is Tax Planning Important?

Tax can have a significant effect on long-term investment returns. The more tax you pay on investment income and gains, the harder your investments need to work to produce the same net return.

Tax planning can therefore involve considering income tax, capital gains tax and dividend tax alongside your wider investment strategy.

The appropriate approach will depend on your income, assets and personal circumstances and should be reviewed regularly as tax rules and your financial position change.

Make Use of Your Tax Allowances

One of the simplest areas of tax planning is making sure you are using the allowances and exemptions available to you.

These can include your personal allowance, ISA allowance, pension annual allowance, dividend allowance, capital gains tax annual exempt amount and personal savings allowance.

Individually, some allowances may appear relatively small. However, using them consistently over many years can have a substantial effect on how much of your investment returns you retain.

Saltus highlights the importance of using different allowances together rather than considering each one in isolation.

Tax-Efficient Investing

Where you hold investments can be almost as important as which investments you choose.

ISAs are one of the most straightforward examples. Investments held within an ISA can grow without UK income tax or capital gains tax being charged on investment returns.

Pensions also provide significant tax advantages and can form an important part of both retirement and tax planning.

Once these mainstream allowances have been considered, some experienced investors may look at more specialist tax-efficient investments such as Venture Capital Trusts and the Enterprise Investment Scheme. These can offer significant tax benefits but involve considerably higher investment risks and will not be appropriate for everyone.

Tax Planning for Retirement

Tax planning becomes particularly important when you start taking money from your investments and pensions.

Your retirement income might come from several sources, including pensions, ISAs, general investment accounts, cash savings and the State Pension.

Rather than simply withdrawing money from one account until it is exhausted, a financial planner can consider how different assets could be used together.

For example, combining taxable pension withdrawals with tax-free ISA withdrawals may allow you to generate the income you need while managing your overall income tax liability.

Tax Planning Throughout Your Life

Tax planning should not be treated as a one-off exercise at the end of each tax year.

Your circumstances can change following retirement, selling a business, receiving an inheritance, receiving a large bonus or making substantial investments.

Tax rules and allowances also change, which means strategies that were appropriate several years ago may no longer be the most effective approach.

Regular reviews can help ensure your investment and retirement strategy continues to make appropriate use of the available tax allowances and reliefs.

How Can Saltus Help With Tax Planning?

Saltus provides tax planning and tax-efficient investing as part of its wider financial planning service.

Saltus says an effective strategy may use pensions, ISAs, general investment accounts, offshore bonds and other investment vehicles in combination. The objective is to structure your assets so you can grow and access your wealth as tax-efficiently as possible.

Its advisers can also consider allowances including tax-free cash, the personal allowance, capital gains tax allowance, dividend allowance and interest allowance when determining how income could be generated from your assets.

Saltus generally works with individuals and households with