Tax Savings Strategy 157 | Pooled Development Funds

Pooled development funds (PDFs) are eligible investment companies that are registered under the Pooled Development Funds Act 1992 (PDF Act) and which provide equity capital to Australian small and medium sized companies. The taxable income of a PDF that is comprised of capital gains and assessable income from, or from the disposal of, SME investments less capital losses and allowable deductions is taxed at 15%. All other income is taxed at 25%. For investors in PDF shares any capital gains are exempt and capital losses non-deductible.

PDFs are subject to the following investment constraints: 

• An investor may not (together with associates) hold more than 30% of the issued shares in a PDF. 
• A PDF must not make an initial investment in a company that has total assets exceeding $50m. 
• It cannot increase an existing investment in a company with assets exceeding $50m. 
• A PDF may not acquire shares in a single investee company where the fully paid up value of those shares would exceed 30% of the PDF’s shareholders’ funds.  
• A PDF’s investment in a company must result in the PDF holding at least 10% of the paid-up capital of the investee company. 
• At least 65% of the capital raised by a PDF must be invested within five years of the capital having been raised.