Answer
SeedLegals alternatives for SEIS advance assurance
If you are looking beyond a self-serve platform, there are four routes: a specialist SEIS and EIS consultancy such as Mida OS at a fixed £449, an accountant with venture capital scheme experience, a startup law firm, or filing directly with HMRC yourself for nothing. The real question is whether you want to write the application or have someone write and defend it for you.
The routes compared
| Route | Model | Typical cost | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mida OS | Done for you, named adviser | £449 fixed per application | Founders who want it handled and defended with HMRC |
| Self-serve legal platform | Templates and guided forms | Subscription plus per-filing cost | Founders happy to draft it themselves |
| Accountant | Advisory, often hourly | £500-£1,500 | Companies whose accountant has filed SEIS/EIS before |
| Startup law firm | Legal drafting plus filing | £1,000-£3,000+ | Complex or institutional rounds |
| Direct to HMRC | Do it yourself | £0 | Simple, clearly qualifying companies with time |
Questions to ask any provider
- Is the fee fixed, and does it cover HMRC's follow-up questions?
- Do they review eligibility before filing, or only complete the form?
- How many SEIS and EIS applications have they filed, and what is their approval record?
- Do they also handle SEIS1/EIS1 statements and SEIS3/EIS3 certificates?
- Do you get a named person, or a support queue?
- Is there a subscription you have to keep paying after the filing?
Where we are different
We only do SEIS and EIS. The fee is £449 whether the application covers SEIS, EIS or both, there is no subscription, you deal with a named adviser, and every application we have filed with HMRC has been approved. Post-round compliance is £50 per investor.
Primary sources
What Mida OS actually does
We are a boutique SEIS and EIS consultancy in the UK. We check your eligibility, draft and file the advance assurance application with HMRC, and answer HMRC's questions until the letter arrives. Fixed fee of £449 for SEIS, EIS or both, and every application we have filed has been approved. After your round closes we file the SEIS1 or EIS1 compliance statement and issue SEIS3 and EIS3 certificates at £50 per investor.