<p>IF ALL goes smoothly, the Finance Bill 2014 will achieve Royal Assent in July, introducing measures that have the potential to create a significant source of new investment for Scotland's social enterprises.</p><p>Under the new legislation outlined in last month's Budget, individuals who choose to invest in social enterprises from this week can reduce their income tax liability in a tax year by an amount equal to 30 per cent of their investment. They will also be exempt from capital gains tax where the investment has been held for three years.</p><p>The government estimates the incentive could unlock up to half a billion pounds of new finance for the sector across the UK and present an exciting prospect to an already growing sector, which despite its successes still suffers from a lack of accessible capital.</p><p>For some years the mainstream fiscal agenda has been focussed on other types of enterprise investment, such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.</p><p><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/investment-in-social-business-is-good-business-1-3368490">Keep reading...</a></p>