Transferring wealth in large families can quickly become complex and emotionally charged, especially when inheritance tax (IHT) is involved. Without careful planning, IHT can take a significant portion of your estate, reducing the benefits meant for your loved ones and creating tension among heirs. Effective IHT planning allows you to minimise tax liabilities and ease […]

When you inherit an investment portfolio, it directly impacts your inheritance tax (IHT) position. Stocks and shares form part of the estate and can be liable for IHT, sometimes at rates as high as 40 percent if the value exceeds the tax-free threshold. Knowing how these investments are taxed is essential to managing your inheritance […]

If you own a home and plan to leave it to your children or direct descendants, the Residence Nil-Rate Band (RNRB) is a key tax allowance to consider. It can significantly increase the amount you can pass on tax-free, adding up to an additional £175,000 on top of the standard £325,000 nil-rate band. This means […]

Inheritance tax can take a significant portion of your estate if you don’t plan carefully. For 2025, there are key allowances and reliefs that you should know about to reduce the tax your beneficiaries might pay. Understanding these thresholds and reliefs helps you protect more of your assets for the people you care about. You […]

Inheritance tax can significantly reduce the amount your family receives when you pass away, but as a grandparent, there are practical ways you can help lower this burden. By giving gifts within the annual allowances, using trusts, or gifting directly to grandchildren, you can protect more of your wealth from inheritance tax. These strategies help […]

Passing down the family home comes with inheritance tax (IHT) challenges that can significantly reduce what your loved ones receive. You can minimise or even avoid IHT by using specific strategies like making use of the Residence Nil Rate Band, careful gifting, and setting up trusts. These methods help protect your property’s value for the […]

If you own property in the UK, rising house prices could mean your inheritance tax bills will be higher than you expect. As property values increase, more estates exceed the tax-free thresholds. This means you or your family may owe significant inheritance tax unless careful planning is done. The thresholds for inheritance tax have stayed […]

If you are an unmarried couple living together in the UK, it’s important to understand that you do not have the same automatic legal rights as married couples when it comes to inheritance and estate matters. Without proper estate planning, your partner could face financial difficulties or lose access to shared assets if you pass […]

If you want to reduce the amount of inheritance tax your beneficiaries will have to pay, using gifts and trusts is an effective approach. Gifting assets during your lifetime, especially if you survive for seven years after making the gift, can remove those assets from your estate and lower your tax bill. This works because […]

Couples who want to protect their assets and reduce inheritance tax often consider mirror wills. These are paired wills made by two people, usually spouses or civil partners, that have nearly identical terms. Mirror wills help couples plan together to pass on their estate efficiently, often reducing inheritance tax by ensuring assets are passed to […]

When someone owns a second property, especially one used as a buy-to-let, it can have a big impact on their inheritance tax (IHT) liability. Buy-to-let portfolios and other second homes are often included in the value of an estate, which means they could increase the amount of tax owed when passing wealth to heirs. Understanding […]

Leaving money to charity in a will can reduce the amount of inheritance tax an estate has to pay. Any gift made to a registered charity is exempt from inheritance tax, which lowers the overall taxable value of the estate. This means philanthropy can directly cut down the tax bill while supporting causes that matter. […]

Many people believe they are far from owing inheritance tax, but the truth is that more estates reach the threshold than expected. The current limit before inheritance tax applies is £325,000 per person, with additional allowances if passing on a home. This means a significant number of people may be closer to the tax threshold […]

Inheritance tax (IHT) and pensions are often seen as separate parts of financial planning, but many overlook how crucial pensions can be in managing IHT. Pensions have long been a tax-efficient way to pass on wealth, but changes coming in 2027 mean retirees must rethink their strategies carefully. Understanding how pensions interact with inheritance tax […]

Many families lose thousands of pounds due to common inheritance tax (IHT) mistakes that could easily be avoided. Understanding how tax liabilities on your estate work is key to protecting your assets and reducing the amount paid to HMRC. If you don’t plan carefully, rising inheritance tax receipts mean more of your estate could be […]

If you have a life insurance policy, you might wonder if putting it in trust is really worth it when thinking about inheritance tax. Placing your life insurance in trust can help your family avoid paying inheritance tax on the payout and speed up the process of receiving the money. This means your loved ones […]

Your family home is often the most valuable asset you own, but without proper planning, a large portion of it could go to inheritance tax when you pass away. You can protect your home by using legal strategies like gifting, making use of tax thresholds, and careful estate planning to reduce or avoid inheritance tax. […]

Using trusts to manage inheritance tax can help you keep more of your estate for your beneficiaries, but it’s important to understand what really works and what doesn’t in 2025. Trusts do not automatically mean your assets are free from inheritance tax, but they can offer ways to reduce the overall tax bill when set […]

If a Labour government takes office, your inheritance tax rules could change significantly. They plan to close loopholes like offshore trusts and overhaul the way tax applies to pensions within the estate. This means you may face new tax rules that affect how much you pass on to your loved ones. You should also be […]

The 7-Year Rule is an important part of inheritance tax (IHT) that affects both anyone giving gifts and those receiving them. If you live for seven years after giving a gift, no inheritance tax is usually due on that gift, which can reduce your estate’s tax burden significantly. Understanding how this rule works can help […]