A difficult subject, made easier to talk about
Nobody enjoys thinking about inheritance tax. It asks you to imagine a future without you in it and then put a value on everything you have built. The good news is that the conversation is usually much less grim than people expect, and having it early gives you more options.
We work through the numbers with you, explain which allowances apply and help you decide whether a gift, a trust or simply a clearer set of records would make the biggest difference. There is no pressure to do anything complicated, and no judgement about the size of the estate.
Who it helps
- Families with a home and savings who want to understand what inheritance tax might actually apply to them.
- People who have been widowed or are planning for later life and need the allowances reviewed.
- Business owners and farmers where reliefs, shares and succession need careful thought.
- Anyone making lifetime gifts who wants to know what is recorded, what is exempt and what might come back into the estate.
- Executors and families dealing with an estate who need the tax position explained and the accounts prepared.
What is included
- An inheritance tax review of the estate, the available nil rate bands and the residence nil rate band where it applies.
- Lifetime gift planning including the seven-year rule, annual exemptions and the records that need to be kept.
- Property and business relief advice where the estate includes a home, a business or shares.
- Trust and succession conversations, working alongside your solicitor where a trust or a will needs to change.
- Estate accounts and tax returns prepared for executors, with the figures explained clearly.
- An annual check-in so the plan stays current as the estate and the rules change.
We do not write wills or carry out probate ourselves. We work with your solicitor on those parts and keep the tax picture joined up.
How it works
- A gentle first conversation. What is in the estate, who you want to provide for and what is already in place.
- We work out where you stand. The current value, the reliefs and the likely tax position, without assuming the worst or promising a magic solution.
- We look at the options. Gifts, timing, trusts and paperwork, with the practical consequences of each one rather than just the tax saving.
- We put it into action and review it. Records are kept, your solicitor is briefed where needed and the plan is revisited as life changes.
A question we hear often
- Is inheritance tax only for wealthy people? No. Rising property values mean more estates cross the threshold than people expect, especially in the south of England.
- Can I just give everything away? You can give a lot away, but the rules on gifts, reservations of benefit and the seven-year clock matter. It is worth doing properly rather than discovering the catch later.
- Do I need a trust? Sometimes, but a trust is a tool rather than a badge. We will tell you if a simpler answer would do the job.