Estate & Inheritance Tax planning

Most of us wish to maximise the amount that we leave to our loved ones. House price inflation alone means that today, many more people are unwittingly affected by Inheritance Tax. Inheritance Tax may be charged at 40% on any of your wealth over the ‘nil rate band’  when you die.  The standard nil rate band is currently £325,000) – and these assets include your home, investments, and any pay outs from life assurance policies. The additional ‘Main Residence Nil Rate Band’ may increase the amount that can be left but many people will not qualify or their Wills have not been amended to take advantage of the changes.

Effective estate planning could help you minimise your Inheritance Tax bill and we can help you take simple steps to protect your wealth. Common strategies include:

• Ensuring your Will is tax effective and  reflects your wishes
• Investments such as carve out trusts and discounted gift trusts can eliminate Inheritance Tax whilst still giving you access to some or all of your money
• Making sure that life assurance policies are held under trust
• We can help you invest into a portfolio of AIM shares that can escape Inheritance Tax but still give you access to the money
• A modern pension can ensure that whatever is left in your pension passes to your family
• You may wish to think about making gifts of cash or assets to your family before you die
• If you make gifts to your loved ones from excess income they can escape Inheritance Tax immediately
• You can ensure that your family have the money to pay an Inheritance Tax bill by arranging life assurance

We can guide you through all of the options and our independent status ensures that we can access the best solutions for you.