Inheritance Tax Planning Solicitors

Our Inheritance Tax solicitors can help you plan your estate’s inheritance tax so your loved ones can make the most of your assets, wealth, and property.

Sophisticated planning and expert legal advice are essential to make sure your estate is inheritance tax (IHT) efficient – particularly if you own businesses or foreign assets.

We can advise you on how to take advantage of the complex web of IHT reliefs and exemptions and maximise the inheritance you pass on to the next generation.

Our dedicated team of lawyers are recognised experts in all aspects of inheritance tax, including:

Inheritance tax planning and estate planning
Transferring tax-free allowances to wives, husbands and civil partners
Non-domicile and international inheritance tax
Filing inheritance tax returns
Will drafting
Lifetime gifts and potentially exempt transfers (PETs)
Charity donations
Trusts
Appealing IHT decisions with HMRC or at Tax Tribunal.

Inheritance tax is a dynamic area of law where change is constant and ideas develop fast. Having a plan in place isn’t enough – you’ve got to make sure it’s up-to-date.

Our solicitors and tax advisors are highly respected experts in the field of IHT law. We’ll use cutting-edge strategies to ensure that your IHT plan stays effective and compliant.

IHT law often overlaps with other legal areas such as probate, trusts, family law, and property. As part of one of the country’s leading private client law firms, we have specialists in all these areas and more, meaning you’ll get quick, effective advice for every eventuality.

We also offer a IHT planning package which is step-by-step guide to help you plan for IHT as early as possible.

With offices in major cities around the UK and a worldwide network of professional contacts, we can help wherever you and your assets are based. Call us on 0370 1500 100 to speak to a member of our team today.

Creating or reorganizing Wills and trusts to take advantage of IHT

Experts in planning to reduce IHT on lifetime gifts, estates and trusts

Work with financial planners to give you the best IHT solutions

One of the largest tax teams in the UK with a wide experience of tax, trusts and estates

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0370 1500 100

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More Information - Inheritance Tax

It was good to see a firm encouraging the joined up thinking of all professionals, including financial advisers and investment managers - if only all firms of solicitors could see the benefit!"

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Is Inheritance Tax Paid?

When you die, your estate will be managed by someone called the executor or administrator. This person (or persons) is responsible for paying your estate’s inheritance tax.

They must pay inheritance tax before passing on any of your assets to the people chosen in your will.

In some cases, your estate might need to sell some assets in order to pay its IHT. However, the share of tax due on certain assets – such as property - can be paid in instalments instead. This can help your successors keep a family home if your estate can’t afford to pay the tax as a lump sum. In some cases it may be possible to arrange for funds or assets held in the estate to be used to pay all or some of the IHT bill.

IHT is also sometimes payable on certain trusts (known as relevant property trusts) at ten-yearly intervals or whenever capital is taken out of the trust.

Are Gifts Affected by Inheritance Tax?

There are a number of rules and allowances affecting gifts and inheritance tax, including:

Your Gift Allowance - you can give away cash or assets worth £3,000 every tax year without incurring inheritance tax
Potentially Exempt Transfers (PET) - IHT doesn’t apply to gifts worth over £3,000 if you live for another seven years after making the gift. If a gift is made into a trust that will usually be a different form of gift on which some IHT might be payable immediately.
Small gifts of up to £250 per person, per tax year are exempt from IHT
Gifts to financial dependents – these are also exempt from IHT
Wedding gifts that meet certain criteria are IHT-free
Regular gifts from income – regular gifts that don’t affect your standard of living can be IHT-free provided you comply with some detailed rules in practice.

Gifts will not normally be tax-effective if they involve retaining a benefit through continuing income or use of capital. The “reservation of benefit” rules can be complex but our solicitors will give you advice on how to plan a way forward.

What If I Think HMRC Has Made A Mistake With My Inheritance Tax?

If you think that HMRC has charged you too much Inheritance Tax, our solicitors may be able to help you appeal their decision. This may be because they have failed to properly apply a tax-free allowance or tax relief, or because they have misinterpreted certain IHT laws.

We often settle IHT disputes directly with HMRC, but we’re also experienced with taking appeals to the Tax Tribunal or even all the way to the Supreme Court if needed.

The best way to avoid an issue with HMRC is to get our solicitors involved as early as possible. We can help make sure that HMRC get their IHT calculations right from the outset, saving you the stress of making an appeal.

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Inheritance Tax Planning Solicitors

For general enquiries

More Information - Inheritance Tax

What Is Inheritance Tax (IHT)?

What Is The UK Inheritance Tax Allowance?

Can I Transfer My Tax-Free Allowance to My Spouse Or Partner?

How Will Inheritance Tax Affect My Business?

I’m Not A UK Citizen – Do I Still Have To Pay UK Inheritance Tax?

Does Inheritance Tax Apply To Foreign Assets?