Inheritance tax planning UK
Much of it didn't need to be paid.
Twenty years ago the figure was £3.5 billion. It's still rising. Now is the right moment to look at this.
*HMRC Tax Receipts and National Insurance Contributions for the UK, May 2026.
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£325,000. That's where it starts.
Above that, 40% goes to HMRC. Most people don't know their liability until someone works it out.
A parent died and the estate was messier than expected. The family home pushed them over the threshold. A solicitor mentioned trusts.
What they want is the same. For the people they love to benefit from what they've built. And as little as possible going to the taxman.
Three ways wealth passes on.
Most estates pay more inheritance tax than they need to.
Not because the rules are unfair. Because nobody looked at them in time.
Most inheritance tax liabilities can be reduced. Some can be eliminated. The strategies that work need time. Start early, more options. Start late, fewer. We'll tell you where you stand.
Gifts
Some gifts reduce your estate immediately. Others fall outside it after seven years. The timing matters. We'll map out what's possible.
Trusts
A trust controls how and when wealth reaches your family. Not right for everyone. We'll tell you if it is.
Business and agricultural assets
These can attract inheritance tax relief, sometimes to zero. The rules changed in 2026. We'll tell you where you stand.
April 2027. The rule change many don't know about.
Until now, pensions have sat outside your estate for inheritance tax purposes. That made them one of the most tax-efficient ways to pass wealth to your family.
From April 2027, most unused pension funds will fall within your estate. For anyone with a significant pension pot they don't expect to draw down fully, this changes the calculation considerably.
The families who act before April 2027 will keep significantly more. The ones who don't may find that HMRC has become an unintended beneficiary.
This isn't something to get round to. It's something to sort now.
Built around what you want to happen, not a product range.
We work with families at every stage — from the first time someone asks whether they have an inheritance tax problem, through to the implementation of trusts, gifting strategies, and estate restructuring.
We are independent. Every recommendation is built around what works for your family, not what generates a fee.
We've been doing this in Sussex, Surrey and Kent since 1993. We've seen enough estates to know where the problems arise before they do.
You know who should get it.
We'll make sure as much of it gets there as possible.
The grandchildren's university fees, covered.
A Junior ISA, a trust, a gifting strategy started early. The money you wanted to give them, arriving at the right time and in the right way.
The family home staying in the family.
Property is often the asset that pushes an estate over the threshold. There are ways to restructure. We'll tell you what works and what doesn't.
The pension pot that goes to your family.
Before April 2027, there's still time to restructure how your pension is drawn and what it passes on. After that date, the rules change. We'll make sure you've acted while you still can.
FAQs
The inheritance planning questions we answer every day
From First Call to Clear Plan
Three steps. That's all there is.
Talk to us
One call. No obligation. Tell us about your estate and what you want to happen to it. We'll tell you honestly what the options are.
See the plan
A clear inheritance plan built around your wishes. Every strategy explained. Every trade-off named. You'll know exactly what you're agreeing to and why.
Get on with living
We stay across it. Tax rules change. Family circumstances shift. We check in regularly to make sure the plan still reflects what you want.
The right inheritance advice starts with the right conversation.
Tell us a little about your estate. One of our advisors will be in touch within one working day.
30 minutes, by phone or online.
No pitch. No pressure. No paperwork.
A real person, within one working day.
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Independent financial planners across the South East
Worthing
Phone: 01903 259200
Godalming
Phone: 01483 427366
Haywards Heath
Phone: 01444 405160
Uckfield
Phone: 01825 766130