Tax & Accounting Services

Inheritance Tax & Estate Planning Services

Protecting Your Legacy through Strategic Wealth Transfer

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is often misunderstood as a "death tax," but it is more accurately a complex tax on the transfer of wealth. Without expert planning, a significant portion of your estate—up to 40%—could be diverted away from your beneficiaries, potentially forcing the sale of cherished family assets.

Our holistic approach begins with a full assessment of your estate, including property, investments, and personal possessions. We design a roadmap to legitimately reduce your tax exposure.

• Allowance Optimisation: We ensure you fully utilise the Nil-Rate Band (£325,000) and the Residence Nil-Rate Band (£175,000), which can allow couples to pass on up to £1 million tax-free.
• Gifting Strategies: Guidance on utilising annual exemptions, small gift allowances, Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) and probably agriculrual property relief (APR) and/or business property relief (BPR) to move wealth out of your estate during your lifetime.
• Liquidity Solutions: Structuring life insurance policies to provide a tax-free lump sum that covers the final IHT bill, preventing the forced liquidation of your home or business.

We handle the administrative complexities of your VAT status at every stage of your business journey.

• Compulsory & Voluntary Registration: Managing your initial setup once you hit the threshold or registering early to gain strategic tax advantages.
• De-Registration: Handling the full exit process should your turnover drop or should you cease trading.

Trusts are powerful instruments that allow you to maintain control over your assets while mitigating tax liabilities.

• Bespoke Structures: We advise on the most suitable trusts for your circumstances (e.g., Discretionary or Interest in Possession trusts).
• Tax Efficiency: Explaining the specific tax implications for both your lifetime and your heirs, integrating these tools seamlessly into your wider estate strategy.

For clients with international ties, your IHT exposure is dictated by your long-term residency status.

• Exposure Assessment: We analyse your long-term UK residency status to determine if your global assets fall under the scope of UK IHT.
• Bespoke Implementation: We design sophisticated plans that navigate international taxation laws, ensuring your global wealth is structured with maximum efficiency.

For business owners and farmers, we navigate the critical reliefs that protect your livelihood for the next generation.

• Relief Management: Ensuring your assets meet the criteria for 100% or 50% relief, particularly in light of the April 2026 changes which introduce a £2.5 million cap on full relief.
• Succession Security: Planning specifically for family-run businesses to ensure they can pass to your heirs unburdened by an unmanageable tax bill.

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