Inheritance tax, trusts & estate planning

Make sure the right people inherit your wealth, according to your wishes and minimise the amount lost to inheritance tax.

First make sure you have an up to date will. Second reduce the amount of your taxable estate. Any amount above £325,000 for an individual and £650,000 for a married couple, is liable to 40% inheritance tax.

Other than making an outright gift, one way to reduce your taxable estate, is to put your money, property or investments into a trust, managed by a trustee, for the benefit of one or more individuals.

There are many forms of trust and they can be tailored to suit your own circumstances. So, if you would like to make sure that your wealth passes to your children when they are mature enough to handle it, or you would like your assets to remain in trust indefinitely to provide your dependents with a place to live or an income, a trust could be the solution.

Once your assets are in trust, they are technically no longer yours. They do not form part of your estate, so they are not subject to Inheritance Tax.

Talk to us. Trusts are a complex area, but they are a great way of making sure as much of the wealth you built up during your life time is passed on, protected and continues to be used the way you intended.