We get this question a lot. In typical lawyery fashion, the answer is ‘it depends’. The major ‘dependant’ factor is usually whether your children live with you or not. But in both cases, even if an IHT advantage might be secured, it is often a terrible idea in any event. read more...

Since its introduction in 2017 the residential nil rate band has caused confusion amongst both practitioners and lay people. Where it applies, it can be worth up to £175,000 (but can never exceed the value of the property) and any unused allowances can be claimed by a spouse's estate. On read more...

With a looming general election, us tax professionals always have one eye on what that might mean to taxation in general, and for our clients in particular. In my case, the plat du jour is always inheritance tax. That has very much been a tale of 3 halves for the read more...

We don't gamble in the private wealth department, especially on something as capricious (in recent times at least) as Conservative tax policy. But if we were gamblers, my money would very much be on 'no'. It is worth unpacking this though. There has been a lot of noise recently around read more...

In short the answer is no, you cannot rewrite someone’s Will after they have died. Whilst you cannot change a Will following someone’s death, you might be able to vary the tax treatment of a gift and subsequently your entitlement from a Will after someone has died. Read on to read more...

Someone may want to have a word with Rishi Sunak about his mooted cuts to the "puntive and unfair" inheritance tax (IHT). & no, not only because it will do estate planners like me out of work.. The argument that IHT is unfair is a pretty simple one: Any wealth read more...

Here in the Wealth Management and Taxation department, we love a good tax planning wheeze. However, as we frequently advise clients, there are wheezes and then there are wheezes (by which, I do of course mean opaque schemes that feel a bit icky and seem bound to fail at some read more...

Marriage isn’t for everyone.  Some are quite happy being single.  Others are happy living together as a couple without ever feeling the need to formalise their arrangement by marriage or civil partnership.   In the modern world we live in, it might seem odd that being married could save you thousands, read more...

Private Client lawyers have long been used to a frozen Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold (known as the nil rate band). An individual's nil rate band has remained at a constant £325,000 since April 2009 (£650,000 for married couples).   Prior to that date, the threshold had increased on a yearly basis, read more...

Back in January I wrote this blog , which gained significant traction on social media and a number of enquiries to the firm in respect of asset protection trusts. I was very pleased to have been able to prevent some clients from entering into these documents, but sadly I did hear read more...

Earlier this month, my associate Ashley Minott  received confirmation that she had passed her final STEP exam and is now entitled to the designation ‘TEP’ (Trust and Estate Practitioner). Ashley becomes a full member of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) having completed their diploma in Tax and read more...

Estate planning and all that it entails affects different people in different ways. From years of first hand experience l had a pretty good idea of what to write for our Pride series, as estate planning for the LGBT+ community can, and usually does, raise a variety of complex and read more...

I recently came across this advert, which I think speaks for itself. Bernie, I have no idea who you are, but firstly I feel for your plight. Having witnessed many a family bust up over inheritance, I can vouch from the frontline they are always a miserable affair (and that read more...

Kirk Douglas, actor, legend (no I’m Spartacus!) and improbable Inheritance Tax (IHT) mitigator. I always think it’s a lovely touch to leave part of your estate to charity and in Kirk’s case that was a significant part indeed. The IHT regime in America is radically different to our own and read more...