Inheritance Tax Planning

No tax is popular but Inheritance Tax seems to provoke the most resentment.

After all, having built your capital suffering tax at up to 45% your heirs will lose another 40%.

The good news is this tax is designed to be avoided, provided you take action early. Government policy is to get capital moving down the generations so gifts made regularly from income or more than seven years before death are not taxed at all. And with a wide variety of investments that are exempt if held for two years or more it really is possible to avoid paying any tax.

The most common problem is the uncertainty of life. Time and again clients tell us they would like to give capital away “BUT …”

• “But I might need it to support myself”
• “But I might go into care”
• “But my son’s marriage is flaky and I don’t want to lose capital”
• “But my daughter has mental health issue and can’t manage"
• “But my son has a substance abuse problem and it will just make matters worse"
• “But my beneficiaries are too young”

All of these can be solved using different kinds of discretionary trusts and we have extensive experience with them.

The other problem is for those who have left it too late to rely on survival by seven years. For these clients investments qualifying for Business Relief are ideal. Although categorised as higher risk, historically many of these have shown modest and stable growth.

Please email us on info@squareonefinancial.co.uk or call on 01273 921990.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning, tax advice or trusts.