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Inheritance Tax Planning Services

Inheritance Tax Planning Services

Protect Your Legacy - Minimise Tax, Maximise Certainty

When properly structured, inheritance tax planning ensures that more of your hard-earned wealth passes to your loved ones not to HMRC. At HeirPlan, we provide tailored IHT planning services to help you preserve your estate, protect your family, and navigate the rules with confidence.

What Is Inheritance Tax Planning?

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax on part of your estate that is passed on when you die. The inheritance tax threshold is the limit above which inheritance tax becomes payable. The total value of your estate, including worldwide assets and other assets such as property, savings, and investments, is considered for IHT purposes. If the value of your estate or the estate exceeds the inheritance tax threshold, an IHT bill may arise, and the estate may be taxed accordingly. If your total assets (property, investments, business interests, savings, etc.) exceed certain thresholds, up to 40% may be payable on the amount above that limit under UK rules.

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    IHT planning involves legally and ethically arranging your finances and affairs so as to:

    • Reduce your effective IHT burden
    • Structure transfers in a tax-efficient manner
    • Ensure compliance with HMRC regulations
    • Provide clarity to your beneficiaries and reduce complexity
    • Assess potential IHT liability and understand how the value of your estate is calculated for IHT purposes
    Expert Inheritance Tax Planning and Solutions

    Our IHT Planning Services

    We offer full-service support across all areas of inheritance tax strategy:

    • Lifetime Gifting & Exemptions
      Use allowances and exemptions (e.g. annual gift allowance, small gifts, gifts out of surplus income) in a structured way to reduce the value of your taxable estate. Lifetime gifts and financial gifts can be an effective way to reduce inheritance tax liability, as money given away during your lifetime may fall outside your estate for IHT purposes if you survive seven years. However, certain gifts may still be subject to inheritance tax if the donor does not survive the full seven years. In these cases, taper relief applies, using a sliding scale to reduce the tax payable on gifts made between three and seven years before death.
    • Trust Structuring & Management
      Design and manage appropriate trusts (discretionary, interest-in-possession, etc.) to protect assets and manage future inheritance effectively. Trusts can be used to avoid inheritance tax and provide tax free benefits to beneficiaries, ensuring that assets passed to loved ones are managed according to your wishes.
    • Nil-Rate Band & Residence Nil-Rate Band Optimisation
      Make the best use of the available nil rate band, available exemptions, and the residence nil-rate band, structuring your estate to maximize allowances for your main residence, family home, and when passing assets to a direct descendant. Married couples, civil partners, and those in a civil partnership can transfer unused nil-rate bands and benefit from additional allowances, with the surviving partner able to utilize these to further reduce IHT. This ensures that assets passed between spouses or civil partners are often tax free, and that the full benefit of the nil-rate bands is realized.
    • Business & Agricultural Property Relief
      Apply reliefs for qualifying business or agricultural property to reduce IHT if the conditions are met.
    • Whole-of-Life Insurance & Life Assurance Reviews
      Evaluate or arrange life insurance policies designed to pay IHT, pay inheritance tax, or cover the IHT bill, ensuring liquidity is available when needed. These policies can be structured so that the IHT is paid directly from the policy proceeds. Typically, the executor or administrator pays inheritance tax from the estate before assets are distributed, and it must be paid within six months of death to avoid interest charges.
    • Intergenerational Wealth Planning
      Plan transfers across generations (children, grandchildren) in a tax-aware framework. The benefit and benefits of careful planning include maximizing the value of assets passed to loved ones and ensuring that plans are tailored to your family’s needs and circumstances.
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    Why Choose HeirPlan?

    • Personalised Approach: We don’t do “one-size-fits-all.” Every plan is tailored to your situation, family goals, and financial structure.
    • Holistic Support: We coordinate with solicitors, financial advisors, and other professionals to ensure your estate planning is fully integrated.
    • Expertise & Credibility: Our team includes experienced tax advisors who stay current with HMRC rules, trust legislation, and complex IHT strategies.
    • Transparent, Clear Advice: We explain options, trade-offs, and risks in a way you and your heirs can clearly understand.
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    Who We Work With

    We help a broad range of clients, including:

    • High-net-worth individuals and families
    • Blended Families
    • Business owners planning succession
    • Landowners and property investors
    • Trustees, executors, and those managing family wealth
    • Anyone wanting to leave a financially secure legacy

    Next Steps

    1. Book a free consultation – share your goals, current structure, and concerns.
    2. Estate review & diagnosis – we’ll assess your assets, tax exposure, and opportunities.
    3. Custom plan development – we design a strategy suited to your needs.
    4. Implementation & ongoing review – as laws and values change, we keep your plan on track.

    👉 Contact us today to begin planning your legacy with confidence.

    Plan Today. Protect Tomorrow. Book a Free Consultation

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    Expert Guidance for High Net Worth Individuals

    1
    Comprehensive Wealth Analysis

    A detailed review of your global assets, liabilities, and family objectives ensures every element of your estate is structured to minimise tax and protect wealth.

    2
    Advanced Tax Mitigation Strategies

    Utilising trusts, Family Investment Companies, and lifetime gifting, we help reduce exposure to Inheritance Tax (IHT), Capital Gains Tax, and other UK and international taxes.

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    3
    Tailored Succession Planning

    Custom plans ensure seamless wealth transfer to the next generation, balancing fairness, family dynamics, and long-term financial security.

    4
    Asset Protection & Risk Management

    Strategies such as Asset Protection Trusts safeguard property and investments from creditors, divorce settlements, and market volatility.

    5
    Global Estate Coordination

    For clients with cross-border assets, we provide integrated planning to manage multi-jurisdictional tax laws and ensure compliance worldwide.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can gifting during life reduce my IHT?

    Yes, if correctly structured, gifts may qualify as Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) or used under annual exemptions. But care is needed in timing, conditions, and documentation to avoid unintended tax consequences. Certain gifts may be potentially liable for inheritance tax if the donor dies within seven years.

    Not always. Trusts are powerful tools but come with administrative complexity, charges, and rules. We assess whether a trust is the right fit in your case. Trusts can also help manage the deceased's estate and the process of paying inheritance tax.

    No you must satisfy strict HMRC criteria (e.g. trading activity, minimum ownership period). We help you position and maintain assets to qualify. Paying attention to the rules and timing is essential to ensure relief is applied to the deceased's estate.