Property growth created exposure
The estate estimate is based on old values or ignores jointly owned and investment property.
Estate planning · Inheritance tax
Measure the estate, test the reliefs and protect lifetime security before making gifts.
We calculate the current and projected inheritance-tax position, then compare practical actions across gifts, income, business interests, property and protection without assuming reliefs or sacrificing the donor’s financial independence.
- FCCA & CTA expertise
- Experience at BDO & KPMG
- Responses in hours, not days
- Fees agreed upfront
Expert perspective
The first planning question is what you can safely give up.
A gift only works if the donor can live without the asset and its income. Continuing to benefit can bring the value back into the estate, while an outright transfer also gives up legal control and may trigger capital gains tax immediately.
We prepare an estate schedule and establish lifetime gifts, ownership, debt and relief assumptions. Business and agricultural assets are reviewed by activity and structure, particularly because the rules and the extent of relief can change over time.
Options are modelled in priority order: accurate wills and records, use of exemptions supported by evidence, gifts the family is ready to receive, insurance or liquidity where appropriate, and more complex structures only where they serve a genuine family objective.
When this matters
Recognise when the position needs more than a form
Early review creates time to find evidence, correct assumptions and make choices before a deadline fixes the result.
Surplus income is accumulating
Regular gifts may be affordable, but the normal-expenditure evidence and household cash-flow need to be established.
A business or farm is significant
Relief qualification, caps, succession and tax funding need current review rather than historic assumptions.
A major gift is planned
CGT, reservation of benefit, control, recipient readiness and future liquidity should be understood first.
The technical review
The areas we bring into one review
A defensible answer is based on the full factual pattern and is reported consistently across every relevant return.
Estate valuation
Property, investments, businesses, overseas assets, trusts, life policies, debt and jointly owned interests.
Allowances
Available nil-rate bands, residence conditions, transferable amounts and the effect of lifetime chargeable transfers.
Lifetime gifts
Annual and other exemptions, seven-year rules, taper concepts, reservation of benefit and documentation.
Income gifting
Normal expenditure out of income tested through sustainable cash flow, regular intention and contemporaneous records.
Business and agricultural relief
Qualifying activity, ownership periods, excepted assets, current relief limits and the effect of future sale or restructure.
Liquidity and protection
How executors or beneficiaries would fund tax, probate costs and equalisation without a forced asset sale.
What changes the answer
Expected relief is not the same as available cash.
An estate can qualify for substantial relief and still leave executors with administration or liquidity pressure.
- 01What is the evidence-based value of the estate today and under reasonable growth scenarios?
- 02Which assets are expected to qualify for relief, and how sensitive is that assumption to activity or future law?
- 03How much income and capital must the donor retain for housing, care and lifestyle uncertainty?
- 04Who would pay tax and expenses at death, and which assets could be accessed without damaging the family plan?
How UA Tax works
Technical work, explained in a usable sequence
You will understand what the evidence shows, what is uncertain and what happens next.
Clarify the facts
We establish the people, assets, income, dates and documents that determine the technical position.
Reconcile the evidence
Returns, statements, legal records and prior advice are checked for gaps or inconsistent assumptions.
Explain the options
You receive a practical comparison of the tax outcomes, risks, deadlines and decisions that remain yours.
Complete the agreed work
We prepare the returns, claims, disclosure or implementation plan within a defined scope and fee.
Questions worth asking
Frequently asked questions
How much can I gift each year without inheritance tax?
Several exemptions may apply, including an annual amount and specific categories of gifts. Larger gifts can also fall outside the estate after the relevant period. The exact route and record depend on the gift.
What is a gift with reservation of benefit?
It broadly describes an asset given away while the donor continues to benefit from it, which can cause it to remain in the inheritance-tax estate. Separate income-tax rules may also apply.
Can I give away my home and continue living there?
Simply transferring the home while living there rent-free is unlikely to remove it from the estate. Market rent, affordability, CGT, care, legal security and family risk need specialist review.
What is normal expenditure out of income?
It is an exemption for qualifying gifts that form part of normal expenditure, are made from income and leave the donor able to maintain their usual standard of living. Evidence and a consistent pattern are important.
Will my business qualify for Business Relief?
Qualification depends on the type and activities of the business, ownership period, assets and current legislation. Investment activity and excepted assets can restrict relief, so a company-level review is needed.
Can inheritance tax be paid in instalments?
Instalment options can apply to certain assets, often including land or some business interests, subject to conditions and interest. The estate still needs a practical liquidity plan.
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Related advice
Get a clear view before the deadline drives the decision.
Arrange an initial call to outline the issue, or book a focused tax consultation when you need advice on a defined question.