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Capital Gains Tax Experts
UK Inheritance Tax Planning Specialists

Expert Inheritance Tax Planning — Protect Your Estate for Future Generations

Specialist IHT planning for individuals, families, and business owners. We help you legally reduce your inheritance tax liability, protect your estate, and ensure your wealth passes to your loved ones efficiently.

GET FREE CONSULTATION +44 (0)1204 859315
HMRC Compliant
ACCA Advisers
2026/27 IHT Rates
Manchester and Nationwide
Estate Planning Experts
Understanding Inheritance Tax

What Is Inheritance Tax and How Can You Reduce It?

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is charged at 40% on the value of your estate above the nil-rate band. In 2026/27, everyone has a nil-rate band of £325,000 and — if leaving your home to direct descendants — an additional residence nil-rate band of £175,000, giving a combined allowance of £500,000 per person (£1 million for couples).

Despite these allowances, millions of UK families face unexpected IHT bills due to rising property values, investment portfolios, and business interests. Without planning, HMRC can claim 40% of everything above the threshold.

Our Manchester-based IHT specialists work with individuals, families, and business owners to reduce or eliminate their IHT exposure through gifts, trusts, business relief, pension planning, and life assurance strategies — all within HMRC guidelines.

2026/27 IHT Key Figures

Standard IHT Rate40%
Nil-Rate Band (per person)325,000 GBP
Residence Nil-Rate Band175,000 GBP
Combined Couple Allowance1,000,000 GBP
IHT on Charitable GiftsExempt
Business Property ReliefUp to 100%
Agricultural Property ReliefUp to 100%
Our IHT Planning Services

Everything You Need to Protect Your Estate

Estate IHT Review

Comprehensive review of your entire estate — property, investments, pensions, business assets, and life policies — to quantify your IHT exposure and identify planning opportunities.

Lifetime Gifting Strategy

Advice on using annual exemptions, small gifts, wedding gifts, and potentially exempt transfers (PETs) to reduce your estate over time within HMRC rules.

Trust Planning

We advise on discretionary trusts, bare trusts, and interest in possession trusts to hold assets outside your estate while retaining family control.

Business Property Relief

Qualifying business assets may attract 50% or 100% Business Property Relief (BPR), effectively removing them from your taxable estate. We advise on qualifying criteria and restructuring strategies.

Residence Nil-Rate Band Advice

Ensuring your estate qualifies for the maximum residence nil-rate band — advice on direct descendant requirements, downsizing provisions, and trust structuring.

IHT Return and Reporting

We prepare IHT400 forms, liaise with HMRC on behalf of executors, and ensure all reliefs and exemptions are correctly claimed to reduce the estate's tax liability.

Reliefs and Exemptions

Maximising Your IHT Reliefs

Key IHT Exemptions

  • Annual gift exemption (3000 GBP per year per person)
  • Small gifts exemption (250 GBP per recipient)
  • Wedding and civil partnership gifts
  • Potentially exempt transfers (7-year rule)
  • Gifts from surplus income (regular giving)
  • Charity and political party gifts
  • Spouse or civil partner transfer (no IHT)
  • Residence nil-rate band for family homes

Business and Asset Reliefs

  • Business Property Relief — up to 100% on qualifying businesses
  • Agricultural Property Relief — up to 100% on farmland
  • AIM-listed shares — BPR after 2 years
  • Pension pots — generally outside your estate
  • Life insurance written in trust — excluded from estate
  • EIS investments — BPR eligible after 2 years
  • Woodlands and heritage assets
  • Transferable nil-rate band between spouses
Our Process

How We Handle Your IHT Planning

1

Free Estate Review

We quantify your IHT liability across all assets — property, investments, pensions, and business interests.

2

Strategy Development

We recommend a bespoke IHT reduction strategy using gifts, trusts, business relief, and pension planning.

3

Implementation

We implement your IHT plan — setting up trusts, documenting gifts, and restructuring assets where needed.

4

Ongoing Review

Annual reviews to ensure your plan stays current with HMRC rule changes, estate changes, and family circumstances.

Who We Help

IHT Planning for Every Family and Situation

Homeowners with Large Estates

Rising property values mean more families face IHT. We help homeowners plan effectively, using the residence nil-rate band and gifting strategies.

Business Owners

Business assets may qualify for full IHT exemption via Business Property Relief. We advise on qualifying structures and ensure your business succession plan is tax-efficient.

Families with Young Children

Protecting assets for the next generation — trusts, life insurance in trust, and structured gifting to ensure your children inherit efficiently.

Retired Individuals

Retirement is the ideal time for IHT planning. We help retirees make the most of their annual gift allowances and pension IHT planning.

Executors and Administrators

Managing a deceased estate? We prepare IHT400 forms, claim all available reliefs, and liaise with HMRC to minimise the estate's tax burden.

High-Net-Worth Individuals

Complex estates with multiple properties, business interests, and investment portfolios require specialist IHT planning. Our team handles multi-asset estate strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

IHT Planning Questions Answered

How much inheritance tax will my estate pay?
Your estate pays 40% IHT on assets above the nil-rate band of 325,000 GBP (plus 175,000 GBP residence nil-rate band if leaving your home to direct descendants). Couples can combine allowances up to 1,000,000 GBP. With planning, many estates can significantly reduce or eliminate their IHT liability through gifts, business relief, and trusts.
Can I give money away to reduce inheritance tax?
Yes. Each year you can give away 3,000 GBP tax-free (annual exemption), plus smaller gifts of 250 GBP per recipient. Larger gifts become potentially exempt from IHT if you survive 7 years after making them. You can also give from regular surplus income, which is immediately outside your estate. We advise on maximising your gifting strategy within HMRC rules.
Does Business Property Relief reduce IHT?
Yes. Business Property Relief (BPR) can reduce the IHT value of qualifying business assets by 50% or 100%. Qualifying assets include shares in an unlisted trading company (100% relief), a business or interest in a business (100% relief), and certain AIM-listed shares held for at least 2 years. We advise on BPR qualification and can help restructure assets to maximise relief.
Are my pension savings subject to inheritance tax?
Defined contribution pensions (such as SIPPs and workplace pensions) are generally outside your estate for IHT purposes because they are held in trust. However, from April 2027, pension pots passed on death will be brought within the IHT net for the first time. Now is the time to review your pension death benefit nominations and IHT planning strategy to adapt to these changes.
What is the 7-year rule for gifts and IHT?
When you make a gift to another person (other than a trust), it becomes a potentially exempt transfer (PET). If you survive 7 years from the date of the gift, it falls outside your estate completely. If you die within 7 years, the gift may still be taxed, but taper relief reduces the IHT rate for gifts made between 3 and 7 years before death. We help you document gifts correctly and plan around the 7-year rule.

Protect Your Estate from Inheritance Tax

Manchester's leading IHT planning specialists. Start your estate planning today with a free initial consultation.

GET FREE CONSULTATION +44 (0)1204 859315
Tax Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute personalised financial or tax advice. IHT rates, nil-rate bands, and reliefs are based on 2026/27 HMRC guidelines and are subject to change. Always seek qualified professional advice before making estate planning decisions. Capital Gains Tax Expert is a UK-registered tax advisory firm. We are not FCA regulated for financial advice.
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