I have talked previously about the last Autumn Budget which made history as being the first delivered by a female, and a major tax raising budget, including changes to Inheritance Tax. For many individuals reading this article, two items in the budget that may affect them are:
1. The allowances, both the Nil Rate band and the Residential Nil Rate band, being frozen until 2030.
2. From 6 April 2027, the proposed change that most unused pension funds will be included within the value of a person’s estate for Inheritance Tax purposes, and pension scheme administrators will become liable for reporting and paying any Inheritance Tax due on pensions to HMRC.
Although the latter is only a proposed change my understanding is that the consultation paper on this has dealt with how to implement it rather than whether to proceed.
So what is Inheritance Tax? It is a tax paid on a person’s estate when they die. This is on most items they leave behind including their house, personal items and savings, and, although there are exceptions, the normal rate charged is 40%.
We do have a Nil Rate band allowance of £325,000 and may qualify for a resident Nil Rate band allowance of £175,000 if the home we leave behind is closely inherited, i.e. children and grandchildren.
If the thresholds are not fully used when the first person in a marriage or civil partnership dies, the unused part could usually go to the spouse of a civil partner.
When any change comes into play, I believe it’s important to see how this affects you and I think a good starting point is to look at what your estate would be worth if you had died yesterday, and to what allowances you may be entitled. Armed with this information you can then consider if there are ways you could reduce it.
Inheritance Tax is a complex area and there are rules and exceptions that need to be taken into consideration. We offer a free consultation where we can look at your own personal circumstances and what your potential liability is.
The content included on this page is based on our understanding of the UK tax law at the time of publication. It may be subject to change and may not be applicable to your circumstances.