Inheritance Tax
Inheritance tax: HMRC collects record amounts of IHT
Inheritance tax: HMRC collects record amounts of IHT The government has announced that HMRC collected a record sum of £5.4 billion in inheritance tax (IHT) during the 2018/19 tax year. The increase comes on the back of a 15% rise in the number of estates liable for IHT. Between 2015/16 and 2016/17, the number of estates paying IHT rose
Delay to rise in probate fees
Delay to rise in probate fees The government has delayed its planned increase in probate fees indefinitely. The delay has been attributed to ‘pressure on Parliamentary time‘ caused by Brexit debates and votes. The increase in fees had been set to take effect from 1 April 2019, but HMRC recently made the decision to postpone the rise. Under government plans,
Inheritance Tax Review by Office of Tax Simplification
Inheritance Tax Review by Office of Tax Simplification The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published the first of two reports on inheritance tax. The first report sets out an explanation of the issues and complexities of IHT, gives an overview of concerns raised by the public and professional advisors during the review and then makes recommendations. This first
HMRC warning: time to declare offshore assets
HMRC warning: time to declare offshore assets HMRC is warning that taxpayers could face penalties if they fail to declare their income on foreign assets before new ‘Requirement to Correct’ legislation comes into force. HMRC is urging UK taxpayers to come forward and declare any foreign income or profits on offshore assets before 30 September to avoid higher tax
Simplification of Inheritance Tax
Simplification of Inheritance Tax The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) have been tasked with carrying out a review of Inheritance Tax (IHT) with a view to simplifying how the tax operates. IHT is perceived to be complicated and currently yields a relatively small amount of tax compared to income tax and national insurance. There are a number of reliefs
Pensions funds can be very effective in estate planning
We have featured the tax efficiency of pension fund investment in a number of recent newsletters. As well as the increased flexibility in terms of drawdown arrangements that were introduced in April 2015 there were some important changes to what happens to the undrawn funds on death. These changes mean that your pension fund can be passed to survivors
Consider making regular gifts out of surplus income
Whilst on the subject of inheritance tax planning why not consider setting up a standing order to family members? Such regular gifts can be outside of the scope of inheritance tax provided they are made out of surplus income and not out of capital. It would be necessary to demonstrate that you are left with sufficient income after tax
Passing on the family home
New inheritance tax rules for passing on the family home started on 6 April 2017. This new relief should be taken into consideration when drafting your Will and we can work with your solicitor to make sure your Will is tax efficient. From 6 April 2017 an additional nil rate band of £100,000 is now available on death where
New Year resolutions to save tax
At this time of year we think about New Year’s resolutions. It is also a good time to start planning your tax affairs before the end of the tax year on 5th April. An obvious tax planning point would be to maximise your ISA allowances for the 2017/18 tax year (currently £20,000 each). You might also want to consider
Furnished holiday letting business is not a business for IHT relief
A furnished holiday letting business is treated as a trade for most tax purposes. For example, capital allowances are available on furniture, and CGT entrepreneurs’ relief is available on disposal of the business. However, a recent tax case has determined that a holiday letting business in Cornwall did not qualify for inheritance tax business property relief. Despite the provision
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