Life happens. Change is inevitable. Things happen that we cannot control and we only try to prepare as well as we can. Planning your estate early might seem overwhelming, but unfortunately, no one knows when their time will come. To give you and your family peace of mind, estate planning should be given careful consideration.
Inheritance tax
If you have joint assets above £1m (£325,000 for a single person), in addition to any pension funds and life insurance policies, an inheritance tax at the rate of 40% is potentially a major concern. Without proper financial planning, the harsh reality is HM Revenue & Customs could become the largest beneficiary of your estate following your death.
Reducing your estate
If you recognise you do have more than enough to live your life to the full, you need to think about reducing your estate to avoid unnecessary taxes. Gifts (if they are above the annual allowance) could be a good way to start as they will be completely out of the estate after just 7 years.
Tax allowances
Utilising your tax allowances are also part of estate planning. Pensions, Business Property Relief (BPR) and trusts could be part of the estate management strategy. Pensions are generally outside the estate for tax purposes, which can be beneficial to estate planning. If you have been a business owner for at least two years, BPR could also be an option. Although the value of your business will be added to your estate upon your death, the estate could receive up to 100% relief. Trusts are used to give assets to your beneficiaries quickly, potentially without incurring an Inheritance Tax bill. A trust can hold assets or insurance policies and can be set up exactly to your wishes.
Your future
While it is important to think about what you can leave behind, it is also important to remember that you have worked hard for your money and you should make sure to enjoy it. Don’t leave the thing you always wanted to do until “one day”. With lifestyle financial planning you could identify, achieve and maintain the lifestyle you want.
We offer estate and inheritance planning services that maximise the net value of the estate by reducing taxes where possible.
