The IHT take has risen dramatically in the UK over the last two years leading insurer NFU Mutual to warn that HM Revenue & Customs may be getting more aggressive with estates, despite the introduction of a new nil rate residence band.
British expats still have some crucial misunderstandings about their domicile status and tax position that could leave them and their loved ones financially exposed and even land them in trouble with HM Revenue & Customs, warns Rachael Griffin, financial planning expert at Old Mutual Wealth.
Attractive exemptions to the inheritance tax (IHT) regime as well as low capital gains tax rates could face the chopping block amid concerns that Britain is heading for a second general election this year.
The amount of inheritance tax saved by leaving money to charities in the UK is predicted to surpass £900m (€1,027m, $1,159m) in the next financial year, following a sharp increase in the amount of charitable donations left in wills.
Financial advisers expect a boom in demand for inheritance tax (IHT) advice and are looking to strengthen business partnerships with lawyers to help them cope.
Intergenerational wealth disparity, tax simplification and removal of the £1m lifetime pension allowance are all addressed in a remarkable letter to the prime minister from Brewin Dolphin chief executive David Nicol.
Now that the start button for the phased introduction of the nil rate residential band has been pressed, John Haley, technical sales manager at Utmost Wealth Solutions, explains that there are “many holes to leap through” to achieve the biggest outcome.
The UK new non-dom rules which were dramatically dropped from the government’s finance bill has left those who prepared for those changes “in a very difficult position”, says Paul Thompson, tax and estate planning consultant at Canada Life.
A staggering 70% of people have no understanding of the new residence nil rate band allowance coming into force on 6 April, which could have serious implications for their inheritance tax planning, warns Old Mutual Wealth financial planning expert, Rachael Griffin.
An estranged daughter has lost a supreme court bid to overturn her mother’s will, which excluded her only child and left her £0.5m ($0.6m, €0.57m) estate to three animal charities, in a decision that leaves things “slightly confused”, says Old Mutual Wealth’s Rachael Griffin.
Some changes in inheritance tax law can affect wills and trusts, including the introduction of the first tranche of the Residential Nil Rate Band (RNRB) of £100,000 on 6 April 2017, says Karen Clark, tax partner in charge of the London private client team at RSM.
Rising house and equities prices will push up receipts from UK inheritance tax by £1.8bn ($2.2bn, €2.1bn) over the next five years, according to the Office of Budget Responsibility.
