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Inheritance Tax Articles
How inheritance tax actually works in England and Wales: the £325,000 nil-rate band (frozen until April 2031), the residence nil-rate band, the £2.5 million APR and BPR allowance from April 2026, gifts and the seven-year rule, and the April 2027 pension change.
All 43 inheritance tax articles
- Agricultural Property Relief Reform 2026 UK5 million per person from April 2026. Above that threshold, the rate falls to 50%.10 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Business Property Relief on Commercial Property UK105(1)(d)). 105(3)) catches most commercial letting portfolios, buy-to-let, and many holiday lets. 5m per person.10 June 2026 · 5 min read
- RNRB Downsizing Addition UK: Sell Before DeathSelling or moving out of your home before death does not mean losing the residence nil-rate band entirely.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Section 144 IHT UK: The 2-Year Discretionary WindowIHTA 1984 s.144 provides that an appointment of assets out of a discretionary will trust within two years of death is read back into the will as if made by.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Do You Pay Tax on an Inheritance UK? Income Tax, CGTBeneficiaries in England and Wales do not pay income tax or CGT on the inheritance they receive, IHT is paid by the estate before distribution.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Gifting Money to Children UK: The £6,000 Annual RuleEach person has a £3,000 annual IHT exemption, so a couple can give £6,000 per year tax-free. Seven-year rule, wedding gifts and what HMRC expects explained.8 June 2026 · 8 min read
- Gifting Money to Grandchildren UKHow grandparents can gift money to grandchildren in England and Wales, the £2,500 wedding gift exemption, annual gifting allowance, regular gifts from income.8 June 2026 · 8 min read
- How to Get an IHT Reference Number from HMRCApply online for an inheritance tax reference number using form IHT422: how long it takes, when you need one, and the IHT payment deadline.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- IHT205 Form UK: When to Use It and How to Complete ItIHT205 covers excepted estates below the IHT threshold. Most now file online. When the paper form still applies, what to include and how to file it. 2026.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Inheritance Tax on Savings UK: ISA and BondsAll savings and investments in your sole name are included in your estate for inheritance tax, cash, ISAs, Premium Bonds, NS&I, and investment accounts.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief UK5 million per person). Full 2026 guide: what qualifies, the occupation test, tenanted land, the cap, and how to plan farm succession.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Business Property Relief UK: Cut IHT by Up to 100%Business Property Relief (BPR) can reduce or eliminate inheritance tax on qualifying business assets.13 May 2026 · 10 min read
- Domicile and Inheritance UK: Why It Decides Your IHTYour domicile, not your nationality or residence, determines which country's law governs your estate and whether you pay full UK inheritance tax.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Equity Release and Inheritance Tax UKEquity release (a lifetime mortgage) reduces your estate value and can lower your IHT bill, but also reduces what your beneficiaries inherit.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- How to Avoid Inheritance Tax UKThere is no single way to eliminate inheritance tax, but 12 legal strategies can reduce or eliminate it: gifting, trusts, pensions, business relief and more.13 May 2026 · 12 min read
- Inheritance Tax on Gifts UK: Rules and ExemptionsYou can give away £3,000 per year free of IHT, but there are 7 separate gift exemptions in total.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Inheritance Tax on Property UK: RNRB GuideProperty is the biggest asset in most UK estates, and the residence nil-rate band (worth up to £175,000) can significantly reduce the IHT bill.13 May 2026 · 11 min read
- ISAs and Inheritance Tax UK: What Your Estate PaysISAs are exempt from income tax and CGT but are not exempt from inheritance tax.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Joint Property and Inheritance Tax UKHow inheritance tax applies to jointly owned property in England & Wales.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Life Insurance and Inheritance Tax UKLife insurance payouts can be subject to inheritance tax in England and Wales if the policy is not written in trust.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust UKA nil rate band discretionary trust lets couples shelter up to £325,000 from inheritance tax on the first death.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Nil Rate Band UK: Your £325,000 IHT AllowanceThe nil rate band is £325,000, frozen until 2030. Add the Residence Nil Rate Band and spouses can pass up to £1m tax-free.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Pension Inheritance Tax 2027 UKFrom April 2027, unused pension pots will be included in your estate for inheritance tax in England and Wales.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Residence Nil Rate Band UK: The £175,000 Home AllowanceThe residence nil-rate band (RNRB) adds up to £175,000 to your inheritance tax allowance when you leave your home to direct descendants.13 May 2026 · 10 min read
- Taper Relief Inheritance Tax UKTaper relief reduces the inheritance tax on gifts made 3–7 years before death.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Transferable Nil Rate Band UK: Double Your AllowanceMarried couples and civil partners can transfer unused nil rate band to the surviving spouse, potentially doubling the IHT threshold.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- 7-Year Rule IHT UK: Taper Relief TableHow the 7-year rule works for inheritance tax in the UK, what counts as a gift, the taper relief table, annual exemptions.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief Budget 2024 UKThe October 2024 Autumn Budget announced a cap on 100% Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) from 6 April 2026. · 9 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief on a Farmhouse UKWhen does a farmhouse qualify for Agricultural Property Relief? 5 million per person), and how to evidence APR on a farmhouse. · 10 min read
- Business Property Relief on Shares UKHow Business Property Relief works on AIM shares and unquoted company shares in England and Wales, the 2-year holding rule, the April 2026 cap (£2.5 million per person combined with APR), qualifying conditions, and IHT planning for share portfolios. · 8 min read
- Deeds of Variation UK: The 2-Year IHT WindowA deed of variation lets beneficiaries redirect an inheritance within two years of death for IHT and CGT purposes.
- Family Investment Companies UKA Family Investment Company (fic) can reduce inheritance tax, shift income to lower-rate taxpayers, and retain control during your lifetime.
- Foreign Domicile and an English WillYour domicile, not your nationality or residence, determines which country's law governs who inherits your movable assets.
- Gift with Reservation of BenefitGiving away assets but continuing to benefit from them triggers Gift with Reservation rules and keeps them in your IHT estate.
- IHT100 Form UK: Trust Reporting Made ClearTrustees of discretionary and relevant property trusts must report IHT chargeable events, ten-year anniversary charges, exit charges. · 8 min read
- IHT400 Form UK: Rules, Deadlines and PenaltiesWhen the IHT400 inheritance tax account is required, which schedules apply, the filing and payment deadlines, instalments and HMRC enquiries.
- Inheritance Tax Charity Exemption UK23 IHTA 1984. Leaving 10% or more of the net estate to charity reduces IHT from 40% to 36%. Full guide for England and Wales.
- IHT Gifts Out of Income UK: The Normal Expenditure Out of Income ExemptionRegular gifts from surplus income are exempt from IHT immediately, no seven-year wait. Here is how the s.21 IHTA 1984 exemption works.
- Inheritance Tax for Business Owners UKBusiness Property Relief reduces IHT on qualifying business assets, but it is not the whole picture.
- Quick Succession Relief (IHT) UKFull guide to quick succession relief (qsr) under s.141 IHTA 1984. How qsr reduces IHT when the same assets are taxed twice in quick succession. · 8 min read
- Transferable Nil Rate Band UK: How to Claim ItHow to claim the unused nil-rate band of a deceased spouse or civil partner in England and Wales, the IHT402 form, the calculation, time limits. · 9 min read
- Paying Inheritance Tax Before Probate UKYou must pay inheritance tax before you can get probate, but you can't access the estate's funds without probate.
- Pension Death Benefits and IHT UKPension death benefits have historically been outside your estate for IHT.
Self-help information only. Articles on this blog are for general informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. WillSafe UK is not a firm of solicitors. For complex estates, blended families, business assets or foreign property, please speak to a qualified solicitor.