What should my IHT planning priorities be?
IHT planning isn't one-size-fits-all. The right actions for a £650k estate are completely different from those for a £2.5m estate, and a recently-widowed spouse has options that a long-widowed one doesn't. This tool walks through your profile and produces a prioritised action list tailored to your situation.
What's the approximate total value of your estate?
Include home, investments, cash, pensions, and other assets. Gross value before debts.
How to use this output
The actions returned by this tool are a sequenced starting point, not a complete plan. Highest-priority items are typically time-sensitive or foundational — a first-death review within the two-year window, a lifetime gifting programme where horizon allows, or preservation of the RNRB at the £2m taper threshold. Secondary priorities build on those or address specific structural issues.
Executing any of these actions properly involves a combination of specialists: a tax practitioner for structural planning, a solicitor for will drafting and deeds of variation, and often an IFA for insurance or investment-based solutions like Business Relief portfolios. Tell us your situation and we quote the tax-planning work within 48 hours, coordinating with your solicitor and IFA.
IHT rules continue to evolve. Pension wealth enters the estate from 6 April 2027, which changes the planning picture substantially for anyone with significant unused pension benefits. The nil-rate bands are frozen until April 2030, meaning the effective IHT rate on a typical estate rises each year as asset values grow past static thresholds. A plan set up five years ago may not be the right plan today; periodic review is part of any serious approach.
Ready to move from priorities to plan?
Your estate size determines who the right specialist is.
Estates below £1m usually need a will-focused solicitor and periodic review. Estates in the £1m-£2.5m range typically benefit from a property tax specialist working alongside an IFA. Estates above £2.5m often require specialist tax counsel. Tell us your estate position and we come back with a fixed written quote within 48 hours.
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