06/08/2026
If you have a Will, it was written under a set of tax rules that have since changed.
Three things have happened. The inheritance tax thresholds are now frozen until April 2031. The reliefs for farms and family businesses changed on 6 April 2026. And from 6 April 2027, most unused pension savings will count as part of a person's estate for inheritance tax, which was not previously the case.
Anything passing to a husband, wife or civil partner remains exempt, pensions included. Where savings pass to children or others, the picture is more complicated, and the pension change can also reduce the extra allowance that applies when a home is left to children or grandchildren.
Our article explains the current position in plain terms, including why the forms you completed with your pension provider now matter as much as the Will itself:
https://www.trentlaw.co.uk/post/when-did-you-last-read-your-will-why-2026-is-the-year-to-look-again