19/05/2026
Inheritance tax isnāt always as straightforward as people think š¤
Everyone has a nil-rate band of £325,000, taxed at 0%.
And if you leave a qualifying home to direct descendants, you may also benefit from a residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000.
For married couples and civil partners, these allowances can usually be combined, meaning up to £1 million can pass on tax-free in the right circumstances.
Anything above your allowances is typically taxed at 40%.
But hereās where it gets interesting šš
If you make a genuine gift and survive seven years, it usually falls outside of your estate for inheritance tax. These are called potentially exempt transfers (PETs).
But if you pass away within those seven years, the gift is pulled back into your estate. And crucially, HMRC applies it first - using up your nil-rate band before anything else is considered.
Which means less allowance to protect what you still own, and potentially more taxed at 40%.
Itās one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of estate planning - and getting it wrong can be expensive!
Watch our video to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOR85JMQcV0&t=128s