Guides

• How much Inheritance Tax will I pay?

  Worked examples at £600k, £900k and £2.2m, with every line of the arithmetic shown.

• Inheritance Tax threshold

  What the £325,000 nil-rate band covers, and how a couple gets to £1,000,000.

• Residence nil-rate band

  Up to £175,000 extra against a home left to descendants, and the 60% trap above £2m.

• The 7-year rule on gifts

  Which gifts escape tax, how taper relief works, and who actually pays it.

• Pensions and IHT from 2027

  Unused pensions come into the estate from 6 April 2027. The arithmetic, and the over-75 double tax trap.

• Business relief and the £1m cap

  100% relief is now capped at £1m combined. What the change costs a family business or farm.

• Inheritance Tax on property

  Valuation, mortgages, joint ownership, and why gifting the house usually backfires.

• Probate fees

  The £526 court fee, what else you'll actually pay, and how to get the fee waived.

• How long does probate take?

  8–16 weeks for the grant, 9–12 months for the whole estate. What actually causes delay.

• Do I need probate?

  When probate can be avoided, and why no tax to pay doesn't mean no forms.

Estimate the inheritance tax on an estate