Welcome to the Inheritance Tax Blog
Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax on the value of a person's estate on death and on certain gifts made by an individual during their lifetime.
There is a certain threshold when it comes to inheritance tax. This is defined as the amount above which inheritance tax becomes payable. If the estate, including any assets held in trust and gifts made within seven years of death, is less than the threshold, no inheritance tax will be due on it. Starting from April 2007 the threshold, also known as the nil-rate band is £300 000. For transfers on death, the value of an estate above the mentioned band is taxed at a rate of 40%. For lifetime transfers the tax rate is 20%.
There are a few things to consider when dealing with IHT:
• Gifts between husband and wife are generally exempt for IHT. It may be desirable to use the spouse exemption to transfer assets to ensure that both spouses can make full use of lifetime exemptions, the nil rate band and the potentially exempt transfers (PETs). With a PET the gift will be exempt from IHT if the donor survives for seven years.
• Gifts to individuals not exceeding £250 in total per tax year per recipient are exempt. The exemption cannot be used to cover part of a larger gift.
• £3,000 per annum may be given by an individual without an IHT charge. An annual exemption may be carried forward to the next year but not thereafter.
• Gifts in consideration of marriage are exempt up to £5,000 if made by a parent with lower limits for other donors.
• Gifts to registered charities are exempt provided that the gift becomes the property of the charity or is held for charitable purposes.
• Trusts can provide an effective means of transferring assets out of an estate whilst still allowing the donor to retain some control over the assets. Provided that the donor does not obtain any benefit or enjoyment from the trust, the property is removed from the estate.
A good planning is essential when dealing with Inheritance Tax. Any plan must take into account your personal circumstances and aspirations. Taxfile in South London and Devon can help you find the best solution to minimize your tax liability.
There is a certain threshold when it comes to inheritance tax. This is defined as the amount above which inheritance tax becomes payable. If the estate, including any assets held in trust and gifts made within seven years of death, is less than the threshold, no inheritance tax will be due on it. Starting from April 2007 the threshold, also known as the nil-rate band is £300 000. For transfers on death, the value of an estate above the mentioned band is taxed at a rate of 40%. For lifetime transfers the tax rate is 20%.
There are a few things to consider when dealing with IHT:
• Gifts between husband and wife are generally exempt for IHT. It may be desirable to use the spouse exemption to transfer assets to ensure that both spouses can make full use of lifetime exemptions, the nil rate band and the potentially exempt transfers (PETs). With a PET the gift will be exempt from IHT if the donor survives for seven years.
• Gifts to individuals not exceeding £250 in total per tax year per recipient are exempt. The exemption cannot be used to cover part of a larger gift.
• £3,000 per annum may be given by an individual without an IHT charge. An annual exemption may be carried forward to the next year but not thereafter.
• Gifts in consideration of marriage are exempt up to £5,000 if made by a parent with lower limits for other donors.
• Gifts to registered charities are exempt provided that the gift becomes the property of the charity or is held for charitable purposes.
• Trusts can provide an effective means of transferring assets out of an estate whilst still allowing the donor to retain some control over the assets. Provided that the donor does not obtain any benefit or enjoyment from the trust, the property is removed from the estate.
A good planning is essential when dealing with Inheritance Tax. Any plan must take into account your personal circumstances and aspirations. Taxfile in South London and Devon can help you find the best solution to minimize your tax liability.
Labels: accountancy, accountants, devon, exeter, hmrc, IHT, Inheritance Tax, south london, tax, tax advice, tax enquiry
posted by Taxfile | 12:31
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