Inheritance Tax
& Estate Planning

"In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" - Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s quote is as relevant today as it was over 230 years ago. Few taxes are quite as emotive – or as politicised – as Inheritance Tax. It is not just for the wealthy landowners as it once was, nor is it just for the very rich superstars of today but as house prices continue to increase it is a consideration for us all.

Whilst throughout life there is little that can be done to avoid income tax and capital gains tax there are opportunities to legitimately reduce the potential liability to inheritance tax.

Getting the right balance

It is crucial to find out as soon as possible if you potentially have an Inheritance Tax liability – or could do so in future years.

Effective estate planning is about getting the right balance between maintaining access to your money when you need it and saving on tax. This is because, in general, the more tax-efficient a solution is, the less access you have to your assets. Safeguarding your own financial future is very important and giving too much away could put this at risk.

With careful preparation, Wessex Investment Management can help guide you through the complexities of inheritance tax planning. Reducing your potential liability doesn't necessarily mean giving all your money away or involve setting up expensive and complicated offshore trusts. However, inheritance tax planning is a specialist field and requires expert knowledge and on occasion may involve a tax expert working alongside your independent financial adviser.

Wills

At Wessex Investment Management, we cannot stress how important making a Will is. Without one all decisions relating to your affairs will be made by the state – including who will look after your children. If you were to die without having made a Will, the surviving spouse will not automatically inherit the estate but only a part of it, even if you were married with children. Furthermore, without taking court action, common law partners would get nothing.  

There are so many other factors to be considered even if you do have a Will in place and with such an array of questions and things to consider when writing a will, it can become quite overwhelming and something that some avoid. Here at Wessex Investment Management, we aim to take the stress out of situations like Will writing, and in conjunction with your investments or retirement plan, will put you in contact with a trusted Will writing service that will tailor your Will to your needs.

Estate planning, trust planning, tax planning and Will writing are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.