Estate Planning and Wills in Tenterden

The threshold for Inheritance Tax (IHT) has risen in current years to £325,000 for people and – with all the choice now to transfer any unused threshold to a spouse or civil partner – a total of £650,000 for legally joined couples (for the tax year 2012/13) . The relative amount of house costs, however, especially in the South East, suggests IHT continues to be a concern for many homeowners. It is actually for that reason sensible to take some time for you to take into account in advance the possible liability you may be leaving behind.

Ahead of you look to offset it, even so, it’s important to establish what will accumulate as a prospective liability. For many, the essential contributor to their estate will probably be the value of their residence and, even when this lies below the threshold, other components can push an estate more than the limit. As an example, despite the fact that men and women normally talk of your benefits of ISA investing – which shelters investors from capital gains and revenue tax – ISAs aren’t sheltered from IHT.

The problem with IHT is just not only the fact it has to be paid, but in addition that it becomes due fairly rapidly – generally inside six months . When your home and certain other volatile assets are involved, there’s a provision that makes it possible for your beneficiaries to spend their liability via instalments whilst the property is sold. Having said that, this means that, while waiting for that sale, other heirlooms might be compromised as, without prudent preparing, some may well have to be sold to meet the bills.

Nonetheless, there is action you are able to take , specifically in case your liability is comparatively small. Few people today realise that they have an annual exempted amount that they can gift to someone. At £3,000 per year, this could go some solution to decreasing the overall estate. Gifts for weddings, from parents, grandparents and in some cases good friends, are also exempt (topic to varying maximum amounts) and you can find other useful tools which include loan trusts and discounted gift schemes.

As the Government appears to close potential tax loopholes it really is constantly worth obtaining advice on what can and can’t be performed to ease prospective IHT burdens. Ultimately, it may enable your family preserve a few of its most valued possessions, sentimental or otherwise.

Wills

It is actually understandable that countless of us put off the task of generating a Will. It makes us consider our mortality and think about factors which we hope will never occur. Having said that, without having a single, you could be shocked to find out how easy it’s for your assets to become distributed in an undesirable way. The precise guidelines of distribution depend where in the British Isles you reside as some facts differ between Scotland, Ireland and England & Wales. Having said that, if you are usually not married, for example, the law is united in saying your companion could get nothing. Without the need of a marriage certificate, your children and parents will benefit instead.

Even when you are married, you’ll find many good reasons for producing a Will. First and foremost, it permits you to take positive decisions more than who gets what – including pals, friends’ children, charities and local societies who are entitled to nothing without having your say. You may also decide if ex-partners – or perhaps more importantly, ex-partner’s children – should be helped out. And, if your estate is greater than £325,000 (£650,000 for married couples), a Will can support you plan to reduce your Inheritance Tax liabilities. In thinking like this, generating a Will can actually become a positive, rather than negative experience. Considering such items in advance can support your peace of mind and ensure that all your loved ones and good friends will likely be looked after in exactly the way you want them to be.

To talk about your wills and estate planning requirements
give us a call today on 01621 876030.