A few quick tips on how to save IHT

The original owner must live for 7 years after giving the gift. Any gifts made less than 7 years before death count towards the Inheritance Tax threshold (£325,000). They count towards the threshold before the rest of the estate.

If the donor gave away more than £325,000 of gifts in their final 7 years, tax is due on everything over that threshold.

Gifts made 3 to 7 years before the death

The rate of tax is reduced for gifts over the threshold made between 3 and 7 years before the person died. This is known as ‘taper relief’.

Annual Exemptions

The estate doesn’t pay Inheritance Tax on up to £3,000 worth of gifts given away by the deceased in each tax year (6 April to 5 April). This is called the ‘annual exemption’.

Leftover annual exemption can be carried over from one tax year to the next, but the maximum exemption is £6,000.

Certain gifts don’t count towards the annual exemption and no Inheritance Tax is due on them, eg gifts worth up to £250 and wedding gifts.

Wedding gifts

There’s no Inheritance Tax on a wedding or civil partnership gift worth up to:

• £5,000 given to a child
• £2,500 given to a grandchild or great-grandchild
• £1,000 given to anyone else

The gift must be given on or shortly before the date of the wedding or civil partnership ceremony.

Gifts up to £250

There’s no Inheritance Tax on individual gifts worth up to £250. You can give as many people as you like up to £250 each in any one tax year.

You can’t give someone another £250 if you’ve given them a gift using a different exemption, eg the £3,000 annual exemption.

If you give someone more than £250 in a tax year, the whole amount counts – the first £250 is not exempt.

steve@bicknells.net