Effective tax and succession planning is essential to preserving wealth, protecting family assets, and ensuring that your estate is passed on in accordance with your wishes. Our firm provides strategic, tailored advice to individuals, families, business owners, and trustees on structuring assets efficiently during lifetime and on death. We work closely with clients to minimise tax exposure, manage intergenerational wealth transfer, and safeguard assets against future risks.
Lifetime Gifts
Lifetime gifting can be a highly effective way to reduce inheritance tax exposure while supporting family members or other beneficiaries. However, gifts must be carefully structured to avoid unintended tax consequences or loss of control. Our objective is to ensure that lifetime gifts achieve your personal and financial goals while complying with complex tax rules.
We advise on:
- Structuring lifetime gifts in a tax-efficient manner
- Use of exemptions and reliefs under UK inheritance tax legislation
- Potentially exempt transfers (PETs) and chargeable lifetime transfers (CLTs)
- Capital gains tax implications of gifting assets
- Retention of benefits and the “gift with reservation of benefit” rules
- Documentation and legal formalities of gifts
Trust Advice and Administration
Trusts are powerful tools for wealth management, tax planning, and asset protection. They can provide long-term benefits for families, vulnerable beneficiaries, and business succession planning. We also act for trustees, beneficiaries, and settlors in navigating complex legal and tax obligations.
We provide comprehensive advice on:
- Establishment of trusts (discretionary, interest in possession, bare trusts, and bespoke structures)
- Tax implications of trusts, including inheritance tax, income tax, and capital gains tax
- Trustee duties, governance, and compliance
- Ongoing trust administration and reporting
- Variation, restructuring, or termination of trusts
- Cross-border trust issues and international beneficiaries
Inheritance Tax Planning
Inheritance tax (IHT) can significantly reduce the value of an estate if not addressed proactively. Strategic planning can substantially mitigate IHT liabilities and provide certainty for future generations. We provide clear, practical advice tailored to your personal circumstances and long-term objectives.
Our services include:
- Comprehensive review of estate structures and asset ownership
- Use of nil-rate band, residence nil-rate band, and available reliefs
- Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR)
- Family investment companies and other planning structures
- Integration of wills, trusts, and lifetime planning strategies
- Coordination with accountants and financial advisers where appropriate