How your relationship status can significantly shape how wealth is taxed and passed on in the UK When it comes to finances, many couples may assume that simply living together or being married makes little difference to their tax position. Yet in the UK, the legal status of a relationship can have a meaningful impact on Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and even the way assets are passed on. For some households, this difference only becomes clear at a major life event, when planning...

Nearly three-quarters unaware that surplus income gifts can be immediately exempt Nearly three quarters of UK adults (72%) do not realise that money regularly gifted from spare or excess income is immediately exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT) calculations, according to new research[1], This lack of awareness means many households may already be making qualifying gifts without understanding the potential tax advantages available to them. According to the data, nearly a third (31%) of gifts...

Ensuring your estate is distributed in line with your wishes For most of us in the UK, life follows a familiar path. We buy our first home, start a family, build a career and increasingly care for ageing relatives. Yet despite these significant milestones, many people still delay one of the most important aspects of financial planning: writing a Will. Conversations about death are understandably uncomfortable. Most of us would rather focus on living than on planning for what happens after...