Reducing the amount of Inheritance Tax payable on other assets

Business
Depending on how you own the business and what type of business it is, you could receive either 50% or 100% tax relief on it. Business Relief reduces the value of a business or its assets when working out how much Inheritance Tax (IHT) has to be paid. Read the rest of this entry »

An important part of your estate preservation process

If you want to mitigate the effects of Inheritance Tax (IHT) on your estate, trusts can be an important part of the process. When you put cash, property or investments in a trust, provided certain conditions are satisfied, you don’t own it any more. This means it might not count towards your IHT bill when you die.  Read the rest of this entry »

When you are unable to make your own decisions

More than two million Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) registrations will have been filed by the end of 2016, with the number of appointments more than trebling between 2010 and 2015. Read the rest of this entry »

Winners and losers from the seismic US election result

After a long and brutal US presidential election campaign, Donald Trump emerged victorious, winning 279 electoral votes and 47.5% of the popular vote. Republicans also maintained majorities in the House and the Senate. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping your taxes as low as possible – what you may wish to consider sooner rather than later

The 2016/17 year end for tax planning purposes is now only a matter of months away, with the deadline approaching on 5 April. Effective tax planning is about knowing the personal and business taxes you are liable to pay and acting to legally minimise them. It is also about maximising your net income and creating opportunities to invest and save tax-efficiently for the current and future needs of your business, your family and yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

Reduction to prevent inappropriate double tax relief

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, delivered his first and last Autumn Statement to Parliament on Wednesday 23 November 2016. Read the rest of this entry »

Taking advantage of opportunities in 2017

After a game-changing 2016, the investment environment was not only mixed but characterised by uneven global growth and political events such as Brexit and the US elections. Read the rest of this entry »

Make your next move to saving flexibly for a first home and retirement

Lifetime Individual Savings Accounts are being launched by the Government to help 18–40-year-olds to save and invest flexibly for the long term. The aim is that people will not have to choose between saving for their first home and retirement. Read the rest of this entry »

Building a nest egg for when children need it

The prospect of a child leaving home is scary enough for parents – and then there’s money to think about. Even if they get a student loan or find work, how will they be able to afford their first car or home? Parents and family often do what they can to help give children a financial leg-up, with many choosing to set aside money for their future during their childhood. Read the rest of this entry »

Report findings suggest this trend is set to continue

Half of women (52%) are now saving adequately for their retirement compared to 60% of men, according to the latest Scottish Widows ‘Women & Retirement’ Report. But while this maintains the record high levels achieved in 2015, the gap between men and women has widened since 2014 when 50% of women were saving adequately compared with 55% of men. Read the rest of this entry »