Straight answers to the questions
families ask most

The simplest first step is a free initial conversation with a Bluebond specialist, or download the free Wealth Planning Guide below. We review your income, investments, pension, property, and estate position. We will identify where tax is being overpaid and where wealth transfer can be made more efficient. No obligation, no charge for the initial consultation.

Not with Bluebond. Most high net worth individuals work with a separate accountant, IFA, and solicitor. None of whom has full sight of the others' work. Pension contributions are not timed against bonus payments. CGT is not managed against ISA capacity. IHT planning is not coordinated with the investment portfolio. Bluebond's legal, tax, investment and financial specialists work as one team, building one coordinated plan for one transparent fixed fee. The value is in the coordination, not the individual parts.

Based on Bluebond's outcomes for clients who fully implement the recommended IHT planning. Individual results vary depending on personal circumstances, estate structure, and willingness to implement. The figure reflects the proportion of Bluebond clients whose IHT liability is eliminated or reduced to zero through a coordinated plan combining gifting, trust structures, pension planning, business relief, and full use of available allowances.

A Flexible Reversionary Trust is a discretionary trust where the settlor gifts capital and retains a contractual right to receive defined portions back each year. Each year, the settlor can choose whether to take their entitlement or leave it within the trust. Portions not taken fall outside the estate once the seven year rule is satisfied. It allows gradual estate reduction while retaining controlled access to capital useful for those who need flexibility but also want to reduce IHT exposure over time.

A Family Investment Company (FIC) is a bespoke company structure that holds family wealth with different share classes separating control, income, and growth. Founders retain voting control for life. Future investment growth accrues to the next generation's non-voting shares — outside the founders' estate for IHT. A FIC is typically suitable for families with surplus wealth intended to be held long-term for the benefit of the next generation. It is not a short-term tax wrapper — it is a multi-generational family wealth structure.

The main routes are: full use of nil-rate bands (£325,000 per person plus up to £175,000 Residence Nil-Rate Band); systematic gifting using annual exemptions and gifts from surplus income; trust structures that remove assets from the estate while retaining access; business relief on qualifying business assets; and pension planning to reduce the IHT exposure of large pension pots from April 2027. 19 out of 20 Bluebond clients pay zero Inheritance Tax.

The annual ISA allowance is £20,000 per person per tax year, frozen until 2031. Investment growth, dividends, and interest inside an ISA are completely free of income tax and capital gains tax — now and in the future. A surviving spouse or civil partner can inherit an additional ISA allowance equal to the value of the deceased's ISA holdings. Junior ISAs allow £9,000 per child per year.

The annual pension allowance is £60,000 per tax year, or 100% of earnings if lower — including employer contributions. Up to three years of unused allowance can be carried forward. For those with adjusted income above £260,000, the allowance tapers down to a minimum of £10,000. The lifetime allowance was abolished in 2024 — but the tax-free cash lump sum cap (currently £268,275) remains.

From April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits will be included in the IHT estate and taxed at 40% above available allowances. For those with large pension pots, this fundamentally changes how pensions fit into the estate plan. Strategies to consider include: reviewing nomination of beneficiaries, increasing drawdown to reduce the pension pot, pension-funded gifting into trust, and reviewing the role of annuities. Planning should begin well before April 2027.

Wealth planning is the coordinated management of your income, investments, pensions, property, and estate to maximise what you keep, grow, and pass on within HMRC's rules. Anyone with net assets above £1 million, significant investment income, a large pension pot, or a future business exit will benefit from a coordinated plan. The value comes from the interaction between different tax regimes which only a joined up approach captures.

The simplest first step is a free initial conversation with a Bluebond specialist, or download the free CGT Planning Guide below. We review your asset portfolio, planned disposals, income position, and IHT exposure. This identifies where CGT can be reduced and coordinating with your broader tax plan. No obligation, no charge for the initial consultation.

No. Death is not a CGT disposal. Assets pass to heirs at their probate value at the date of death. Thus eliminating any capital gains that had built up during the deceased's lifetime. This is known as the CGT-free uplift on death. However, the asset remains in the estate for Inheritance Tax purposes. Deciding whether to gift assets during life or hold until death requires careful modelling of both taxes together.

A Bed and ISA involves selling an investment outside an ISA and using the proceeds to purchase the same investment inside an ISA. This uses the annual exempt amount on the gain at point of sale, and all future growth inside the ISA is permanently free of CGT and income tax. The 30-day bed-and-breakfasting rule does not apply because shares inside an ISA are held in a different legal structure.

Yes. Transfers between spouses or civil partners living together are CGT-free. Therefore treated as no gain, no loss. The receiving spouse inherits the original cost but uses their own £3,000 annual exempt amount and basic rate band on a future sale. Where one spouse is a basic-rate taxpayer and the other is a higher-rate taxpayer, transferring an asset before sale can convert part of the gain from 24% to 18%.

BADR reduces the CGT rate on qualifying business disposals to 18% from 6 April 2026, compared to the standard higher rate of 24%. A £1 million lifetime limit applies. To qualify, the business must have traded for at least 2 years, and the business owner must hold at least 5% of ordinary share capital and voting rights for 2 years before disposal.

If you sell a UK residential property at a gain, you must report and pay CGT to HMRC within 60 days of the completion date (not from exchange of contracts, and not through the year-end self-assessment). Failure to report within 60 days results in an automatic £100 penalty, with further penalties for delays beyond 6 and 12 months.

The main strategies are: use the £3,000 annual exempt amount every year; move investments into ISA wrappers through a Bed and ISA transaction; transfer assets to a spouse before sale to use their allowance and basic rate band; offset capital losses against gains; and make pension contributions in the year of disposal to extend the basic rate band.

Not on your main residence. Private Residence Relief fully exempts the gain on a property that has been your only or main residence throughout ownership. CGT does apply to second homes, buy-to-let properties, and investment properties that have never been your main residence. For residential property, CGT must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion using HMRC's online service.

The annual exempt amount is £3,000 per individual (2025/26 tax year). It cannot be carried forward; any unused portion is permanently lost at 5 April. For married couples and civil partners, both partners each have their own £3,000, giving a combined £6,000 on jointly-held assets. The allowance was £12,300 as recently as 2022/23.

The CGT annual exempt amount is £3,000 per individual. Gains above this are taxed at 18% if they fall within your unused basic rate income tax band, or 24% if they fall above it. The same rates apply to shares, investment funds, residential property, and most other assets. These rates have applied since 30 October 2024.

The simplest first step is a free initial conversation with a Bluebond specialist, or download the free Personal Tax Guide below. We review your income, investments, pension, and estate position, identify where tax is being overpaid, and explain which strategies apply — no obligation, no charge for the initial consultation.

Each person can save up to £20,000 per year in an ISA. Investment growth, dividends, and interest inside an ISA are completely free of income tax and capital gains tax. For couples, £40,000 of annual contributions builds a significant long-term tax-free investment base alongside pension planning.

Yes. Capital gains can be transferred free of CGT between spouses to use both annual exemptions. Dividend income can be shifted to a spouse in a lower tax band. ISA allowances can be doubled. Income generating assets can be held jointly or transferred to the lower rate spouse. Coordinated planning across both partners significantly reduces combined tax liability.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) allows investments of up to £1 million per year into qualifying early-stage companies, with 30% income tax relief reducing a £100,000 investment's cost to £70,000 after relief. This is a general description of the tax rule; it is not investment advice. Any decision to hold or dispose of the investment should be discussed with an FCA-authorised investment adviser. EIS investments also qualify for CGT deferral and business relief after two years. They carry high investment risk.

The dividend allowance is £500 per person per year. Dividends above this are taxed at 10.75% (basic rate), 35.75% (higher rate), or 39.35% (additional rate) (rates increased by 2 percentage points from 6 April 2026). Planning the timing and amount of dividends, and using a spouse's lower rate band, can reduce dividend tax meaningfully.

The CGT annual exemption is £3,000 for 2026/27. Gains above this are taxed at 18% (basic rate taxpayers) or 24% (higher and additional rate taxpayers) on most assets. Transfers between spouses are CGT-free, effectively doubling the available exemption. Business Asset Disposal Relief applies at 18% for qualifying disposals from 6 April 2026.

The annual allowance is £60,000 per tax year, or 100% of earnings if lower, including employer contributions. For those with adjusted income above £260,000, the allowance tapers down to a minimum of £10,000. Up to three years of unused allowance can be carried forward, allowing large one-off contributions in high-income years.

The main legal routes are: pension contributions (receiving tax relief at your marginal rate), ISA contributions, salary sacrifice, Gift Aid donations, Enterprise Investment Scheme relief, and careful structuring of investment income and dividends. This is a general description of the tax rule; it is not investment advice. Any decision to hold or dispose of the investment should be discussed with an FCA-authorised investment adviser. The most effective tax reduction plans coordinate all of these simultaneously rather than applying them in isolation.

Between £100,000 and £125,140, HMRC withdraws the personal allowance at £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000. This creates an effective marginal income tax rate of 60% in this band. It can be eliminated by making pension contributions or Gift Aid donations that bring net adjusted income below £100,000.

Personal tax planning is the legal process of structuring your income, savings, investments, and assets to reduce the amount of tax you pay within HMRC's rules. For UK high earners and high net worth individuals, the difference between a planned and unplanned tax position can be tens of thousands of pounds per year.

The United States operates a unified federal estate and gift tax credit, where lifetime gifts and the estate at death share a single exemption. Germany applies tax-free thresholds that refresh every ten years per recipient. Most G7 economies operate some form of lifetime mechanism, which is why a UK lifetime cap is often described as bringing the regime into line with international practice.

The seven-year rule treats gifts as falling outside your estate if you survive seven years from the date of transfer, under Section 3A of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984. A lifetime cap would count gifts against a fixed allowance regardless of how long ago they were made. Survival becomes irrelevant to the tax outcome.

UK Budgets typically announce inheritance tax changes on a forward-looking basis. The 2024 reform of agricultural and business relief applied from 6 April 2026 onwards, not to historical transfers. A future lifetime cap would most likely follow the same pattern, but no Budget can rule out retrospective effect in advance. Gifts already settled under current rules carry the certainty of the law as it stood at the time of transfer.

Your personal representatives claim it after your death, on the schedule in HMRC form IHT403. The burden of proof sits with your estate, which is why clear records of income, expenditure, and gifts matter so much.

Yes to both. Pension drawdown income can count, and an HMRC technical note published in 2026 confirms the April 2027 pension changes do not affect lifetime gifts. The exemption works separately from the £3,000 annual exemption, so you can use both in the same year.

No. The residence nil-rate band, worth up to £175,000 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, applies only when your home passes to direct descendants on death. It does not shelter lifetime gifts made before you die.

According to HMRC, the person who received the gift is primarily liable for any tax on it, separate from the tax on your estate. If it is unpaid a year after death, your executors become jointly liable, which is why recording gifts and considering cover both matter.

No. Once made, an outright gift belongs to your child, and asking for it back does not undo it for inheritance tax. If they returned the money, that would count as a fresh gift from them to you. The practical route is to protect its tax position and help your child safeguard the money.

Life insurance does not reduce the inheritance tax due on your estate. A whole of life policy written in trust pays out outside the estate. That gives your family cash to settle the bill without selling property inside the six month deadline. Premiums at 70 and above reflect age and health and often cannot be placed for people with poor health.

Setting up a trust in your 70s remains possible, though a gift into most trusts is a chargeable lifetime transfer rather than a straightforward gift. It can attract a 20 percent charge on value above your available nil-rate band, £325,000 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The seven-year clock still runs.

No. The primary purpose is protecting the beneficiary's means-tested benefits and giving trustees structured control over how funds are used. Even modest estates benefit from the structure where a disabled child would otherwise inherit directly and lose access to Universal Credit or local authority care funding.

Yes, either by will or during lifetime, provided the grandchild meets the qualifying test. A lifetime trust lets grandparents contribute directly without routing gifts through the parents, and it can sit alongside any trust the parents already have in place.

No, if it is set up and run correctly. Trust assets do not count as the beneficiary's capital for Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits, because the beneficiary has no right to demand the money. Trustees must apply funds for their benefit rather than paying lump sums into their account.

If your child stops meeting the Schedule 1A conditions, the trust may fall back into the relevant property regime and face the standard discretionary trust charges. The trust deed should include provisions for this scenario. Specialist advice is essential at the drafting stage.

Yes. HMRC treats the disabled beneficiary as owning the trust assets for inheritance tax purposes. On your child's death, the trust fund aggregates with their personal estate. Their nil-rate band (£325,000 as of 2026 to 2027) applies in the normal way. However, in our advice very little is held in that trust thus avoiding that issue.

Yes. Some families set up a disabled person's trust for assets specifically intended for the disabled child and a separate discretionary trust for the wider family. This gives trustees flexibility where they need it while keeping the disabled beneficiary's tax and benefits position protected. We normally advise clients to set up the disabled persons trust as soon as possible but then make that trust one of the beneficiaries of any estate planning discretionary trusts set up for the wider family. This enables the discretionary trustees to drip feed money to the disabled persons trust thus avoiding future reductions in state benefits.

Excluded property trusts hold non-UK assets for non-UK long-term resident individuals, keeping them outside the UK inheritance tax net even if the settlor becomes long-term resident in the future. They're essential planning tools for internationally mobile individuals and can protect foreign assets from UK inheritance tax indefinitely.

Business relief plans and trusts serve different purposes and can be used together. Business relief plans provide inheritance tax relief through qualifying investments but carry investment risk. Trusts provide asset protection and control. The best approach often combines both strategies within comprehensive estate planning.

Discounted gift trusts require you to commit to fixed withdrawals for life, limit access to capital, and may not provide sufficient income flexibility if circumstances change. They also involve complex actuarial calculations and provide limited discount benefits. More flexible trust structures usually better suit most clients' needs.

Free trusts supplied by insurance companies are usually standard templates that may not suit individual circumstances.

They often lack flexibility, are difficult to adapt if family or tax rules change, and do not integrate well with wider estate planning. They are also typically provided without ongoing legal advice, which can limit their effectiveness over time. Bespoke trusts tailored to a family’s situation usually provide greater control and more robust inheritance tax planning.

The spouse exemption under Section 18 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 ends on the date of the final divorce order. Until then, transfers between spouses pass free of inheritance tax without limit, subject to the long-term resident rules introduced in April 2025 where one spouse is not a long-term UK resident.

Lifetime gifts remain legally possible, but the family court can set aside any transfer made to defeat a financial claim under Section 37 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Gifts that go beyond reasonable lifetime planning, particularly those made after proceedings have begun, are likely to be reversed. Specialist advice is essential before any significant transfer.

Separation has no effect on a will. The Wills Act 1837 only treats a spouse as predeceased once the final divorce order is issued. Until that date, your spouse remains a beneficiary, executor where appointed, and entitled to inherit under the existing will. The only route to remove your spouse during separation is to write a new will or formally revoke the existing one.

If you already have a will or existing plans, Bluebond will review them and identify opportunities to improve your position. Many clients find that their existing plans can be significantly improved, or that circumstances have changed since they were created, and we'll work with your existing documents and advisers to enhance your overall strategy.

If someone dies intestate (without a will), their estate is distributed according to intestacy rules which may not reflect their wishes. You can apply for letters of administration to manage the estate, and beneficiaries can use a Deed of Variation within 2 years to redirect inheritances more tax-efficiently or to better reflect the deceased's likely intentions.

A Deed of Variation can be used within 2 years of death to redirect inheritances from a Will or intestacy. This is useful for inheritance tax planning, allowing beneficiaries to redirect gifts to other family members or into trusts to optimize tax efficiency after seeing the full estate position.

The Rysaffe principle helps prevent double inheritance tax when shares are gifted with loan notes attached.

For inheritance tax purposes, it allows the value of outstanding loan notes to be deducted from the share value, so the same value is not taxed twice. This is particularly relevant in Family Investment Company (FIC) planning, where loan note structures are often used.

Placing FIC shares into trust can provide additional asset protection, help with succession planning, and protect against beneficiaries' financial difficulties or divorces. However, it adds a layer of complexity and potential tax charges. The decision depends on your family circumstances and asset protection priorities versus simplicity.

An Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) combined with a FIC can receive dividends tax-free (no dividend tax), provide loans to beneficiaries, offer additional asset protection, and give trustees more flexibility in distributions. This structure is particularly powerful for families wanting to extract value from FICs without immediate tax charges.

FICs provide better inheritance tax planning through share gifting, greater asset protection (limited liability), more flexible profit extraction through dividends, and simpler succession. LLPs have transparent taxation but lack the estate freezing benefits and structural flexibility of FICs for multi-generational wealth transfer.

FICs offer specific advantages for rental portfolios including: freezing estate values while passing growth to children, maintaining control during your lifetime, protecting assets from beneficiaries' divorces, more flexible profit extraction, and succession planning. Normal limited companies lack these bespoke family wealth transfer and protection features.

You can convert an existing company into a family investment company, but it is rarely straightforward. If you have an existing trading company, converting it loses business relief and may trigger tax charges. Restructuring the share capital to introduce alphabet shares and preferences requires shareholder approval and careful tax planning, so it is usually cleaner to establish a new FIC.

Yes, you can have more than one family investment company. Multiple FICs can help separate different asset types, family branches or generations. However, this increases administration costs and complexity, so multiple companies should only be used where there's a clear benefit, such as different investment strategies or family circumstances requiring separation.

Yes, a family investment company can be set up with shares for minors, held either directly with parental consent or in trust. Different tax rules apply depending on who makes the gift: parents face income tax charges on distributions to minor children, while gifts from grandparents or others don't have this restriction.

FICs can hold a wide range of investments including equities, bonds, funds, commercial property (not residential except in limited circumstances), and cash. However, they're not suitable for holding residential property for family use or assets qualifying for business relief, which have better planning alternatives.

Yes, a family investment company can hold an investment portfolio including stocks, bonds and funds. The company structure allows you to retain control through voting shares while gifting growth shares to the next generation, making it particularly effective for protecting and growing substantial investment portfolios with inheritance tax efficiency.

The simplest first step is a free initial conversation with a Bluebond specialist, or download the free International Tax Guide below. We review your residence history, overseas asset position, IHT exposure, and income tax situation. We will identify where exposure exists and which strategies apply. No obligation, no charge for the initial consultation.

Yes, in some circumstances. A Family Investment Company (FIC) can be used to hold and grow wealth in a corporate structure, with future growth accruing outside the founder's estate through the next generation's shareholdings. For internationally mobile families, the FIC must be structured with awareness of both UK and overseas tax rules Particularly the residence and domicile rules that affect whether the FIC itself falls within UK IHT. Professional advice across both jurisdictions is essential.

The Statutory Residence Test (SRT) is the legal framework HMRC uses to determine whether you are UK-resident in a given tax year. It is based on the number of days spent in the UK, the number of UK ties you have (family, work, accommodation, past visits), and whether you meet automatic overseas residence or automatic UK residence conditions. UK residence is assessed year by year, a single year of inadvertent residence can restart the IHT clock.

Yes. A UK will governs UK-situated assets. For overseas assets, a separate will in each relevant jurisdiction is usually advisable. Many countries do not recognise or automatically apply a UK will to local assets. The interaction between your UK will, overseas succession rules, and the IHT treatment of worldwide assets must be reviewed together as part of a coordinated estate plan.

No, not on its own. For UK long-term residents, the location of an asset is irrelevant for UK IHT purposes. Overseas property, foreign bank accounts, and overseas investments are all included in the UK taxable estate if the owner is a UK long-term resident. Moving assets does not remove them from scope. Legitimate planning through trust structures established at the right time, or planning the timing of UK departure is required.

For IHT, former long-term UK residents remain within the UK IHT regime for between 3 and 10 years after leaving, depending on how many years they were UK-resident. For CGT, the temporary non-residence rules apply for 5 years. Gains on assets owned before departure can be taxed on return. The exact period depends on individual circumstances and should be calculated professionally before any departure.

An Excluded Property Trust (EPT) is a trust established by a non-UK domiciled individual before becoming a UK long-term resident. Non-UK assets settled into the trust remain outside the UK IHT estate permanently even after the settlor subsequently becomes a UK long-term resident. The trust must be established before the 10-year threshold is reached. After April 2025, new trusts are subject to tighter rules. Professional advice is essential before any structure is created.

The Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime applies to individuals who become UK-resident after at least 10 consecutive years of non-UK residence. For their first 4 tax years of UK residence, foreign income and gains are not subject to UK income tax or CGT. After 4 years, foreign income and gains are taxed in the UK in the normal way. The FIG regime covers income tax and CGT only, it does not affect IHT exposure.

The UK moved from a domicile-based system to a residence-based system for Inheritance Tax. Previously, IHT exposure on overseas assets was governed by domicile, a long-term legal concept based on where you considered your permanent home. From 6 April 2025, the key test is long-term UK residence: 10 or more years of UK residence in the previous 20 years brings worldwide assets into scope. Domicile may still be relevant in transitional cases.

Yes, if you are a UK long-term resident. Since April 2025, UK Inheritance Tax is no longer based on domicile — it is based on long-term residence. If you have been UK-resident for at least 10 of the previous 20 tax years, your entire worldwide estate including overseas property, bank accounts, and investments is subject to UK IHT at 40% above available allowances.

Under rules announced at Autumn Budget 2024, unused pension pots come into the estate for inheritance tax from 6 April 2027. For families with substantial defined contribution pensions, this change alone will push many estates over the £2 million threshold and into the taper zone for the first time.

The RNRB is generally not available where the home passes into a discretionary trust, because the beneficiaries are not treated as closely inheriting. An appointment to a direct descendant within two years of death under Section 144 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 can preserve the relief.

Yes. Outright gifts made more than seven years before death fall out of the estate entirely. Failed PETs, where the donor dies within seven years, remain chargeable for inheritance tax but are not counted in the net estate for the £2 million taper test. That makes a late-life gift one of the few levers that can preserve the RNRB on a borderline estate.

No reliable route does this through a corporate member. HMRC challenges hybrid LLP arrangements that allocate profit to a company to bypass the finance cost restriction, under Spotlight 63 and 63A. A genuine all-individual family LLP does not remove the restriction; it changes who is taxed on the profit.

Form 17 lets married couples be taxed on their actual, unequal shares of jointly held property rather than 50:50. It reflects real ownership only, so you cannot pick any ratio. An LLP shares profit by agreement instead, but adds its own SDLT, CGT and anti-avoidance points.

No. Joint ownership is not a partnership. HMRC taxes a married couple 50:50 on jointly held property under the Income Tax Act 2007, Section 836, unless Form 17 reflects genuine unequal ownership. A partnership exists only where a real business is run together with a view to profit, with accounts and an agreement.

Selling converts the property into cash, which remains part of your estate and stays taxable, while potentially creating a Capital Gains Tax bill too.

Joint ownership splits the property's value between owners, which can help each use their own nil-rate band, but it does not exempt the property from tax altogether.

Yes. A single property is valued and taxed the same way as a larger portfolio. What matters is your total estate value against the £325,000 nil-rate band, not the number of properties you hold.

Giving your home to your children while continuing to live there rent free does not remove it from your estate. HMRC treats it as a gift with reservation of benefit, so the full value still counts on death. Paying a full market rent, reviewed regularly, can avoid that treatment, though the rent becomes taxable income for your children. This strategy rarely works when all taxes are taken into account.

No. HMRC has confirmed that death-in-service benefits paid from registered pension schemes (including NHS, civil service and most workplace schemes) remain outside the inheritance tax estate from 6 April 2027. The change applies to unused pension funds, not death-in-service lump sums.

Yes. The spousal exemption under Section 18 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 continues to apply to pensions passing to a spouse or civil partner. The exemption applies to spouses and civil partners only, not unmarried partners.

Yes, but the tax advantage narrows. Unused defined contribution pension funds enter your estate for inheritance tax from 6 April 2027 under Finance Act 2026. The spouse exemption still applies. For non-spouse beneficiaries, the combination of IHT and income tax on inherited drawdown could exceed 50% above age 75.

For a married couple worried about inheritance tax exposure, a joint life annuity offers a clear benefit. The continuation income paid to the surviving spouse falls outside the inheritance tax estate under HMRC's published position. A single life annuity pays a higher starting income but stops on first death, leaving the surviving partner reliant on other pension assets now inside the IHT estate from April 2027.

Annuity income you spend during your lifetime is never in your estate because it has been consumed. From 6 April 2027, payments under a guarantee period and value protection lump sums are inside the inheritance tax estate unless paid to a spouse, civil partner, or charity. Joint life annuity income paid to a surviving spouse remains outside inheritance tax.

Neither is better in the abstract. Drawdown keeps your fund invested and flexible but leaves it inside your estate from 2027. An annuity removes the capital from your estate but ends your access to it.

Income paid to a survivor under a joint-life annuity sits outside your estate for inheritance tax, even where the survivor is not your spouse. If you die after age 75, that income is taxable at the survivor's marginal rate of income tax.

Yes, you can nominate a trust to receive your pension death benefits. This provides additional control and protection, especially useful for blended families or when beneficiaries need asset protection. The pension scheme trustees must agree to pay the benefits to the trust.

This depends on your inheritance tax planning objectives. Since pensions are generally IHT-free, it may be beneficial to use other assets first and preserve pension wealth to pass to beneficiaries. However, this must be balanced against income needs, tax efficiency, and recent legislative changes.

Generally, pensions are outside your estate for inheritance tax purposes if death benefits are paid at the trustees' discretion. However, from 6 April 2027, unused pension funds will be included in the estate for inheritance tax purposes, subject to available allowances. The treatment depends on the type of pension and when death occurs.

UK inheritance tax is charged on the full value of worldwide assets for UK domiciled individuals. However, double taxation relief may be available if foreign tax is paid on the same assets. The calculation can be complex and requires specialist advice for international estates.

The 7-year rule applies to potentially exempt transfers (PETs). If you make a gift and survive for 7 years, it becomes completely exempt from inheritance tax. If you die within 7 years, the gift may be subject to inheritance tax, with taper relief reducing the rate if you survive between 3-7 years.

Inheritance tax is typically paid within 6 months of the end of the month in which death occurs. If not paid by this deadline, HMRC charges interest. The tax can be paid in installments over 10 years for certain assets like property and business assets, but interest is still charged.

Unlike traditional firms that specialise in just one area, we coordinate legal, tax, and financial planning expertise across our in-house team, employed solicitors and independent regulated partners. This coordinated approach means you receive cohesive, strategic guidance rather than fragmented advice from multiple firms. Plus, our transparent fixed-fee model provides cost certainty that traditional hourly billing cannot match.

Yes, Bluebond provides ongoing support after your plan is implemented, including annual reviews, updates for changes in tax law or your circumstances, and continued support for your trustees or executors. Our relationship doesn't end with plan delivery, we're here to support your legacy for the long term.

We combine specialist expertise across law, tax, and financial planning with transparent fixed fees and a long-standing experience. 19 out of 20 clients pay zero inheritance tax. Our unified approach means you receive cohesive advice without coordinating multiple firms, backed by our 100% money-back guarantee and commitment to exceptional client service.

Working with Bluebond means receiving coordinated inheritance tax advice that brings legal, tax, and financial planning together in one place.

Rather than managing multiple advisers, clients receive a single, joined-up strategy with clear fixed fees. This helps ensure advice is consistent, practical, and focused on solving inheritance tax issues in a structured way.

Our £497 initial planning fee reflects our efficient processes and technology, not the quality of advice. We believe comprehensive inheritance tax planning should be accessible to all families who need it. We make our profit from implementation fees for those who choose to proceed, keeping initial planning affordable while maintaining exceptional standards.

Bluebond’s 100% money back guarantee means the initial planning fee is refundable if you are not satisfied with the inheritance plan provided.

The guarantee applies to the initial planning stage only and is designed to give clients confidence when engaging with us, without committing to further work if the plan does not meet expectations.

Bluebond Tax Planning provides the recommendations and guidance contained in your plan. If you choose to implement any recommendation, the relevant work is undertaken separately by the appropriate Bluebond group company or an independent specialist.

We’re responsible for analysing your estate and producing your inheritance tax planning recommendations. Where legal documents, trusts or other implementation work are required, these are undertaken separately by the appropriate Bluebond group company or independent specialist.

Bluebond works with individuals and families who need structured, strategic inheritance tax planning for estates typically exceeding £2 million, particularly high-net-worth families, business owners, professionals, and property investors with more complex planning requirements. We focus on comprehensive inheritance tax planning rather than standalone or transactional services, using a unified approach that brings legal, tax, and financial expertise together.

We serve clients throughout the UK through our flexible remote consultation services, as well as in-person meetings at our offices. Our technology platform and expertise allow us to provide the same high-quality service regardless of your location in the UK.

You can grant controlled access to specific family members or professional advisers as needed. You maintain full control over what information is shared and with whom, ensuring appropriate privacy while facilitating family discussions about your legacy.

Yes, our client portal uses bank-level encryption and security protocols to protect your sensitive information. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and access is protected by secure authentication. We take data protection and client confidentiality extremely seriously.

Through our secure portal, you can access your inheritance plan documents, view your estate analysis, track implementation progress, upload documents securely, communicate with your advisory team, and schedule meetings. Everything you need is organised in one central, secure location.

You'll receive secure login credentials after your initial consultation. The portal is accessible 24/7 from any device with an internet connection, allowing you to review your plan, access documents, and track progress at your convenience.

Unlike traditional firms that specialise in just one area, we coordinate legal, tax, and financial planning expertise across our in-house team, employed solicitors and independent regulated partners. This coordinated approach means you receive cohesive, strategic guidance rather than fragmented advice from multiple firms. Plus, our transparent fixed-fee model provides cost certainty that traditional hourly billing cannot match.

Bluebond's solicitors are bound by the confidentiality obligations set out in the SRA Code of Conduct. The firm is bound by UK data protection law and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office. Your information is never shared with a third party without your explicit consent.

Bluebond Tax Planning Ltd brings together SRA-regulated solicitors, chartered tax advisers and accountants in one team. Each professional is regulated by their own professional body. Bluebond as a firm is not FCA regulated, because tax planning, accountancy and legal work are not FCA-regulated activities.