IHT and Your Family
The allowances, the traps, the pension changes coming in April 2027, and the decisions you can make now that materially change what your family keeps.
Written for readers who have realised that "my estate might be liable" is a question deserving a proper answer, rather than a generic online calculator. The guide covers the structural decisions that shape exposure, not just the numbers.
What's inside
Inheritance tax is a subject where most of the writing available to consumers is either frightening or superficial. This guide is neither. It walks you through the allowances, the structural traps, and the planning levers that genuinely move the number.
01
The nil-rate band, the residence nil-rate band, transferable allowances between spouses, and why "40% of everything" is almost never the right answer.
02
Qualifying conditions, the tapered withdrawal for larger estates, the "closely inherited" requirement, and where the common structural mistakes arise.
03
The end of the IHT exemption for unspent pensions, what it means for families of different shapes, and the decisions you can review now.
04
The seven-year rule, taper relief, the annual exemption, gifts out of surplus income, and why timing matters more than amount.
05
What qualifies, the 2026 changes and their practical effect, the risks in AIM portfolios, and how BPR interacts with your Will.
06
Qualifying land and buildings, the two-year and seven-year rules, and the planning considerations where APR and BPR overlap.
07
The choice between outright gifts, life interest trusts, and discretionary trusts, and how each affects the tax position on first and second death.
08
Whole-of-life policies written in trust, term cover, and where insurance sensibly fits versus where it just transfers the cost.
09
A structured worksheet for estimating your current exposure, identifying the levers available to you, and understanding the order to address them.
10
The signals that suggest a conversation with a specialist would add real value, and how to prepare for that conversation efficiently.
Who wrote it
If you want professional help
The guide is everything you need before you decide whether to instruct a solicitor. It will help most readers either sort things out themselves through a clear execution route, or arrive at any advisory conversation already knowing what they want from it. If, after reading, you decide to engage professional help, these are the routes through Arvéla's chosen legal service provider. Prices are agreed up front.
An Arvéla service. All prices exclude VAT and court fees. Regulated legal work delivered by Arvéla's chosen legal service provider. See Your Legal Services for provider details.
Individual Wills and LPAs are priced at £350 + VAT each. Prices exclude VAT and court fees. The regulated legal work is delivered by Arvéla's chosen legal service provider under their own engagement terms, provided at the point of instruction. See Your Legal Services for provider details.
If you have read what you need and would like to engage, the configurator works out the price and sends your instruction. Fixed fees, no hidden costs.
Also available
IHT and Your Family is one of four titles in the Arvéla planning library. If you have not yet read the Essential Guide, it covers the structural ground that this guide assumes (Wills, LPAs, property ownership). Buying the library together saves against buying the titles one at a time.
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All four titles: Essential Guide, IHT and Your Family, Blended Families, and Business Owners. Reduces the cost of the set by 10.5% against buying individually.
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An AI assistant trained on the guides you own, a scenario modeller for IHT and asset migration, an asset register, an IHT indicator, and a gift tracker. More than a template.