Estate Planning
Independent estate and inheritance tax planning
Most people want what they've built up to pass to the people they care about. We help you plan so your wealth is passed on as you intend, with as little inheritance tax as possible.
We're an independent financial planning firm led by a Chartered Financial Planner. Estate planning works best as part of your wider plan, alongside your pensions, investments and the income you need for the rest of your life.
Your first meeting is free and there's no obligation to go further.
Planning for the next generation
Inheritance tax
Working out whether your estate is likely to face a bill, and how big it could be.
Gifts and exemptions
Making the most of the allowances for gifts, including regular gifts from surplus income.
Trusts
Using trusts to pass on money in a controlled way while reducing inheritance tax.
Pensions and your estate
Planning for the change from April 2027, when most unused pension funds will count towards your estate.
Life cover in trust
Arranging cover to provide money for any inheritance tax bill.
Working with your solicitor
Making sure your financial plan and your Will work together.
Three simple steps
Free first meeting
We talk about your family, your assets and what you'd like to happen to them.
Your plan
We work out your likely inheritance tax position and recommend the steps that suit you, set out clearly in writing.
Put it in place and review
We arrange the recommended plans and review them as the rules and your circumstances change.
How inheritance tax works
Inheritance tax is charged at 40% on the value of an estate above the available allowances. Everyone has a nil-rate band of £325,000. There's also a residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 if you leave your home to your children or grandchildren, although this is gradually withdrawn for estates worth more than £2 million.
Anything you leave to a spouse or civil partner is usually free of inheritance tax, and any allowances you don't use can pass to them. That means a married couple or civil partners can together pass on up to £1 million before any tax is due.
These allowances are frozen until April 2031. As house prices and investments grow, more estates are being drawn into inheritance tax: HMRC collected £8.2 billion in the 2024/25 tax year.
Pensions from April 2027: at the moment, most pensions sit outside your estate for inheritance tax. From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included. Pensions left to a spouse or civil partner will still be exempt. For many people, this changes how and when it makes sense to use their pension.
Ways to reduce inheritance tax
- Gifts. You can give away £3,000 a year free of inheritance tax, plus small gifts of up to £250 per person. Larger gifts usually fall outside your estate if you live for seven years after making them.
- Gifts from surplus income. Regular gifts made from income you don't need, without affecting your standard of living, can be free of inheritance tax straight away.
- Trusts. A trust lets you pass money on while keeping some control over how and when it's used.
- Life cover in trust. A whole of life policy written in trust can provide money to pay the tax, rather than reducing it.
- Pensions. How you draw your pension, and who you nominate to receive it, matters more than ever once the April 2027 changes apply.
Wills and powers of attorney
Everyone should have an up-to-date Will and power of attorney. These are drawn up by a solicitor, and we make sure your financial plans and your Will work together.
Common questions
Will my estate have to pay inheritance tax?
It depends on the value of everything you own, including your home, savings, investments and, from April 2027, most pensions, as well as who you leave it to. We'll work out your likely position at your first meeting.
Can I just give my money away?
You can, but gifts need careful planning. Larger gifts usually only fall outside your estate if you survive seven years, and you need to be sure you're keeping enough for your own needs. We'll help you work out what you can afford to give.
What is changing with pensions and inheritance tax?
From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included in your estate for inheritance tax. Pensions left to a spouse or civil partner will still be exempt.
Do you write Wills?
No. Wills and powers of attorney should be drawn up by a solicitor. We make sure your financial planning and your Will work together.
What is your initial fee?
Our initial advice charge is a percentage of the amount invested or transferred, and it reduces as the amount increases. For advice on £250,000 of pensions or investments our initial fee would be 1.65%, falling to 1.2% on £500,000 and 0.97% on £1 million. We'll always confirm your fee in writing before any work starts, and your first meeting is free.
Do I have to meet in person?
No. Meetings are by appointment, either in person at one of our meeting locations in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Livingston or Stirling, at your home, or by video call.
Related services
Life Cover
Protection that keeps your family secure, including cover for inheritance tax.
Find out more →Access My Pension
Turning your pension into an income that lasts, as tax-efficiently as possible.
Find out more →Savings & Investments
Investing savings or a lump sum with a clear plan built around your goals.
Find out more →Talk to us about planning your estate
Free first meeting, no obligation. Call 0330 223 1653 or book online.
The value of investments and pensions, and any income from them, can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Will writing, taxation and trust advice, or inheritance tax planning where there is no investment element.
