We used to talk about Inheritance Tax planning as something for the very wealthy. The kind of clients with big portfolios, second homes, that sort of thing. Not anymore.
The combination of frozen tax thresholds, rising asset values, and changes to pension rules means we are now seeing ordinary families of teachers, business owners and people with modest property wealth and pensions, edging into territory where their estates are suddenly liable for tens or even hundreds of thousands in tax.
This isn’t theory. It’s happening already.
What’s Changing and Why It Matters
From April 2027, most unused pension funds will be included in a person’s estate for Inheritance Tax. That’s a major shift. Pensions have quietly become one of the most efficient ways to pass on wealth. Families have been relying on that, without realising the rules were about to change.
Soon, pensions could be taxed at up to forty percent when passed on, depending on the overall value of the estate. The government estimates over 200,000 estates will be hit by this in the first year alone.
At the same time, thresholds are frozen until 2030. The £325,000 nil-rate band has not moved in years. Neither has the residence nil-rate band. But house prices have. So have pension pots. That gap is catching out families who never saw themselves as “wealthy” in the traditional sense.
What Does This Mean for You and Your Clients?
If you are a financial adviser, accountant, or solicitor, chances are you already have clients walking into this trap. Some of them will not know it yet. Others will be hoping it will not affect them.
But without proper planning, more of your clients are going to see their estates lose value to tax. Their children or grandchildren will inherit less. And the personal representatives will have a lot more paperwork, stress, and pressure to deal with.
That is where we come in.
How We Work With You
At Secure Inheritance, we are not just here to write Wills. We’re here to help your clients protect the people they love and make the most of what they have built.
We work closely with professional partners such as IFAs, mortgage brokers, accountants, solicitors, to help families navigate this shifting landscape. You bring the financial strategy or legal expertise. We bring specialist knowledge in estate planning, trusts, Wills, and client education.
Here’s what we focus on:
- Helping clients understand the new IHT impact on their pensions
- Building Wills and trusts that reflect modern family structures and protect wealth
- Making sure property ownership is structured correctly
- Having the difficult conversations your clients might not even know they need to have
This Is Not About Selling Wills
It’s about protecting legacies. It’s about making sure your clients are not blindsided by tax bills five or ten years down the line.
And it is about working together, so the advice you give and the planning we provide all points in the same direction: keeping more of their estate where it belongs…with their family.
If you are advising clients with pensions, property, or rising asset values, now is the time to start this conversation. We are here to help.
