Death benefits & inheritance tax

Case studies

• How inheritance might apply to a pensions transfer
• Pension death benefits in trust

Pension death benefits overview

• Beneficiary drawdown
• Consumer Duty and death benefits
• Death benefits: Direction
• Death benefits: Discretion and how to nominate a beneficiary
• Nominee and successor flexi-access drawdown
• Pension Death benefits

Frequently asked questions

Here we look at some of the questions we are asked most often.

• Death benefits
• Autumn Statement 2024 – Inheritance tax proposals frequently asked questions

Inheritance tax overview

In this article we look at the differences between individual savings accounts and pensions when it comes to inheritance tax.

• Inheritance tax - pensions v individual savings account

In her Autumn 2024 Budget statement, Rachel Reeves announced the government’s intention to bring unused pension funds and death benefits within the value of an individual’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027.

• Inheritance tax on pension death benefits from April 2027

We look at the changes announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 around inheritance tax business relief. 

• Inheritance tax business relief

In these case studies we look at inheritance tax on transfers.

• How inheritance tax might apply to a pension transfer (deceased estate taxed in England)

UK Inheritance Tax being based on domicile is changing from 6 April 2025. Instead, whether an individual pays UK inheritance tax (‘IHT’) will be based on residence. This article looks at our understanding of this change.

• Long Term Resident and Inheritance Tax

Gifts made to anyone from your client’s estate are exempt from inheritance tax provided they survive for a period of 7 years from the date the gift is made. Here we explain how this works.

• What is a gift inter vivos policy and when should it be used?

The Finance Act 2013 introduced a change which limits the deductibility of debts in certain circumstances. Here we explain the changes.

• Deductibility of debts for Inheritance Tax

The House of Commons has produced a briefing paper on inheriting both state and private pension rights.

• House of Commons briefing paper - Inheriting pension rights

Calculate any potential inheritance tax liability based on an individual's assets and liabilities using our calculator.

• Inheritance tax calculator

Trusts overview

A spousal bypass trust can be used to stop death benefits falling into the surviving spouse’s estate. Here we explain how this type of trust works.

• What is a spousal bypass trust?