Inheritance Tax • Mid Sussex
Inheritance Tax Advice in Haywards Heath
Practical Inheritance Tax planning for families, business owners and landlords in Haywards Heath and Mid Sussex, so more of what you have built passes to the people you choose.
- Estate review: what IHT could be due today
- Planning: gifts, pensions and business assets
- Property: rental and family homes considered
- Joined up: with your solicitor and adviser
How we help
Know where you stand
We work out the likely Inheritance Tax on your estate today, using the reliefs and allowances available to you.
Plan lifetime gifts
We explain how gifts, regular gifts out of income and the seven-year rule could reduce the tax on your estate.
Business and farm assets
For business owners we review whether Business or Agricultural Property Relief may apply, and how recent changes affect you.
Help after a death
We can help executors with the figures for the Inheritance Tax return and the estate's income tax.
Who we help
Homeowners in Mid Sussex
Families whose home and savings may be worth more than the tax-free allowances.
Business owners
Company directors and partners planning to pass on a business.
Landlords
Property portfolios, where Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax need planning together.
Executors
People dealing with an estate who need help with the tax side.
Working with your other advisers
Inheritance Tax planning often involves wills, trusts and pensions. We work alongside your solicitor and financial adviser, and can introduce you to trusted local professionals if you need them. Our office is at Delta House on Bridge Road in Haywards Heath.
Inheritance Tax key figures (2026/27)
| 2026/27 | |
|---|---|
| Nil rate band | £325,000 (frozen until April 2031) |
| Residence nil rate band | Up to £175,000 when your home passes to children or grandchildren |
| Residence band taper | Reduced by £1 for every £2 the estate is over £2 million |
| Spouse or civil partner | Unused bands can pass to the survivor, so a couple can have up to £1 million |
| Rate | 40% on the estate above the available bands (36% if 10% or more goes to charity) |
| Business and Agricultural Property Relief | 100% relief on the first £2.5 million of qualifying assets from 6 April 2026, 50% relief above that |
| AIM shares | 50% relief from 6 April 2026 |
| Pensions | Most unused pension funds are due to count towards the estate from April 2027 |
Gifts
| Exemption | Limit |
|---|---|
| Annual exemption | £3,000 a year (one unused year can be carried forward) |
| Small gifts | Up to £250 per person per year |
| Wedding gifts | £5,000 from a parent, £2,500 from a grandparent, £1,000 from anyone else |
| Regular gifts from surplus income | Exempt if they are regular and do not affect your standard of living |
| Other gifts | Exempt after 7 years. Tax on gifts made 3 to 7 years before death is reduced by taper relief |
Inheritance Tax estimator
Estimate the Inheritance Tax on an estate
Inheritance Tax FAQs
- Will my estate have to pay Inheritance Tax?
- It depends on the value of everything you own, any gifts made in the last seven years, and which allowances and reliefs apply. We can give you an estimate based on your own figures.
- Can I reduce Inheritance Tax by giving money away?
- Often yes. Some gifts are exempt straight away, and others fall out of your estate if you live for seven years after making them. We explain which options suit you.
- Have the rules changed recently?
- Yes. The government has announced changes affecting business and agricultural reliefs and how pensions are treated. We review how they affect you.
- Do you write wills or set up trusts?
- No. We handle the tax planning and work with your solicitor, who prepares the legal documents.
Plan ahead for Inheritance Tax
Book a free consultation with our Haywards Heath team.
This page is general information, not personal tax advice. Your position depends on your own circumstances.