Understanding the Nil Rate Band for Inheritance Tax Planning

When it comes to inheritance tax planning, understanding the nil rate band is absolutely essential — and yet most people don’t realise how dramatically it has been eroded by inflation. The nil rate band is the amount of your estate that can be passed on to beneficiaries free from inheritance tax. Currently, this amount is £325,000, and it has been frozen at this level since 6 April 2009. The government has confirmed it will remain frozen until at least April 2031 — meaning it hasn’t kept pace with rising house prices for over two decades.

We recognise that navigating the complexities of inheritance tax can feel daunting. But here’s the reality: with the average home in England now worth around £290,000, ordinary homeowners — not just the wealthy — are being caught by IHT. By understanding how the nil rate band works and taking proactive steps, you can ensure that more of your assets reach your loved ones rather than HMRC. As Mike Pugh often says, “Plan, don’t panic.”

If you need assistance setting up a trust to protect your estate, we are here to help. You can contact us on 0117 440 1555 or book a free consultation.

Key Takeaways

• The nil rate band is currently £325,000 per person — frozen since 2009 and confirmed frozen until at least April 2031.
• The freeze means that inflation and rising property values are dragging more ordinary families into the IHT net every year.
• Understanding both the nil rate band and the residence nil rate band is crucial for effective inheritance tax planning.
• Proper planning — including the use of lifetime trusts — can help maximise the amount passed on to beneficiaries.
• Seeking specialist professional guidance is essential — as Mike puts it, “The law — like medicine — is broad. You wouldn’t want your GP doing surgery.”

What is the Nil Rate Band?

The Nil Rate Band (NRB) is a cornerstone of UK inheritance tax planning. It represents the amount of a person’s estate that can pass to beneficiaries completely free of inheritance tax. Everything within this band is taxed at 0% — hence the name “nil rate.” Everything above it (after applying any other reliefs or exemptions) is taxed at 40%.

Definition of the Nil Rate Band

The Nil Rate Band is the threshold below which no inheritance tax is charged on your estate. It is currently set at £325,000 per person and has been frozen at this amount since 6 April 2009. As per the latest government updates, this freeze is now confirmed to extend until at least April 2031. That means the NRB will have been static for over 22 years — while UK house prices have risen significantly over the same period. This is the single biggest reason why ordinary homeowners are now caught by inheritance tax.

Historical Context

The NRB has been a feature of the UK’s inheritance tax system since IHT replaced Capital Transfer Tax in 1986. Over the years, it was periodically increased to reflect inflation — rising from £71,000 in 1986-87 to £312,000 by 2008-09, and then to £325,000 from 6 April 2009. However, since that date, it has not moved at all. To put this in perspective, if the NRB had kept pace with inflation since 2009, it would be well over £450,000 today. The prolonged freeze is effectively a stealth tax increase, pulling more estates above the threshold with each passing year as property values and savings grow while the band remains static.

Importance in Inheritance Tax Planning

The Nil Rate Band is the foundation of every inheritance tax calculation. It directly determines how much of your estate passes tax-free and how much is exposed to the 40% IHT charge. For example, a single person with an estate worth £500,000 would see £325,000 pass tax-free, with the remaining £175,000 taxed at 40% — resulting in an IHT bill of £70,000. That’s a significant sum that could otherwise go to your family.

Effective inheritance tax planning involves understanding how the NRB interacts with other reliefs — particularly the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB). By maximising the use of both allowances, individuals can significantly reduce the tax burden on their estate. For married couples and civil partners, there’s an additional advantage: any unused NRB can be transferred to the surviving spouse, potentially doubling the available threshold to £650,000. Combined with the transferable RNRB, a married couple could pass on up to £1,000,000 completely free of IHT — but only if the right conditions are met, which is where proper planning becomes essential.

Current Nil Rate Band Amount in the UK

The current nil rate band in the UK is £325,000 per person — and understanding why this figure matters so much requires looking at how long it has been frozen and what has changed around it.

Annual Adjustments and Changes

In theory, the nil rate band can be adjusted each tax year. In practice, it has been frozen at £325,000 since 6 April 2009 — now confirmed to remain at this level until at least April 2031. That’s a 22-year freeze during which UK house prices have roughly doubled in many parts of the country.

• The NRB has been £325,000 for every tax year since 2009-10 — the longest freeze in the history of UK inheritance tax.
• Had the NRB increased with CPI inflation since 2009, it would currently be well over £450,000.
• Every year the freeze continues, more estates are pulled above the threshold — HMRC collected a record amount of IHT in recent years, largely due to this frozen threshold combined with rising asset values.

Comparison with Previous Years

Looking at the NRB over time reveals just how unprecedented the current freeze is:

As the table shows, the NRB was increasing annually before the 2009 freeze — reflecting normal practice. The decision to freeze it, initially as a temporary measure following the financial crisis, has now become semi-permanent policy. This is why proactive inheritance tax planning is more important than ever. With the average home in England worth around £290,000, a single homeowner with modest savings and a pension can easily exceed the £325,000 threshold. Trusts are not just for the rich — they’re for the smart.

How the Nil Rate Band Works

Effective estate planning relies heavily on understanding exactly how the nil rate band operates within the inheritance tax framework. It’s not just a number — it’s the dividing line between what your family keeps and what goes to HMRC.

Basic Structure

The nil rate band works by creating a tax-free threshold for your estate. The first £325,000 of your estate is charged at 0% inheritance tax. Everything above that threshold is charged at 40% (or 36% if you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity).

Let’s look at a concrete example. Suppose you have an estate worth £500,000, and you are a single person with no other reliefs. The first £325,000 passes tax-free under the NRB. The remaining £175,000 is taxed at 40%, producing an IHT bill of £70,000. Your beneficiaries would receive £430,000 — not £500,000. That £70,000 goes straight to HMRC. Understanding how to reduce or eliminate that liability is what inheritance tax planning is all about.

Interaction with the Inheritance Tax Threshold

The nil rate band interacts with other reliefs and exemptions to determine the overall IHT liability of your estate. The most significant of these is the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB), which provides an additional £175,000 per person — but only when a qualifying residential property is left to direct descendants (children, grandchildren, or step-children). It does not apply if you leave your home to siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, or charities.

For married couples and civil partners, there’s a crucial additional benefit: the transferable NRB. If the first spouse to die doesn’t use their full NRB (for example, because they leave everything to the surviving spouse, which is exempt from IHT), the unused proportion can be transferred to the surviving spouse’s estate. This means a surviving spouse can potentially claim a double NRB of £650,000 plus a double RNRB of £350,000 — a combined tax-free allowance of up to £1,000,000.

By understanding how these allowances work together, you can plan your estate to ensure that your loved ones receive the maximum benefit from your legacy, while minimising the amount lost to inheritance tax.

Residence Nil Rate Band Explained

For many UK homeowners, the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) offers a valuable additional allowance that can significantly reduce their inheritance tax liability — but it comes with strict conditions that many people overlook.

Definition and Purpose

The Residence Nil Rate Band was introduced in April 2017 to provide additional IHT relief when a person’s main residence passes to their direct descendants on death. It is currently set at £175,000 per person and, like the main NRB, is frozen until at least April 2031. The RNRB was created specifically to address the fact that rising house prices were pulling more family homes into the IHT net.

Here’s a practical example. If a single homeowner has an estate valued at £500,000 — including a main residence worth £300,000 — and leaves their home to their children, they can claim both the NRB (£325,000) and the RNRB (£175,000), giving a total tax-free allowance of £500,000. In this case, the IHT bill would be £0. Without the RNRB, the same estate would face a £70,000 tax bill. For a married couple leaving their home to their children, the combined allowances can reach £1,000,000 (£650,000 NRB + £350,000 RNRB).

Eligibility Criteria

The RNRB is not automatic — it comes with specific conditions that must be met:

• The property must have been the deceased’s residence at some point (it doesn’t have to be their residence at the date of death).
• The property must be left to direct descendants — children, grandchildren, step-children, adopted children, or foster children. It does not apply to siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, or charities.
• The estate must not exceed the taper threshold of £2,000,000. For estates above this level, the RNRB is reduced by £1 for every £2 over the threshold — meaning it is completely lost for estates worth £2,350,000 or more.

Understanding these eligibility criteria is crucial — many people assume the RNRB will apply to their estate, only to discover they don’t qualify. For example, a childless couple leaving everything to nieces and nephews cannot claim the RNRB at all, meaning their combined tax-free allowance is limited to £650,000 rather than £1,000,000. We strongly recommend seeking specialist advice to confirm your eligibility and plan accordingly.

Combining Nil Rate Band with Residence Nil Rate Band

When planning your estate, understanding how to combine the NRB with the RNRB is one of the most powerful ways to reduce — or even eliminate — your inheritance tax liability. Getting this right can mean the difference between your family paying tens of thousands of pounds to HMRC or paying nothing at all.

How to Maximise Tax Relief

To maximise your combined tax-free allowances, you need to ensure your estate is structured so that both the NRB and RNRB can be fully utilised. Here are the key steps:

• Ensure your home passes to direct descendants. The RNRB only applies if your qualifying residence is inherited by your children, grandchildren, or step-children — either outright or through a qualifying trust (such as an Immediate Post-Death Interest trust created by a will).
• Use the transferable allowances between spouses. When the first spouse dies and leaves everything to the surviving spouse (which is IHT-exempt), the unused NRB and RNRB can both be transferred to the survivor’s estate. This requires a claim by the executors on the second death — it is not automatic.
• Consider lifetime trusts for additional protection. While the RNRB applies on death, a properly structured lifetime trust — such as MP Estate Planning’s Family Home Protection Trust (Plus) — can protect the home from care fees and sideways disinheritance whilst still preserving the RNRB.

For instance, if a married couple has an estate worth £900,000 and they leave their main residence to their children, they can claim combined NRBs of £650,000 plus combined RNRBs of £350,000, giving a total tax-free allowance of £1,000,000. The IHT bill on a £900,000 estate in this scenario would be £0. You can check how much inheritance tax you might pay on a £1 million estate by visiting our detailed guide on inheritance tax on £1 million.

Case Studies

Let’s consider two practical scenarios:

As the table shows, combining both allowances can eliminate IHT entirely for estates up to £500,000 (single) or £1,000,000 (married couple leaving home to children). However, remember: if you don’t have direct descendants, or if your estate exceeds £2,000,000, the RNRB may not be available. In those situations, other planning strategies — such as lifetime trusts, gifting, and charitable legacies — become even more important.

Key Benefits of the Nil Rate Band

Understanding and planning around the nil rate band can save your family tens — or even hundreds — of thousands of pounds in inheritance tax. It is the single most important threshold in UK estate planning, and making proper use of it should be the starting point for every family’s IHT strategy.

Inheritance Tax Savings

The most obvious benefit of the nil rate band is the direct inheritance tax savings it provides. For a single person, the NRB shelters £325,000 from the 40% IHT charge — that’s a saving of up to £130,000 in tax. For a married couple with transferable NRBs, the combined £650,000 allowance can save up to £260,000.

When you add the Residence Nil Rate Band into the picture, the savings become even more significant. A married couple leaving their home to their children can shelter up to £1,000,000 — saving up to £400,000 in IHT compared to having no planning in place at all. These are not abstract figures; for a family with a home worth £290,000 and combined savings, pensions, and life insurance, these thresholds are the difference between keeping the family home and potentially having to sell assets to pay the tax bill.

Estate Planning Advantages

Beyond the direct tax savings, the nil rate band also serves as the foundation for broader estate planning strategies. Understanding how the NRB works allows you to make informed decisions about:

• Gifting strategies: Lifetime gifts to individuals (known as Potentially Exempt Transfers) fall outside your estate if you survive seven years. This can free up more of your NRB for other assets. Remember, gifts that exceed the NRB and are made within seven years of death attract taper relief on the tax rate — 0-3 years: 40%, 3-4 years: 32%, 4-5 years: 24%, 5-6 years: 16%, 6-7 years: 8%.
• Trust planning: Discretionary lifetime trusts can be used alongside the NRB to protect assets from care fees, divorce, and sideways disinheritance — while keeping the IHT position tax-efficient. For most family homes valued below the NRB, a transfer into a discretionary trust incurs zero entry charge.
• Charitable giving: Leaving 10% or more of your net estate to charity reduces the IHT rate from 40% to 36% on the taxable portion — a meaningful saving on larger estates.
• Pension planning: From April 2027, inherited pensions will become liable for IHT, making the NRB even more important as pension funds will form part of the taxable estate.

Not losing the family money provides the greatest peace of mind above all else. By maximising the benefits of the nil rate band as part of a comprehensive plan, you can ensure your estate is managed in a tax-efficient manner and your family is properly protected.

Limitations of the Nil Rate Band

While the Nil Rate Band provides essential IHT relief, it has significant limitations that can catch people out if they don’t understand the detail. Being aware of these limitations is just as important as knowing the benefits.

Potential Pitfalls

The most significant limitation is simply that £325,000 is no longer a large sum in the context of UK property values. With the average home in England worth around £290,000, a homeowner with even modest savings and a life insurance policy can easily exceed the NRB. The prolonged freeze since 2009 has turned what was originally intended as a relief for wealthier estates into a threshold that catches ordinary families.

Another critical pitfall relates to lifetime gifts and the seven-year rule. Gifts to individuals made within seven years of death are brought back into the IHT calculation and use up the NRB first. If a person makes a substantial gift and dies within seven years, that gift may consume their entire NRB — leaving other assets fully exposed to 40% tax. It’s also important to understand that taper relief (which reduces the tax rate on gifts made 3-7 years before death) only applies to gifts that exceed the NRB. Many people mistakenly believe taper relief applies to all gifts or that it reduces the value of the gift itself — it does neither.

Transfers into discretionary trusts during lifetime are treated differently from gifts to individuals. These are Chargeable Lifetime Transfers (CLTs), not Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs). If the value exceeds the available NRB at the time of transfer, there is an immediate 20% lifetime charge on the excess — and if the settlor dies within seven years, the transfer is reassessed at 40% (with credit given for the 20% already paid).

Common Misunderstandings

A very common misunderstanding is that the NRB and RNRB are the same thing or automatically apply together. They are separate allowances with different eligibility criteria. The RNRB only applies if you leave a qualifying residential property to direct descendants — and it tapers away for estates above £2,000,000. People without children or those who leave their home to siblings cannot claim the RNRB at all.

Another misconception is that transferring assets into a trust automatically “uses up” your NRB permanently. In fact, the NRB refreshes every seven years for the purposes of CLTs. A person who transferred assets into a discretionary trust more than seven years ago has their full NRB available again for further planning.

Perhaps the most dangerous misunderstanding is believing that a simple will is sufficient to protect your estate. A will determines who inherits your assets — but it does nothing to protect those assets from IHT, care fees, divorce, or the delays of probate. During probate, all sole-name assets are frozen — bank accounts, property, investments — and the process can take 3-12 months, or longer when property needs to be sold. For real protection, you need to consider lifetime trusts as part of your planning. To avoid these pitfalls, we strongly recommend seeking specialist advice from a professional who focuses specifically on trust and estate planning.

Setting Up a Trust for Tax-Efficient Planning

Establishing a trust can be a highly effective strategy for protecting your estate — not just from inheritance tax, but from care fees, family disputes, divorce, and the delays of probate. England invented trust law over 800 years ago, and trusts remain one of the most powerful legal arrangements available for asset protection. They are not just for the wealthy — they are for the smart.

Trust Types Suitable for Inheritance Tax Planning

In the UK, trusts are primarily classified as either lifetime trusts (created during your lifetime) or will trusts (created by your will on death). Within these, the most commonly used types are:

• Discretionary Trusts: The most common and flexible type, used in the vast majority of family trust planning. Trustees have absolute discretion over how and when to distribute income and capital to beneficiaries. No beneficiary has a legal right to anything — which is precisely why they provide such strong protection against care fee assessments, divorce, and creditor claims. Discretionary trusts can last up to 125 years. They fall under the relevant property regime for IHT, but for most family homes valued below the NRB, the entry charge, periodic 10-year charge, and exit charge are all zero or negligible.
• Interest in Possession Trusts: These give a named beneficiary (the life tenant) the right to income or use of trust property — for example, the right to live in a property for their lifetime. On the life tenant’s death, the capital passes to the remainderman (typically children). These are commonly used in will trusts to prevent sideways disinheritance — ensuring a surviving spouse can remain in the home without the children’s inheritance being at risk if the survivor remarries. Post-March 2006 interest in possession trusts are generally treated as relevant property for IHT purposes, unless they qualify as an Immediate Post-Death Interest (IPDI) or a disabled person’s interest.
• Bare Trusts: The beneficiary has an absolute right to the trust assets and income from age 18 (or 16 in Scotland). The trustee is merely a nominee holding legal title. Bare trusts offer no asset protection — the beneficiary can demand the assets at any time once they reach majority, under the principle established in Saunders v Vautier. They are not IHT-efficient and cannot protect against care fees or divorce.

It’s worth noting that within lifetime trusts, a key feature is whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable. A revocable trust provides no IHT benefit — HMRC treats the assets as still belonging to the settlor (a settlor-interested trust). For genuine asset protection and IHT planning, the trust must be irrevocable. Mike Pugh’s trusts are structured as irrevocable with “standard and overriding powers” — giving trustees defined flexibility without making the trust revocable.

Benefits of Establishing a Trust

A properly structured trust — particularly a discretionary lifetime trust — offers multiple layers of protection:

• Tax-efficient planning: Assets held in a discretionary trust are not part of any individual beneficiary’s estate for IHT purposes. For most family homes below the NRB, the entry charge, periodic 10-year charge (maximum 6% of trust property above the NRB), and exit charge are all zero or negligible.
• Bypassing probate delays: Trust assets do not form part of the probate estate. While sole-name assets are frozen during probate (which can take 3-12 months, or longer with property), trustees can act immediately — providing continuity and financial security for the family.
• Protection from care fees: With average care costs running £1,100-£1,500 per week, and between 40,000 and 70,000 homes sold annually to fund care, a properly established trust created years in advance can provide significant protection — provided it was not set up with the primary purpose of avoiding care fees. MP Estate Planning documents multiple legitimate reasons for the trust, ensuring care fee protection is an ancillary benefit rather than the stated aim.
• Divorce protection: Assets held in a discretionary trust are not owned by any beneficiary and are therefore much harder for an ex-spouse to claim in divorce proceedings. As Mike Pugh puts it: “What house? I don’t own a house.” With the UK divorce rate at around 42%, this is protection worth having.
• Privacy: Unlike a will — which becomes a public document once a Grant of Probate is issued and anyone can obtain a copy — a trust deed is a private document. The Trust Registration Service (TRS) register is not publicly accessible (unlike Companies House).

It’s important to understand that trusts require specialist legal advice to ensure they are properly drafted, correctly registered with the TRS within 90 days of creation, and structured to achieve your specific objectives. When you compare the cost of a trust (typically from £850 for straightforward arrangements) to the potential costs of care fees or a family dispute, it’s one of the most cost-effective forms of protection available — equivalent to just one or two weeks of care home fees, paid once rather than ongoing.

The Role of Executors and Administrators

Executors and administrators play a vital role in ensuring that the nil rate band and other IHT reliefs are properly claimed and utilised. Getting this wrong can cost a family hundreds of thousands of pounds in overpaid tax.

Responsibilities Related to the Nil Rate Band

Executors (appointed by a will) and administrators (appointed when there is no will, under the intestacy rules) have several critical responsibilities:

• Valuing the estate accurately — all assets must be valued at their market value at the date of death, including property, investments, bank accounts, personal possessions, and (from April 2027) pensions.
• Claiming the NRB and RNRB — including claiming any unused NRB or RNRB transferred from a predeceased spouse. This requires completing the appropriate HMRC forms and providing evidence of the first spouse’s estate.
• Identifying all available reliefs and exemptions — including spouse exemption, charity relief (the reduced 36% rate when 10%+ of the net estate passes to charity), Business Property Relief (BPR), Agricultural Property Relief (APR), and normal expenditure out of income.
• Completing and submitting the IHT account to HMRC and paying any IHT due (typically within six months of the end of the month of death — after which interest accrues).
• Obtaining the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) from the Probate Registry, which is required before sole-name assets can be released.

The Residence Nil Rate Band requires particular attention. Executors must confirm that the property qualifies, that it is passing to direct descendants, and that the estate value doesn’t exceed the £2,000,000 taper threshold. If any unused RNRB is being transferred from a predeceased spouse, this must be specifically claimed — HMRC will not apply it automatically.

Importance of Proper Evaluation

Proper evaluation of the estate is essential to maximise the benefits of the nil rate band and avoid both underpayment (which attracts penalties and interest from HMRC) and overpayment (which means your family pays more tax than necessary). For more information on the threshold for inheritance tax in the UK, you can visit our page on inheritance tax threshold.

Executors and administrators should also be aware of the interaction between lifetime gifts and the NRB. Any Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) or Chargeable Lifetime Transfers (CLTs) made within seven years of death must be reported and will affect the available NRB on death. Failing to account for these can result in an incorrect IHT calculation — either underpaying (risking HMRC penalties) or overpaying (losing money unnecessarily). Given the complexity involved, we strongly recommend that executors seek specialist professional support — particularly for estates involving property, trusts, or lifetime gifts.

Future Changes to the Nil Rate Band

Understanding the potential future changes to the nil rate band is essential for forward-looking estate planning. The IHT landscape is evolving, and several confirmed and anticipated changes will affect how families plan their estates in the coming years.

Potential Legislative Developments

Several significant changes are already confirmed or widely anticipated:

• NRB and RNRB freeze extended to at least April 2031: The government has confirmed both the £325,000 NRB and £175,000 RNRB will remain frozen until at least April 2031. With inflation continuing to erode the real value of these thresholds, more estates will be caught by IHT every year.
• Pensions becoming liable for IHT from April 2027: This is a major change. Currently, inherited pensions are generally outside the IHT estate. From April 2027, they will be included — potentially adding tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds to the taxable estate. For many families, this single change will push them above the NRB for the first time.
• BPR and APR reforms from April 2026: Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief will be capped at 100% for the first £1,000,000 of combined qualifying business and agricultural property, with only 50% relief on the excess. This will significantly affect farming families and business owners.
• Potential simplification or restructuring: There has been ongoing discussion about whether the NRB and RNRB should be consolidated into a single, simpler allowance — though no specific proposals have been announced.

Impact on Estate Planning

These changes — particularly the pension IHT charge from 2027 — mean that families who have never previously needed to worry about inheritance tax may find themselves facing a significant liability. The combination of frozen thresholds, rising asset values, and the inclusion of pensions creates a “perfect storm” for ordinary homeowners.

To prepare for these changes, consider the following:

1. Review your estate plan now — don’t wait until the changes take effect. A comprehensive review should assess your total estate value including property, savings, investments, and pension death benefits.
2. Consider lifetime trusts — properly structured trusts can provide protection against IHT, care fees, and family disputes. MP Estate Planning’s Estate Pro AI software can run a 13-point threat analysis to identify the specific risks to your estate.
3. Take advantage of annual exemptions — the £3,000 annual gift exemption (with one year carry-forward), small gifts of £250 per recipient, wedding gifts (£5,000 from a parent, £2,500 from a grandparent, £1,000 from anyone else), and normal expenditure out of income are all ways to reduce your estate over time.
4. Stay informed — tax law can change with each Budget. Regularly reviewing your planning ensures it remains effective.

The key message is this: the cost of planning is a fraction of the cost of not planning. As Mike Pugh says, “Plan, don’t panic” — but do plan, and do it sooner rather than later.

Seeking Professional Advice

When it comes to managing your estate and minimising inheritance tax, specialist professional advice is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. The interaction between the NRB, RNRB, lifetime gifts, trusts, pensions, and the seven-year rule creates a web of complexity that generic advice simply cannot address properly.

Expert Guidance for Complex Decisions

Estate planning involves making decisions that will affect your family for generations. As Mike Pugh puts it, “The law — like medicine — is broad. You wouldn’t want your GP doing surgery.” A general solicitor may be able to draft a will, but the detailed work of structuring trusts, ensuring RNRB eligibility, managing the gift with reservation of benefit rules, and navigating care fee legislation requires a specialist.

Seeking expert guidance ensures that you make informed choices based on the latest UK legislation and HMRC practice — not outdated assumptions or generic templates. Every family’s situation is different, and effective planning must be tailored to your specific assets, family structure, and objectives.

Services Offered by Estate Planning Professionals

At MP Estate Planning, our services are designed to provide comprehensive protection for your estate. These include:

• Personalised estate planning advice using our proprietary Estate Pro AI 13-point threat analysis
• Guidance on maximising the NRB and RNRB and ensuring eligibility is preserved
• Setting up lifetime trusts — including Family Home Protection Trusts (Plus), Gifted Property Trusts, and Settlor Excluded Asset Protection Trusts for investment properties
• Will drafting, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), and advance decisions to refuse treatment (ADRTs)
• Life Insurance Trusts to keep life insurance payouts outside the taxable estate — typically free to set up

By seeking specialist professional advice, you can ensure that your estate plan is comprehensive, tax-efficient, and tailored to your specific needs. Not losing the family money provides the greatest peace of mind above all else — and keeping families wealthy strengthens the country as a whole.

Get in Touch for Your Estate Planning Needs

Effective estate planning is crucial for protecting your assets and ensuring your loved ones are provided for. Understanding the nil rate band, the Residence Nil Rate Band, and how they interact with trusts, lifetime gifts, and the wider IHT framework can make the difference between your family keeping hundreds of thousands of pounds or losing it to HMRC.

Our team at MP Estate Planning is committed to providing personalised guidance and support tailored to your unique situation. Whether you’re looking to maximise your combined NRB and RNRB allowances, set up a lifetime trust to protect your family home, or simply understand what threats your estate faces, we can help.

Schedule a Free Consultation

To discuss your estate planning requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can call us on 0117 440 1555 or book a free consultation online by visiting https://mpestateplanning.uk/book-a-consultation/. Mike Pugh is the first and only estate planning professional in the UK to actively publish all prices on YouTube — so there are no surprises. We look forward to helping you protect your estate and secure your family’s future.

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