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One in ten will pay inheritance tax by 2018

2 minutes of reading - Written by Roche Legal reading time

Rachel Roche LL.M. TEP is the founder and owner of Roche Legal, an award-winning private client solicitor with over 15 years' experience in Wills, Probate, and estate planning.

Reviewed by: Rachel Roche

Last reviewed: 12 August 2025

Please note that the following content is general information and not legal advice. If you would like legal advice on the matter, please contact the Roche Legal team.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, one in ten will soon be paying inheritance tax (IHT). This means that there will be less in the pot to pass to your loved ones.

Although there was a decline in numbers of people paying IHT after the government’s 2007 introduction of the transferable nil rate band*, house prices seem to be on the rise again meaning that more of you will be caught in the inheritance tax trap. Furthermore, the amount that you can leave to your loved ones ‘tax free’ before your estate has to pay IHT has remained the same for years.

It is estimated that by 2018-19, the government will be taking a staggering 8 billion pounds in inheritance tax.

You need to act now to make sure that your assets pass in accordance with your wishes.

*Inheritance Tax Act (‘IHTA’) 1984 ss 8A–8C, inserted by Finance Act 2008 s 10, Sch 4 paras 1, 2.

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