Top 3 inheritance tax queries from financial advisers
By Robbie Lawther, 8 May 19
IHT is a complex issue for many wealthy clients but Canada Life is asked about these issues the most
Click through the slides below for more information
1. If, following the first death, everything is left to the surviving spouse/civil partner, does the survivor now have a lifetime gift threshold of £650,000?
Answer: No.
Any available transferrable nil rate band (TNRB) can only be used against the IHT arising on the death of the surviving spouse – it cannot be used by the surviving spouse/civil partner for lifetime giving.
Kim Jarvis, Canada Life technical manager, said: “There is also a lot of confusion around transferring the residence nil rate band (RNRB), which was introduced in April 2017.
“The RNRB is transferable between spouses/civil partners on death, much like the standard nil rate band (NRB).
“It is the unused percentage of the RNRB from the estate of the first to die which can be claimed on the second death.
“If the first death occurred before April 2017, on the survivor’s death there will be a 100% RNRB available irrespective of whether the first death owned residential property.
“However, if the first death’s estate was greater than £2m ($2.61m, $2.33m), then the RNRB would be tapered.
“It is also important to remember here that NRBs transfer as percentages not amounts, ensuring the NRB at the time of the second death is increased by the proportion of the NRB unused on the first death,” Jarvis said.
Click through to the next slide to see the other questions that stumped advisers…
Tags: Canada Life | IHT
