Inheritance tax is one of the most discussed and least well understood areas of personal finance in the UK. The rules are detailed, the planning options are numerous, and the legislation changes regularly. For families trying to protect what they have built, and for the advisers helping them do so, having a clear and reliable reference point matters.
Inheritance Tax Simplified, co-authored by Ray L. Best and Tony Granger, was written to provide exactly that — a practical, accessible and annually updated guide to inheritance tax and estate planning that is equally useful to private individuals and the professional advisers working alongside them.
Why Standard Planning Fails
Most estate plans are created once and revisited rarely. They reflect the rules in place when drafted, not the rules that apply when needed. For many families, that gap has widened significantly recently, and the proposed changes taking effect from April 2027 have widened it further.
A plan built around outdated assumptions is not a plan. It is a liability waiting to be discovered.
The April 2027 Threat
The government's announcement that most unused defined contribution pension funds will be brought within the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027 changes the planning landscape materially. Pension funds that previously sat outside the taxable estate — often representing the largest single asset in an estate — will potentially face a 40% charge on amounts above the available nil-rate bands.
For families who have not reviewed their arrangements in light of this change, the exposure may be considerable, and time to act is limited.
Static vs Dynamic Planning
A static plan assumes the rules stay the same. A dynamic plan is built to adapt as legislation, asset values and family circumstances evolve.
Inheritance Tax Simplified reflects this distinction. Its annual update cycle ensures the guidance it contains remains current — not a snapshot of how the tax worked a decade ago, but a reliable reference for how it works now and where it is heading.
Tailored Protection
No two estates are the same. The right combination of reliefs, trust structures, gifting strategies and life assurance depends entirely on the composition of the estate, the family's circumstances and their objectives.
Inheritance Tax Simplified provides the framework to understand the options available — so that the planning decisions made are genuinely appropriate to the situation, rather than drawn from a generic template that fits no one particularly well.
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Meet the Author
Ray L. Best is the founder and senior adviser at Wills, Tax & Trusts Ltd. With over 15 years in practice and more than 1,000 complex estates counselled, Ray specialises in high-net-worth estate planning, trust structuring, and strategic IHT navigation. His narrative-driven books are designed to strip away dense legal jargon, giving families and professional advisers the clarity they need to protect their legacy before the technical planning even begins.
Speak With Our Team
If you have read the book and would like to discuss what it means for your own estate planning, or if you are a professional adviser who would like to explore how we work with advisers and their clients, the team at Wills, Tax & Trusts Ltd is here to help.
If you would like a copy or would like to discuss how the book might be used in your practice, please get in touch with our team directly.