Inheritance Tax Guide

From this guide:

Inheritance tax, or IHT, is the tax levied on assets received by gift or inheritance.

Inheritance tax is a one-off tax paid on the value of an estate (i.e. your assets) over £325,000, the current ‘nil-rate band’. The Net estate, after deducting exemptions, reliefs and nil-rate band is taxed at 40% (or 36%, if 10% or more of your net estate is left to charity).

Example: If your individual estate is valued at £950,000, an individual benefactor would pay an inheritance tax bill of £250,000.
£950,000 – the nil-rate band (£325,000) = £625,000.
40% x £625,000 = £250,000.

The tax must be paid within six months of the end of the month in which the benefactor has died. Your estate includes your business*, ownership or shares, and, if you are a UK domicile, assets you own overseas.
Regardless of your domicile or residence, your estate may be liable to UK IHT on your UK assets. Inheritance tax is regarded as a ‘cumulative tax’ as earlier gifts may be taken into account when assessing how much tax is due. The tax is calculated after all of your outstanding debts are paid, including your mortgage.
*Some business assets and shares may qualify for business relief (see page 12 of the guide for more detail).

Download the full guide to read more.