How to Avoid Inheritance Tax

In terms of content I have found it invaluable. In fact it contains far more information than any of the IHT range of booklets that you can download from the Inland Revenue Inheritance Tax pages - which are free of course but they don't also tell you how to try and avoid / minimise the tax as well. Where I had found the Inland Revenue guidance on IHT calculations confusing, or at least a little unclear (on the use of certain types of Trusts for example), I have been able to refer to this book for the answer. I had telephoned the Inland Revenue advice line before getting the book and had been told contradicting information by two different telephone advisors – when I referred to the book it already had a definitive answer. After reading the book I also saw a solicitor and actually picked her up on a couple of minor errors she made in her advice as a result of the excellent understanding of the methods and issues which I had gained from this guide.

The book acts as a signpost telling you the ways you can avoid / minimise the tax but it isn’t then a step-by-step instruction book of how to undertake the most complicated methods yourself. I believe that as a result of this the book is relatively easy to read. I think if you need to undertake the most complicated methods of avoiding the IHT then a solution where you could follow a set of instructions wouldn’t work for you anyway and a professional needs to be brought in to ensure the legal side is watertight.

It may seem quite expensive at £25 (or £20 if you go for the e-Book) but it certainly covers all the methods of avoiding IHT and explains them well. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it and the advice in the book was so good I have since bought four more TaxCafe.co.uk guides on different subjects!


A complete beginners guide.   August 2, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

A clear, simple explanation of a very complex subject. Worked examples add to the clarity. Gives the status of the law in early 2005. In some areas, e.g. trusts, you may feel the need to get further explanation but this book gives sufficient detail for most people.

Gave me enough knowledge to be able to talk, and argue, with the IFA and put forward a proposal that suited my family.


One of the best   July 9, 2007
Robin Wilkie (London)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I have bought several tax guides and never used them because they were not helpful, however this book was fantastic. I have been reading up on inheritance tax and have never learned so much than I have from reading this guide. Great stuff!


A great source of IHT information   August 25, 2006
Chris Gibson (UK)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I would have to say this is probably the best book on inheritance tax I have read. The clear examples used made it very easy for me to understand exactly what was going on with my current IHT situation and I have no doubt that many of the tips will help me reduce my final bill quite significantly. There's a lot of very good info on trusts and how they can be used to cut inheritance tax.