Aidan Grant: Probate fees - will deathbed planning come back to life?

Ways to mitigate April’s increases

clock • 5 min read

The prospect of Brexit has not impeded the government's plans for a hike in probate fees and so, writes Aidan Grant, advisers need to consider how clients could be affected and where savings might be made

In recent months, despite the parliamentary timetable being filled with Brexit discussions, the government has persevered with the introduction of a sharp hike in the probate fees on larger estates, which is due to take effect from April 2019. Putting to one side discussions about whether the increase should be considered a 'tax' or a 'fee' - that is an argument perhaps best left for the politicians - it is important for advisers to consider the ways in which this increase will affect their clients and where the opportunities may lie for savings. As things stand, probate applications ...

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