Budget 2015: IHT avoidance under scrutiny

In the government's sights is the use - or misuse - of a 'deed of variation' to avoid IHT. The move is part of the government's plans to save £3.1bn by clawing back money lost through tax avoidance, evasion and aggressive tax planning. A deed of variation changes a will after someone's death and enables the beneficiaries of a deceased's estate to alter the distribution of that estate. The Chancellor said the inquiry will draw on a "wide range of views" and report on its findings by the autumn. At last years' Budget, the IHT nil rate band was frozen up to and including 2018 at £3...