- Making sure that you are using all the tax allowances available to you.
- Reducing your taxable estate either through spending or gifting to family members/friends. If you can afford to give away excess income annually then this approach is a tax-efficient way to pass on money while you’re alive.
- Putting assets into a trust or other structure, which can provide protection for, and control over, those assets.
- Having a valid will in place that is regularly reviewed and updated. As well as avoiding the confusion for your family that can arise when a will is not in place, a will can help to ensure your financial assets are passed on according to your wishes.
- Charitable donations: giving in our wills can be tax-efficient and for most of us it is easier to make bigger gifts in this way. But where we are able to do it, giving while we are alive means that we can see the impact our gifts can make and can also be tax-efficient, for example through the use of gift aid and charitable trusts and other structures.
Making tax less taxing
Navigating the UK tax system is notoriously complex, but the benefits of structuring your finances tax efficiently can be huge. Our specialist tax team can work in partnership with your other professional advisers to recommend ways to structure your assets to protect your wealth for many years to come.
What to consider
Completing your self-assessment tax return
- You will be given a dedicated tax adviser who will look after your day-to-day tax affairs, prepare your annual tax return, and be available to discuss your tax affairs throughout the year.
- Each spring you will receive a handy checklist listing out the previous year's income sources to help you collate the tax return information you should send to us.
- To save time, and if authorised by you, we can obtain information on your behalf directly from third parties.
- We will prepare your tax return with detailed supporting schedules and an accompanying tax calculation. If you are self-employed or have rental income, we can prepare separate income and expenditure accounts if required.
- We will send your tax return to you in your preferred format and, once approved, we will file it online with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
- We will clearly set out your forthcoming tax liabilities and due dates. We will remind you of these in good time before they are due and will provide instructions to facilitate payment.
- Working closely with your wealth adviser we will advise you of simple steps you may take to reduce your tax burden throughout the year.
- For added convenience, if you have funds under management with us, we will settle your tax liabilities from these on your behalf (if that is your preference).
- Where you already have an accountant or tax adviser, we will facilitate the smooth transition of your tax affairs to us by contacting them directly for professional clearance. We will also notify HMRC that we act as your new tax adviser on your behalf.
What tax advice do we provide?
We may provide tax planning services, tailored to a customer's individual circumstances, for the purpose of mitigating their UK tax exposure using effective and reliable methods, acceptable to HMRC, in a non-aggressive manner.
We provide advice about UK direct personal taxes only (income tax, national insurance, capital gains tax and inheritance tax).
We do not:
- provide tax advice associated with UK indirect taxes (such as VAT, customs
- duties, stamp duty land tax or stamp duty reserve tax)
- provide UK corporation tax advice
- provide tax advice relating to any overseas tax jurisdictions
- design, promote, or condone structures or arrangements which exploit tax legislation artificially to obtain a tax advantage
- offer ‘tax only’ customer relationships
