This week Mark Fryer from Fryer Glass tagged me in a post on LinkedIn, he is an Independent Financial Adviser based in Berkshire, and he was discussing exactly why you should have a reputable surveyor provide you with a valuation of your property for inheritance tax purposes. We would suggest don’t wait until you are at probate, with the impending changes to IHT that are coming in 2027, and your pension will then be included in the value of the estate, find out now what that will mean for your beneficiaries and talk to your financial adviser.

We all work so hard during our lifetimes to provide financial security to our children and grandchildren, to not start to create efficient tax plans now, doesn’t make sense. Using a RICS regulated firm ensure the valuation meets the highest standard expected of a valuer.  If you undervalue the property to reduce IHT you could be potentially be creating a problem when the property is then sold by your descendants and they then have to bear the tax burden of Capital Gains Tax.

The Red Book Global Standards were recently updated and are considered to be the most rigorous valuation standards globally which are often used in situations requiring high levels of reliability like legal disputes, tax calculations or complex property transactions.

Inheritance Tax planning is often a discussion that can exacerbate challenging family situations, but having a regulated guiding hand on the property valuations can support these discussions and help the independent financial adviser to make recommendations based on facts and provide that much needed set of records. In all of these circumstances, being supported by power team of professional advisors around you and your family will make that discussion easier to navigate.

If you would like to get a quotation for a valuation then please get in touch.