Skip to content 
Estate Increase Calculator
As Inheritance Tax (IHT) is frozen until 05/04/2026 use this estate increase calculator to work out how much your estate will grow in the time that Inheritance Tax allowances are frozen.
- PART 6
Estate Increase Calculator
Use our estate increase calculator, to calculate how much your estate can increase over the next 5 years.
Calculate the value of your estate so that you can correctly tax plan for inheritance tax.
Inheritance is tax paid on what you leave behind to your heirs, and they could pay as much as 40% tax on what they inherit after allowances.
Need help with Inheritance Tax?
Our friendly specialists are here to help you and can offer information and a free, no-obligation quote over the phone.
More About Inheritance Tax (IHT)
The good news is that there are lots of ways to cut down your bill, which we’ve explained in full in our guides to inheritance tax. But this calculator can help you estimate what your estate could increase in the next five years.
Inheritance tax is frozen until 05/04/2026, you can work out what your estate would be at any of the five years leading to that date. you can then use this figure on our Inheritance Tax Calculator to figure how much your estate will pay.
Simply put in your estate valuation as it is today and then use the slider for the percentage of each year to gain your figures.
Use The Estate Increase Calculator
About The Calculator
The calculator is for general guidance only and cannot be relied upon as a fact. It allows you to estimate your future estate value.
What is the inheritance tax threshold for married couples (or civil partner couples)?
The inheritance tax threshold for married couples (or civil partnerships) in the 2020/21 tax year is £325,000. However, this can be increased to £650,000 if one partner dies and leaves everything to the surviving partner. This is because spouses and civil partners inherit from each other tax-free, and they also inherit their partner’s unused inheritance tax allowance.
Does every estate have to pay inheritance tax?
The inheritance tax allowance doesn’t apply between spouses and civil partners who live in the UK. This means that, if the entire estate you’re dealing with has been left to the person’s spouse or civil partner, no inheritance tax will be owed – even if the estate is over £325,000.
Does everyone have the same inheritance tax threshold?
The short answer: no. It’s actually possible for many people to double their inheritance tax allowance to £650,000 and here’s how.
If someone who is married (or in a civil partnership) leaves their entire estate to their spouse, their unused inheritance tax allowance of £325,000 will also pass to their partner. This effectively doubles the surviving spouse’s inheritance tax threshold to £650,000. The same benefit also applies to people in a civil partnership.
This means that, if someone’s spouse or civil partner dies and leaves them their entire estate, the surviving partner’s inheritance tax allowance will effectively be £650,000.
Who pays inheritance tax?
If there is a will, the executor is legally responsible for paying the inheritance tax bill from the estate. If there isn’t a will, this is usually handled by the administrator who in turn is also legally responsible.
Figuring out exactly how much inheritance tax is due can be difficult, so many people choose to use a professional probate specialist when dealing with their loved one’s estate.
Once the amount of inheritance tax owed has been calculated, this can either be paid from funds within the estate, money from the sale of assets, or through the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). This is where inheritance tax is paid directly from the bank or building society of the person who died.
How to avoid paying inheritance tax
You can avoid paying inheritance tax in a number of ways, including:
Leaving everything to a spouse or civil partner: married couples and civil partners can leave assets to one another without incurring inheritance tax.
Leaving property to children: homeowners get an extra £175,000 added to their inheritance tax allowance if they leave property to their children, step-children, or grandchildren, taking their total inheritance tax allowance to £500,000.
Leaving 10% of the estate to charity: if 10% of an estate is left to charity, the inheritance tax rate can be reduced from 40% to 36%, potentially cutting the amount of inheritance tax due by thousands.
If you’re dealing with someone’s estate and want to change their will to make it more tax-efficient, you could get a legal document called a deed of variation.
For more information on making your own will tax-efficient, please take a look at our free guide on how to avoid inheritance tax.
You can create a living trust, this will allow you to remove £325,000 from the estate every 7 years. A couple with a shared property or assets could also create a living trust each raising the amount to £650,00 however if you within the 7 years though it will be included in the estate as a gift. If you are young enough it is worthwhile considering a living trust especially in light of the freezing of the IHT allowances until 2026 as the property will still be going up in value.
When do you need to pay inheritance tax?
Inheritance tax ideally needs to be paid by the end of the sixth month after your loved one’s death. After this point, HMRC will start charging interest. They may also charge late payment penalties, which can be as high as £3,000 if the payment is more than 12 months late. It’s therefore important to apply for probate and gain access to the estate as quickly as possible.
How to fill out the required forms
The main form is called an IHT400, this form is a government form that needs to be completed in England, Wales, and Scotland if the estate is liable for inheritance tax. This is a long, complex document with multiple sections for different types of assets, allowing you and HMRC to work out how much inheritance tax is due. The IHT400 form leads to a possible further 22 forms and which all need cross calculations.
Unless you’re very familiar with tax forms and financial paperwork, IHT400 can be an extremely stressful and time-consuming form to fill out. For this reason, many people choose to use a professional probate specialist instead. contact us now on the details below or start your probate now online. If you would like an instant quote for probate try Probate Full Administration or Grant Only or get an Instant Quote using the buttons below.
Start Probate Online
Answer a few quick questions and we will call you back at a date and time that suits you.
