Time to celebrate – how to give without losing out

Lawyers are usually around to deal with problems, but we can also help you celebrate.

What occasions could be happier than the marriage of your son or daughter or the birth of a grandchild? These are moments in your life journey that will be a reason for celebration, but often a time for reflection too.

How can you help? Aside from the obvious babysitting and practical support, we are often asked to suggest ways in which you can structure financial help to minimise your own tax position.

Starting with the basics, a financial gift to the bride and groom can go a long way to helping with the cost of a wedding, and a gift made on the occasion of a marriage is free of inheritance tax, provided it does not exceed £5,000 to a child and £2,500 to a grandchild.

Gifts out of excess income to children struggling to meet childcare costs, mortgage payments and school fees are also free of inheritance tax, provided you can prove it really is income you do not need yourself to maintain your lifestyle, and you keep proper records of your own expenditure.

But what about helping your children to buy a home? Statistics do support the notion that ‘the bank of mum and dad’ is not just a myth, and if you can afford to help them, frankly, why not?

There are lots of ways to do this of course. Some good, some not so good. Protecting a gift to children or even grandchildren to help with a property purchase can be a legal minefield and we can help you navigate the law to reduce risk and taxation, ensuring that your gift provides a happy moment for everyone concerned.