# Majority of professional advisors think Inheritance Tax changes will produce more charitable legacies

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/06/16/majority-of-professional-advisors-think-inheritance-tax-changes-will-produce-more-charitable-legacies/
- Published: 2025-06-16T16:54:20+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Research from Remember A Charity reports that, following the announcement of Inheritance
Tax changes in the 2024 Autumn Statement, solicitors, Will-writers and financial
advisers are already seeing a rise in enquiries about estate planning and leaving
a bequest to charity.**

The research is part of annual benchmarking study carried out by Savanta for the
consortium of UK charities working to grow the legacy giving market.

The research found that:

## Advertisement

 [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/)

 * **6 in 10** professional advisers think Inheritance Tax changes will prompt growth
   in charitable legacies
 * **92%** of professional advisers believe that estate and tax planning will become
   even more important following the Inheritance Tax (IHT) changes announced in 
   the 2024 Autumn Statement;
 * **60%** say they are already receiving more requests for advice;
 * **62%** think more people will consider leaving a gift to charity.

## Inheritance Tax changes

In the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced that Inheritance Tax (IHT) thresholds
would remain frozen until 2030, and that, from April 2027, pension wealth would 
no longer be exempt from IHT. It is estimated that the proportion of estates facing
an IHT bill will almost double by 2030.

This increases the scope for estates to benefit from charitable gift exemptions 
and the reduced rate of IHT (36%), which applies to estates where 10% or more of
net value is donated to charity.

Only 15% of the professional advisers surveyed think there will be no discernible
impact from the changes.

Tanya Watson, Chartered Tax Adviser and Senior Director at Alvarez & Marsal Tax 
LLP, said:

> “The changes to IHT are prompting a fundamental reassessment of estate planning
> strategies, particularly among clients who may not have previously been impacted.
> What we’re seeing is a growing need for tailored advice that balances financial
> objectives with personal values. Charitable giving can be a highly effective planning
> tool, and these changes provide a timely reason for advisers to revisit legacy
> plans with clients who may not have considered this route before.”

## Advisers’ role in growing legacy giving

Professional advisers play a valuable role in generating charitable gifts in Wills,
and Remember A Charity has worked with advisers over many years to support this 
role.

In 2023 72% of solicitors and Will-writers said they always or sometimes proactively
raise the charitable option with clients, and in 2024 that had risen to 77%.

An average of 21% of Wills written through a solicitor or Will-writer now including
a donation. This rises to 24% amongst those who always reference charitable legacies
with clients and falls to 14% of those who never do.

Tax incentives are the most prevalent reason advisers give for raising the topic
of legacy giving with clients. 92% of solicitors and Will-writers and 86% of financial
advisers in the study say they always or sometimes advise their Will-writing clients
of the charitable tax incentives.

Lucinda Frostick, Director, said:

> “Professional advisers can have a profound impact on clients’ decision-making.
> While talking philanthropy isn’t always their comfort zone, fiscal incentives 
> are – forming a natural starting point for approaching charitable giving. Even
> though the reasons for giving extend far beyond tax incentives, these IHT changes
> make the legacy conversation more relevant to a wider group. They present an ideal
> opportunity for advisers to raise the topic, building understanding of legacy 
> giving and inspiring more clients to support the causes they care about.”

Eleanor Evans TEP, Partner, Trusts and Estates Administration at Hugh James, says:

> “We’re already seeing an increase in clients seeking early advice on estate planning.
> Many people choose to leave legacies to benefit a cause they care about, and the
> tax breaks for gifts to charity provide an added incentive. As more estates will
> become liable for IHT once the changes take effect, charitable giving is becoming
> an increasingly important part of the estate planning conversation.”

The [2024/25 Remember A Charity annual benchmarking study](https://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/media/seflc0aj/savanta-summary-report-2025-public-june-2025.pdf)
is based on in-depth telephone interviews with 237 solicitors, professional Will-
writers and independent financial advisers across the UK. The research was carried
out between November 2024 and February 2025.