- 1. The Scope of the Book: Estate Planning Introduced
- 1.4.4 The purposive approach
- 1.4.5 Three recent taxpayer successes
- 1.5.7 Transactions in securities
- 1.5.12 The three disclosure regimes
- 1.5.13 Two offshore disclosure regimes: 2007 and 2009
- 1.6.1 ‘Spotlights’ and ‘Signposts’
- 2. Inheritance Tax Mitigation: The Basics
- 3. Making Gifts: Outright or Protected?
- 4. Trusts: Tax-Efficient Management
- 6. The Family Business
- 6.1.3 Capital Gains Tax angles
- 6.3.5 Entrepreneurs’ Relief: Furnished Holiday Lettings
- 6.4.1 Summary principles
- 8. Chattels
- 9. Investments
- 11. Pensions
- 11.2.2 Withdrawing benefits
- 11.2.3 Transitional provisions
- 11.2.4 Unregistered schemes
- 11.3.1 The basic rule
- 11.3.2 Tax relief
- 11.3.3 Scheme input periods
- 11.3.4 Occupational schemes
- 11.4.1 SIPPs and SSASs distinguished
- 11.4.3 Transactions with employers
- 11.5.2 Tax-free cash
- 11.5.5 Death benefits
- 11.5.6 Age 75: ASP or annuity purchase?
- 11.5.7 Maximise or minimise income in retirement?
- 12. Charitable Giving
- 15. Leaving the UK
- 15.2.1 Overview
- 15.2.4 Occasional residence abroad not enough
- 15.2.5 Full-time work abroad
- 15.2.6 Ordinary residence
- 16. Non-UK Domiciliaries Living in the UK
- 17. Offshore Trusts and Companies
- 18. Wills
- 20. Compliance
2 - Inheritance Tax Mitigation: The Basics
Chapter: 2 - Inheritance Tax Mitigation: The Basics
The £250 small gifts exemption
2.2.5
A gift of up to £250 (but no more) to any individual in a tax year is exempt (IHTA 1984 s20). Note that this exemption cannot be used in conjunction with the £3,000 annual exemption (IHTM 14180). So a gift of £3,250 to a particular individual, in circumstances where the previous year’s annual exemption has been used and so cannot be carried forward (but with no other transfers of value in that tax year), will be covered by the annual exemption as to £3,000 and, as to £250, if not by the normal expenditure out of income exemption, as a PET.
TAX TIP: Consider the advantages of occasional or even annual £250 gifts to (say) God-children made during one’s lifetime rather than by Will – and the donor might even get the bonus of a thank you letter.