Tax, Trusts and Probate

DMH Stallard has a team of experts dealing with Wills, Tax, Trusts and Probate. These experts will examine your circumstances with sensitivity and offer practical and helpful advice in order to achieve your objectives.

Our team has a particular strength in taxation and will always consider the taxation consequences of any matter that they deal with. In addition to the Inheritance Tax planning offered as part of our Wills and Probate services our experts are qualified to advise on all areas of personal taxation, both UK and Offshore, providing imaginative and helpful tax planning solutions to our clients' problems.

The services and advice we provide include:

• Fixed fee simple wills
• Complex wills
• Administration of Estates
• Formation and Administration of Trusts
• Inheritance Tax
• Personal Tax
• Offshore Tax
• Court of Protection
• Lasting Power of Attorney

Wills
Our experts will analyse your personal and financial circumstances and prepare a Will that is both tax efficient and appropriate to you. We are able to deal with the full range of Wills, from simple Wills through to highly complex Wills using trusts and dealing with foreign property. Our Wills are generally undertaken for a fixed fee except in more complex cases where detailed tax advice is required.

We believe that Wills should never be looked at as an end in themselves; they are just one of the tools in the planning process. Where appropriate, we will suggest other means by which you can achieve your objectives, for example through the use of lifetime giving.

Click on the links for more information about Why you should have a will.

Administration of Estates
Our experienced team provides a sensitive and efficient approach to the administration of estates.

We are always pleased to assist the executors who have been appointed under the Will and will take care of all of the practical and legal formalities necessary in order to distribute the assets in accordance with the testator’s wishes. We are frequently appointed to act as executors under the Will as our clients recognise that we will be able to take care of all the legal and practical formalities in a way that minimises any burden upon the surviving relatives and friends.

Trusts
Trusts are the traditional means of protecting family wealth through the generations, although in recent times they have been used as vehicles for tax planning.

We will advise on the formation and administration of trusts both in the UK and internationally. We also specialise in advising individual and corporate trustees on trust and tax law issues and on contentious trust situations.

Inheritance Tax
Inheritance tax is charged at the rate of 40% on estates worth over £325,000. Due to rising property values in the South East we find that many individuals, although not wealthy, will have a taxable estate. Our team has specific expertise in inheritance tax planning and will always advise you on the most tax efficient Will for your circumstances. However, in some cases it is appropriate to take action during your lifetime such as making gifts through the use of trusts, life assurance or other measures. We are experts in the creation of all forms of UK and foreign trusts and their use in tax planning and advise our clients on the most appropriate structures to achieve their personal financial objectives.

Personal Tax
In addition to the Inheritance Tax advice given to our clients during the process of drawing up Wills, we are able to offer comprehensive advice to both UK and foreign clients in all areas of personal taxation, including income tax and capital gains tax.

We specialise in offering imaginative solutions to our clients’ taxation problems. Often our advice on personal taxation will be closely linked to advice given on trusts, estate planning and business tax.

In particular we specialise in advising entrepreneurs and owner managers on reducing their taxation liabilities both during the running of the business and on an exit or sale.

We are also able to complete your tax returns and this will generally be done for a fixed fee.

Court of Protection and Lasting Powers of Attorney
Financial affairs of the elderly need special consideration and expertise. Our team have considerable experience in Court of Protection and Lasting Power of Attorney work and can deal with sensitive family issues.