by johnireland | Articles
Most people assume that once someone has died, their Will is fixed and final. In most cases that is true, and it should be — a properly drafted Will is meant to be the last word on how an estate is shared out. But UK law does allow for one important exception. Within...
by johnireland | Tax Talk
Business Property Relief used to be unlimited. Qualifying business assets passed free of Inheritance Tax whatever they were worth, which is why so many family firms survived the death of their founder intact. Since 6 April 2026, that is no longer the position. The...
by johnireland | Articles
For decades, Business Property Relief was the quiet reason many family companies passed from one generation to the next without being broken up. Qualifying business assets attracted 100% relief from Inheritance Tax. The value did not matter. A trading company worth...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
When a business owner dies, practical problems start immediately, long before probate is granted. A sole trader’s bank account, or any account in a personal name, is frozen the moment the bank hears of the death, stopping payments to staff and suppliers...
by johnireland | Articles
Most business owners have thought about who gets the shares if something happens to them. Far fewer have thought about what happens on the Monday morning after. Who can pay the wages? Who can sign the cheques? Can the business even trade while probate is sorted out?...
