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Articles & Guides

Category: Probate

Practical guidance from Simon Jenkins, Director at Curtis Legal.

August 20, 2026

Pension Inheritance Tax Changes From April 2027 — What Families Need to Know Now

For decades, most unused pensions have sat outside the taxable estate, making them one of the most tax efficient ways to pass on wealth. That…

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August 17, 2026

Excepted Estates — When You Don’t Need a Full IHT Return

Since 2022 most estates in England and Wales are excepted and skip IHT400. Simon Jenkins explains the three categories, what you still report, and when a full.

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August 14, 2026

Pensions and Death Benefits — What Goes Through Probate and What Doesn’t

How pensions and death benefits interact with probate and IHT in England and Wales, plus the April 2027 change bringing pensions into the IHT net.

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August 12, 2026

Gifts With Reservation of Benefit — The IHT Trap Most Families Miss

How the gifts with reservation of benefit rule under section 102 Finance Act 1986 traps families who gift the home but keep living in it, and how to plan.

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August 10, 2026

Agricultural Property Relief — Passing on Farmland Without Losing Half to Tax

How Agricultural Property Relief works after the April 2026 £1 million cap, what qualifies, the farmhouse test and planning options for farming families.

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August 7, 2026

Business Property Relief Explained — Cutting IHT on Family Businesses

Business Property Relief after April 2026: the £1m cap, 50% relief above it, AIM shares at 50%, the contract of sale trap, and planning options.

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August 5, 2026

Resealing a Foreign Grant of Probate in England and Wales

How executors reseal a foreign grant of probate in England and Wales under the Colonial Probates Acts, with 2026 fees, documents and IHT guidance.

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August 3, 2026

Foreign Assets in a UK Estate — Probate Across Borders

How executors in England and Wales deal with foreign property, bank accounts and investments in a probate estate — tax, treaties, grants and timing.

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July 31, 2026

Insolvent Estates — What Happens When Debts Exceed Assets

When debts exceed assets, executors must follow a strict statutory order of payment. A plain English guide to insolvent estates from Curtis Legal.

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July 29, 2026

Section 27 Notices — Protecting Executors From Unknown Creditors

How Section 27 Trustee Act 1925 notices in The Gazette and local press protect executors from personal liability for unknown creditors in England and Wales.

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