Can leaving a gift to charity help me pay less tax?

Gifts to UK registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax. In some cases, having a will can help to reduce the amount of inheritance tax that needs to be paid from your estate.

Gifts between spouses or civil partners, and gifts to charity are tax-free. And gifts to charity have further benefits: instead of paying 40% inheritance tax on your taxable estate, if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, inheritance tax is paid at a reduced rate of 36%. This can leave more money available for the people and causes you care about. We recommend that you speak to a solicitor for advice on tax issues.