What is Business Property Relief BPR | AIM Investments - Life Insurance - re IHT Planning
The government currently allows you to leave trading businesses to your family and without the penalty of currently 40% inheritance tax. This concession is known as business property relief BPR, so it’s designed to make sure people don’t have to sell a business just to pay inheritance tax. BPR provides relief from Inheritance Tax (IHT) on the transfer of relevant business assets at a rate of 50% or 100%.
You maybe reading this article becuase you are concerned about IHT & have also read that to benefit from Business Property Relief BPR, you must have owned the company, or your shares, for at least 2 years at the time of your death.
BPR doesn’t just apply to family businesses. You could simply have shares in a small, privately owned company. As long as it’s a trading business, the HMRC may decide it qualifies for BPR. Some of the stocks listed on AIM, the smaller companies’ arm of the London Stock Exchange, also qualify for this BPR.
However, if you don’t have a business of your own, you could decide to use a specialist provider that set up trading businesses specifically to help investors manage their inheritance tax situation re BPR. Another BPR option now available is the AIM ISA. The government recently relaxed the Isa rules to allow direct holdings in AIM.
However, please be aware these AIM & IHT Investments are usually at the high end of the risk scale and so should only be entered into after good advice from a qualified professional.
Note: We don't advise on any Inheritance Tax Planning or Investments - so suggest you seek out professional advice from an Accountant / Solicitor / Financial Adviser in these areas re your specific circumstances & before looking at any suitable life insurance plans
Types of Life Insurance - for those wishing to help mitigate 2 Year
BPR - Business Property Relief re IHT Period re AIM style Investments
Life Insurance Policy Cover - Term
This is the simplest cheap type of insurance cover quote, and is known as term assurance cover plan because you choose how what term is ie; how long you're covered for, say 2 or 3 years (the term) to help cover AIM Investments for at least 2 years to qualify under HMRC current regulations re your IHT Plans.
Death Insurance policy term cover only pays out if you die within the term you've agreed. If you live longer than the term, you get nothing. Most Uk insurers limit term plans upto age 85 or 90
-
Increasing policy (where cover and premium rise over the years)
-
Guaranteed (where life insurance premiums stay the same throughout the term)
-
Pays out on terminal illness - usually 12 months to live
-
Waiver of Premium (where the Insurer waives/protects & covers your premiums after a deferred period of 4/8/13/26 weeks due to sickness or accident)
-
Note their is usually no cash in or surrender values for death insurance
-
Benefits should be set up to be payable into Trust here to help ensure no further IHT complications
-
In many cases the Insurance Provider maybe able to offer terms - sometimes with GP reports & having a medical exam as necessary. Just because they request this does not always mean they are going to charge you higher premiums but you may have exclusions applied.
When it comes to life insurance, you need to fully disclose your medical history.
Whole of Life Cover Insurance
Whole Life death insurance policies are designed to always pays out upon your death so logically are more expensive than term insurance as the risk is greater to the life insurance companies. Whole of Life death insurance is more expensive because it is certain that the life company will eventually have to pay the life sum insured. You may decide to use this vehicle to help both cover BPR Qualifying 2 year period re AIM Investments & maybe some additional IHT Planning issues.
Benefits are currently paid out tax free on death
- Designed to pay out on death - whenever it occurs
- Whole Life Assurance Cover may be level or inflation linked
- Medical evidence may be required plus a medical examination for those with health issues
- Premiums may be guaranteed or if investment based reviewable
- Maybe payable on death or earlier Terminal Illness
- Benefits should be set up to be payable into Trust here to help ensure no further IHT complications
- Can be set up on sole or joint life basis
|