Protect What You Built. Permanently.
B² Estate Planning ensures that what you have accumulated — your home, your business, your wealth — passes to the right people, in the right way, with as little lost to tax or delay as possible.
Planning that protects what matters
B² Estate Planning ensures your assets, your wishes and your family are protected — with expert advice that joins the dots across IHT, trusts, legal documentation and insurance.
We take time to understand your full position before making any recommendations. Planning done in isolation from your wider circumstances often creates as many problems as it solves.
What we do
Wills & LPAs
A will and a Lasting Power of Attorney are the two most fundamental elements of any estate plan. Without them,…
→Trusts
Trusts are one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in estate planning. Used properly, they c…
→Business Assets
For business owners, estate planning is inseparable from business planning. Your business may be your most sig…
→Life Insurance
Life insurance, when properly structured in the context of estate planning, serves a specific and valuable pur…
→Document Drafting System
Draft Wills, LPAs and Discretionary Trust Deeds through a guided questionnaire. Single Wills, Mirror Wills, Will with Trust, LPA — Property & Financial Affairs, LPA — Health & Welfare, and Trust Deeds. All drafts reviewed before execution.
What will HMRC take
from your estate?
Our free IHT calculator gives you an instant picture of your inheritance tax position — including the April 2027 pension changes, gifts in the last 7 years, previous planning and life insurance. Enough to show you whether you have a problem. The conversation with us solves it.
Try the IHT Calculator →All estate assets including property, investments and business interests
Pension funds under the April 2027 IHT rules
Gifts in the last 7 years with taper relief applied
Existing trusts and previous planning arrangements
Life insurance — in trust and not in trust
Full calculation breakdown with planning potential highlighted
Estate Planning Services: Comprehensive, Expert, Independent
Estate planning is the process of ensuring that your assets are protected, your wishes are documented, and your loved ones are spared unnecessary complexity, delay and tax when the time comes. B² Estate Planning provides the full range of services — from the foundational to the sophisticated.
Why estate planning matters now
Inheritance tax receipts reached a record £7.5 billion in 2023/24. The nil-rate band has been frozen at £325,000 since 2009 — and is expected to remain frozen until at least 2028. Rising property values and accumulated wealth mean an increasing number of estates are caught.
Effective estate planning doesn't eliminate tax or circumvent legitimate obligations. It ensures that the reliefs and exemptions available are properly used — and that your estate is structured so that what you have built reaches the people you intend, rather than being reduced by avoidable charges.
Planning that is genuinely joined up
Wills, trusts, insurance and business succession planning don't exist in isolation. A will written without reference to your business ownership structure may not achieve what you intend. A trust established without considering the IHT implications may create problems rather than solve them.
B² Estate Planning takes a holistic view — understanding the full picture before making recommendations, and working alongside solicitors, accountants and, where relevant, B² Wealth, to ensure every element is coordinated.
Independent and transparent
We provide advice on a fixed-fee basis, agreed before we start. We do not earn commission from product sales, and we are not tied to any provider. Our recommendations reflect your best interests — not ours.
Where our recommendations involve legal documentation — wills, trust deeds, LPAs — we work with qualified solicitors to ensure implementation is legally sound.
Wills & LPAs
A will and a Lasting Power of Attorney are the two most fundamental elements of any estate plan. Without them,…
→Trusts
Trusts are one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in estate planning. Used properly, they c…
→Business Assets
For business owners, estate planning is inseparable from business planning. Your business may be your most sig…
→Life Insurance
Life insurance, when properly structured in the context of estate planning, serves a specific and valuable pur…
→Document Drafting System
Draft Wills, LPAs and Discretionary Trust Deeds through a guided questionnaire. Single Wills, Mirror Wills, Will with Trust, LPA — Property & Financial Affairs, LPA — Health & Welfare, and Trust Deeds. All drafts reviewed before execution.
What will HMRC take
from your estate?
Our free IHT calculator gives you an instant picture of your inheritance tax position — including the April 2027 pension changes, gifts in the last 7 years, previous planning and life insurance. Enough to show you whether you have a problem. The conversation with us solves it.
Try the IHT Calculator →All estate assets including property, investments and business interests
Pension funds under the April 2027 IHT rules
Gifts in the last 7 years with taper relief applied
Existing trusts and previous planning arrangements
Life insurance — in trust and not in trust
Full calculation breakdown with planning potential highlighted
Wills & Lasting Powers of Attorney: The Foundation of Every Estate Plan
A will and a Lasting Power of Attorney are the two most fundamental elements of any estate plan. Without them, your estate may not pass as you intend, and decisions about your care and finances could be taken by people you would not have chosen. B² Estate Planning ensures both are in place, properly drafted, and reviewed as your life changes.
Why your will matters more than you think
More than 10 million adults in the UK do not have a valid will. If you die without one — intestate — your estate is distributed according to rules set by law, not according to your wishes. For unmarried partners, step-children, business owners and those with complex family arrangements, the consequences can be severe.
A well-drafted will does more than specify who inherits what. It appoints executors, names guardians for minor children, creates trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries, and can include provisions that reduce the IHT liability on your estate. We advise on all of these elements before referring to qualified solicitors for drafting.
Lasting Powers of Attorney — not just for the elderly
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) authorises a trusted person to make decisions on your behalf — either about your finances and property, or your health and welfare — if you lose the mental capacity to make those decisions yourself. It can only be set up while you have capacity.
Without an LPA, if you suffer a serious accident or illness and lose capacity, your family may need to apply to the Court of Protection for deputyship — a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process. With an LPA in place, the people you trust can act immediately and without court involvement.
Reviewing and updating your arrangements
A will or LPA drafted years ago may no longer reflect your wishes, your family circumstances or your financial position. Marriage revokes a previous will; divorce does not. A business sold, a property acquired, a child born — any of these may require your estate plan to be revisited.
We recommend reviewing your will and LPA arrangements whenever there is a significant change in your life, and at least every five years regardless. We make this part of the ongoing estate planning relationship rather than a one-off event.
Do I need a solicitor to write my will?
You are not legally required to use a solicitor, but for anything other than the simplest estate, professional involvement is strongly recommended. Poorly drafted wills are a significant source of legal disputes and can result in your wishes not being carried out. We work with qualified solicitors to ensure implementation is legally sound.
What happens if I die without a will?
Your estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy — which follow a fixed order of priority based on relationship, not on your wishes. Unmarried partners receive nothing; step-children may receive nothing; the estate may be divided in ways you would not have chosen.
What is the difference between a Property & Financial Affairs LPA and a Health & Welfare LPA?
A Property & Financial Affairs LPA covers financial decisions — managing bank accounts, paying bills, selling property. A Health & Welfare LPA covers personal decisions — medical treatment, care arrangements, where you live. Both are independent documents; most people benefit from having both.
Trusts: Protecting Assets and Reducing Inheritance Tax
Trusts are one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in estate planning. Used properly, they can protect assets from inheritance tax, provide for vulnerable beneficiaries, and ensure wealth is transferred efficiently across generations. B² Estate Planning provides expert, independent trust advice.
What is a trust and how does it work?
A trust is a legal arrangement where assets are held by one party (the trustees) for the benefit of another (the beneficiaries), according to the terms set out in the trust deed. Trusts have existed in English law for centuries and remain one of the most flexible planning tools available.
Assets placed in trust are no longer part of your estate for IHT purposes — provided the correct trust structure is used and the necessary conditions are met, including surviving seven years from the date of the gift in most cases. Trusts also provide control: you can specify precisely how and when beneficiaries receive assets.
Discretionary and bare trusts
A discretionary trust gives the trustees flexibility to distribute income and capital among a class of beneficiaries according to their judgment. This flexibility makes it suitable for protecting assets where beneficiaries' needs may change over time — particularly for minor children, those with vulnerabilities, or where family circumstances are complex.
A bare trust assigns specific assets to a specific beneficiary absolutely. It is simpler and often used in estate planning where the beneficiary and their entitlement are certain. The appropriate structure depends entirely on your objectives and family circumstances.
Trusts in the context of IHT planning
Trusts interact with IHT in specific and sometimes complex ways. Gifts into most trusts are treated as Chargeable Lifetime Transfers and may attract immediate IHT charges if they exceed the nil-rate band. Trusts are also subject to ten-year periodic charges and exit charges on distributions.
Understanding these interactions is essential before establishing a trust for IHT purposes. We model the full tax consequences of any trust arrangement before recommending it, and we work alongside qualified solicitors to ensure the legal structure achieves the intended outcome.
Can I put my house in a trust to avoid inheritance tax?
This is one of the most common misconceptions in estate planning. Simply transferring your home into a trust while continuing to live in it will not reduce its value for IHT purposes — HMRC applies the Gift with Reservation rules. There are legitimate structures that can be effective, but they require careful advice.
What is a Nil-Rate Band Discretionary Trust?
A Nil-Rate Band Discretionary Trust uses the deceased's available nil-rate band (currently £325,000) to fund a trust rather than passing assets directly to a spouse. This can preserve the nil-rate band for use in the surviving spouse's estate. With the transferable nil-rate band rules, this strategy has become less commonly needed — but remains relevant in some circumstances.
How much does it cost to set up a trust?
We provide trust advice on a fixed-fee basis, agreed in advance. Legal costs for drafting trust documents are separate and depend on complexity. We will always give you a clear picture of total costs before you commit to anything.
Business Asset Protection: Preserving What You Have Built
For business owners, estate planning is inseparable from business planning. Your business may be your most significant asset — but without proper planning, it could face a 40% IHT charge on your death, be disrupted by disputes, or pass to the wrong people. B² Estate Planning provides specialist advice on protecting and transferring business wealth.
Business Property Relief — understanding what qualifies
Business Property Relief (BPR) can reduce the value of qualifying business assets for IHT purposes by up to 100%. Shares in unquoted trading companies, interests in partnerships and certain types of business property may all qualify — but the rules are specific and traps exist for the unwary.
We assess your business assets against the BPR qualifying criteria, identify any assets that may not qualify (investment-heavy balance sheets, excepted assets, furnished holiday lets), and advise on restructuring where it would improve your position. BPR is one of the most valuable reliefs available to business owners — but it must be planned for, not assumed.
Family Investment Companies and LLP structures
A Family Investment Company (FIC) is a private limited company used to hold investments and pass wealth to the next generation in a tax-efficient manner. By gifting shares to children or grandchildren while retaining control through different share classes, wealth can transfer outside the estate over time without losing control of the underlying assets.
Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and Limited Partnerships offer different structures that can be appropriate in specific circumstances — particularly for family property portfolios or where multiple family members are involved in a business. We assess which structure, or combination of structures, best achieves your objectives.
Business succession planning
Succession planning addresses what happens to your business when you are no longer able or willing to run it — whether through retirement, incapacity or death. Without a plan, businesses can be disrupted, values destroyed and families divided.
We work alongside your solicitor and accountant to develop a succession plan that addresses ownership transfer (to family, management or third parties), leadership continuity, and the financial arrangements that support the transition — including shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements and the insurance structures that fund them.
Does my business automatically qualify for Business Property Relief?
Not necessarily. BPR applies to qualifying business property, but businesses that are mainly investment-holding, or that have significant excepted assets, may attract a reduced or nil relief. Furnished Holiday Lets, for example, do not currently qualify. We assess your specific position.
What is a Family Investment Company?
A Family Investment Company is a private limited company with a bespoke share structure that allows parents to transfer wealth to children while retaining control and income. It can be a tax-efficient alternative to a trust for passing assets down generations, though the right structure depends on your specific circumstances.
When should I start succession planning?
As early as possible. Succession planning becomes more difficult and more expensive when left until illness or crisis forces the issue. The earlier planning begins, the more options are available and the greater the potential tax saving.
The right policy, structured correctly,
eliminates the liability.
Life insurance in estate planning is a specific discipline. The product, the sum assured, the trust structure and the policy term all need to match the liability being covered. B² Estate Planning advises across the full range — whole-of-life, term, and Gift Inter Vivos.
Guaranteed to pay out whenever death occurs. No expiry date. The correct solution for a permanent IHT liability on the estate.
Pays out if death occurs within a fixed period. Lower premiums than whole-of-life. Suitable where the liability is time-limited.
Specifically designed to cover the IHT liability on a gift during the 7-year PET period. Sum assured reduces in line with taper relief.
Relevant Life, Key Person and Shareholder Protection written in trust. Covers the business liability arising on death of a key individual.
Whole-of-Life Insurance
A whole-of-life policy is the most direct solution to a permanent IHT liability. Unlike term insurance, it has no expiry — it will pay out whenever the policyholder dies, guaranteeing the funds are available to meet the IHT bill regardless of longevity.
Written in trust, the proceeds sit outside the estate entirely — they are not subject to IHT themselves, they do not go through probate, and they can be paid to the intended beneficiaries quickly after death. Without the trust wrapper, the policy proceeds join the estate, potentially increasing the very liability they were meant to address.
We calculate the appropriate sum assured based on the projected IHT liability at the point of planning, building in a margin for estate growth. We review this annually as part of ongoing estate planning to ensure the cover remains adequate.
Term Insurance in Estate Planning
Term insurance pays out if the policyholder dies within a specified period — 10, 15, 25 years or any fixed term. Premiums are significantly lower than whole-of-life, making it the right choice where the liability is time-limited rather than permanent.
In an estate planning context, term insurance is typically used to cover: a mortgage or secured borrowing that would otherwise form a charge on the estate; a business loan or director's guarantee; or a transitional liability that will diminish over time. It can also be used as a lower-cost solution for clients whose permanent liability is modest but who want peace of mind during a specific exposure window.
As with whole-of-life, the structure matters as much as the product. Term policies used for estate planning should be written in trust to ensure the proceeds sit outside the estate and are paid promptly to the intended beneficiaries.
Gift Inter Vivos — Covering the 7-Year PET Liability
When a Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET) is made — a gift of cash, investments or other assets to an individual — it only becomes fully exempt from IHT if the donor survives seven years from the date of the gift. If the donor dies within those seven years, an IHT liability arises on the gift, reduced by taper relief according to how many years have elapsed.
A Gift Inter Vivos policy is specifically designed to cover exactly this liability. It is a decreasing term policy where the sum assured reduces each year in line with the taper relief schedule — so the cover always matches the outstanding IHT exposure on the gift, no more and no less.
A Gift Inter Vivos policy is written in trust for the benefit of the recipient of the gift or their estate. The premiums are typically very low relative to the liability covered — particularly for younger, healthy donors — making it one of the most cost-effective planning tools available.
Note that taper relief only reduces the IHT rate on the gift itself — it does not reduce the IHT on the rest of the estate. The nil-rate band is also applied to cumulative chargeable transfers in chronological order, meaning earlier gifts use up the nil-rate band first.
Covering the BPR 2-Year Qualifying Period
Business Property Relief (BPR) can reduce or eliminate the IHT on qualifying business assets — but only once those assets have been held for a minimum of two years. During that two-year qualifying period, the full IHT liability exists on those assets as if BPR did not apply.
For investors placing capital into BPR-qualifying investments — AIM-listed shares, Enterprise Investment Scheme investments, or other qualifying unlisted business assets — the two-year window represents a real and quantifiable exposure. If the investor dies in year one, the full 40% IHT applies. If they die in month 23, BPR is not yet available and the same liability exists.
A two-year level term policy written in trust provides a precise solution: it covers the IHT liability for exactly the period of exposure, after which the BPR qualification eliminates the need for cover. Premiums are modest relative to the liability, and the policy terminates naturally once the qualifying period has passed.
Key point: The two-year qualifying period also applies to replacement property — where BPR-qualifying assets are sold and the proceeds reinvested in other qualifying assets, the two-year clock restarts. Investors who actively manage BPR portfolios should review their cover position on every transaction.
Writing Life Insurance in Trust — Why It Matters
A life insurance policy not written in trust forms part of the policyholder's estate on death. This means the proceeds are subject to IHT, they pass through probate (causing delay), and they may not reach the intended beneficiaries as quickly or as tax-efficiently as intended.
Writing a policy in trust removes it from the estate entirely. The proceeds are paid directly to the trustees for the benefit of the named beneficiaries, outside probate and outside the IHT calculation. The appropriate trust structure — discretionary, absolute, or split trust — depends on the specific policy type and planning objective.
We advise on the correct trust structure for each policy and work alongside solicitors to ensure the trust documentation is correctly established. This step is frequently overlooked — even by advisers who select the right policy. A whole-of-life policy that is not in trust may increase the IHT liability rather than address it.
What is a Gift Inter Vivos policy?
A Gift Inter Vivos policy is a decreasing term life insurance policy designed to cover the IHT liability on a Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET) during the 7-year taper period. The sum assured reduces each year in line with the taper relief schedule, so the cover always matches the outstanding exposure.
Do I need insurance if my business assets qualify for BPR?
Not once the qualifying period is complete — but during the two-year qualifying period, the full IHT liability exists on those assets. A two-year term policy provides a low-cost solution for exactly this window of exposure.
How much does Gift Inter Vivos insurance cost?
Premiums depend on the value of the gift, the donor's age and health, and the policy term. For younger, healthy donors the cost is typically very modest relative to the liability covered. We model the cost against the liability before making any recommendation.
Can I insure a large gift without medical underwriting?
Most insurers require medical underwriting for substantial sums. The availability and premium will depend on the donor's health at the time of application. Early action is always advisable — the healthier the donor, the more favourable the terms.
About B² Estate Planning
Why estate planning is different
Estate planning is not a transaction — it is a long-term commitment to protecting what you have built and ensuring it passes as you intend. It requires an adviser who understands the full picture: your business assets, your family structure, your existing legal arrangements and your wishes.
B² Estate Planning was established to provide exactly this — expert, independent advice that brings together IHT planning, trust structures, legal documentation and insurance solutions into a single coherent strategy.
Our approach
We begin every relationship with a thorough review of your current position: your estate composition, your existing wills and LPAs, your business interests, and your projected IHT liability. Only then do we make recommendations — and we model the financial impact of every proposal before you commit to anything.
We work on a fixed-fee basis, agreed in advance. We are not tied to product providers or legal firms. Where recommendations involve legal documentation, we work with qualified solicitors to ensure implementation is sound.
Part of the BSQUARED Group
B² Estate Planning is part of BSQUARED Group, alongside B² Capital (commercial finance) and B² Wealth (independent financial advice). For business owners in particular, the ability to access joined-up advice across commercial finance, financial planning and estate planning from a single trusted group is a significant advantage.
Each division maintains separate engagement processes and appropriate disclosures. The benefit is a coherent overall picture — not complexity.
"Protecting what you built. For those who come next."
Let's Talk
Estate planning conversations are best started sooner rather than later — the earlier we can assess your position, the more options are available. Tell us a little about your estate, your family structure and your concerns, and we'll give you a straight assessment of the planning opportunities available to you.
Part of the BSQUARED Group
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