No one likes to pay tax on their hard-earned money but few actually understand the intricacies of the UK tax system. Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle Tax Planning alone. A trusted Financial Planner can help you to navigate tax complexities, and identify the best structures to preserve your wealth.

That is our role. First, we'll get to know you and understand your goals. Then, we'll form a clear idea of the specific tax reliefs and allowances to which you’re entitled. From minimising your income tax to keeping a watchful eye on any capital gains, we will plan your investments efficiently, making sure that you save money, by paying exactly as much tax as is necessary. 

Higher-rate tax-payers in the UK are missing out on £769 million each year in unclaimed pension tax relief alone.

* PensionBee, 2020

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Why is Tax Planning important?

Depending on your circumstances, you might have a number of different goals for your wealth. Whether you want to drive growth, provide an income, or simply preserve what you have, Tax Planning plays an important role in making the most of your assets.

When it comes to Investment Management, the first thing is to ensure that your portfolio is well-diversified and tailored to your particular needs. By itself, however, this is not enough to provide maximal returns. Tax is an expense that dampens the growth of your assets. Without proper planning, you may find that your returns do not meet your goals.

Similarly, effective tax management can give you more control over what happens to your wealth when you are gone and allow you to transfer more of it to your loved ones. Many tax-efficient arrangements also offer Estate Planning flexibility, with some structures even able to reduce inheritance tax liability for your beneficiaries.

Taxes are burdensome and nobody enjoys paying them. Fortunately, you can do much to lighten the load through diligent preparation.

 

Do I need help with Tax Planning?

There are several things for which you might need to pay tax: your income, the growth of your investments, inherited assets and more. When you need to pay tax and how much you need to pay depends on a number of circumstances. This can make it difficult to work out how much you owe if you try to do your Tax Planning yourself. 

As a high-net-worth individual, it’s likely that your tax affairs are more complex than usual. Enlisting a Financial Planner to help you with wealth and tax management will allow you to pay exactly as much as you are required to, without ever unnecessarily giving up hard-earned money that could be passed on or put to work elsewhere.

We can use our expertise to structure your assets in a tax-efficient manner. By working with us, you can ensure that your portfolio is streamlined in a way that will conserve as much of your wealth as possible.

Our areas of Tax Planning expertise

  • Tax structures

    With literally hundreds of reliefs available and a constantly changing rulebook, the key to tax-efficiency is to find the best tax arrangements for you as an individual. We find the most effective combination of tax structures – from ISAs and investment bonds to pensions – to suit your personal circumstances and minimise your tax bill.

    Inheritance Tax

    Each family’s circumstances are unique, but everyone wants to make the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next as smooth as possible. Tax management is an important part of making that happen. 

    We use a combination of proven and effective strategies – including gifting, trusts, pensions and reliefs – advising you on the best options and tailoring them to your specific requirements.

    Capital Gains Tax

    It may be a nice problem to have but if your investments are performing well, you could find yourself facing a substantial Capital Gains Tax (CGT) bill on your profits. While CGT is one of the more complicated taxes, it also offers many reliefs and exemptions.

    We guide you through the maze of tax mitigation strategies to find the ones that work best for your personal circumstances, saving you money by planning in the process.

How does the process of Tax Planning work?

The goal of Tax Planning is simply to arrange your financial affairs as efficiently as possible so that you and your family pay the minimum amount of tax necessary. That may sound intimidating, but our expert Financial Planners can build a tailored solution around your needs and take care of the complexities on your behalf. Here is how the process works.

  1. Step One

    Understanding your current situation

    We will sit down with you to create a clear picture of your finances. Together, we will map out all your sources of income, savings and investments, as well as take note of your debts and regular expenditure. 

  2. Step Two

    Identifying opportunities for efficiency

    When we have a clear view of how your finances are currently structured, we will use our expertise and knowledge to establish opportunities to reduce your tax burden. Looking at areas such as income tax, CGT and Inheritance Tax (IHT), we will find ways for you to organise your money more efficiently.

  3. Step Three

    Implementing your personal plan

    After identifying where you can save money and reduce your liabilities, we'll discuss which tax structures you’d like to put in place to preserve more of your wealth for you and your family.  From tax-efficient investment wrappers to schemes, trusts and shelters, you can choose your preferred planning combination to achieve your goals.

  4. Step Four

    Continually reviewing your plan

    Legislation is always changing. That’s why it’s vital that we constantly reviewing your personal Tax Planning strategy in the context of what is new, to ensure that it is as tax-efficient as possible. 

Middle-aged man sitting in a rocking chair at his window petting a cat
Grant, Scotland (name changed to protect anonymity)

It would not have been possible to feel at ease in dealing with our finances ourselves.

Frequently asked questions about Tax Planning

Still looking for more information about our Tax Planning services? You might find the answer to your question here.

  • Can Tax Planning reduce my tax bill?

    Our Financial Planners’ main aim is to help you to define your life goals so that they can determine a financial plan to help you to achieve them.

    A key part of that plan is organising your finances in the most efficient way to minimise your tax liabilities, from income tax and IHT to CGT. All of these taxes can eat into your wealth if there isn’t a plan in place to prevent that happening.

    We use our expertise to identify the exemptions, allowances, reliefs and tax shelters that can legally be used to cut your tax bill and ensure that you are using all of them to best effect.

    Contact us for a free consultation

  • Isn’t it illegal to try to pay less tax?

    We provide our clients with rigorous and effective Tax Planning strategies that respect both the principle and the letter of the law. Our aim is to minimise your tax liability and maximise your savings using only allowances and reliefs that meet with the approval of HMRC.

    Our Financial Planners make sure that you pay your fair share of tax but no more than necessary.

  • Isn’t Tax Planning a matter for my accountant?

    Accountants and Financial Planners both advise you on aspects of your finances and, indeed, often work closely together. However, there are significant differences in their areas of expertise and in what they are legally entitled to do for you.

    Accountants will help with your book-keeping and preparing your tax return, but they are not legally permitted to give you advice on how to spend or invest your money.

    Our Financial Planners, while not tax specialists, can advise you on a range of efficient Tax Planning strategies that will help you to preserve your wealth and make the most of your money.

    Get in touch

  • Why should you choose us?

    As one of the UK’s leading wealth management companies, we've built on the strength of our expertise and our personal relationships with our clients. For almost 200 years our clients have trusted us to meet their needs and we’ve exceeded expectations.

    This is borne out by the findings of our 2019 Client Survey in which over 4,000 clients participated, telling us that the level of satisfaction with our Financial Planning service was above the industry benchmark average.

    See if we are right for you

  • Do I have to pay for an initial consultation?

    Our Financial Planners would be delighted to meet you personally for an initial consultation, at our cost, to discuss your goals and concerns around wealth and tax management. They will talk to you about how we can help make the most of your wealth in the most tax-efficient way with a personalised plan.

    Get in touch

  • How can I find an office near me?

    We have strong local teams with considerable Tax Planning experience in 15 locations throughout the UK including most of the major cities. You can find full details of our locations and individual experts by clicking on the link below.

    Find an office near you

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Important information

The value of investments and the income derived from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back your initial investment.

This site does not offer advice and the content and information about potential investments and services are designed for general use, and so cannot be considered personal to your circumstances or your financial position.

References to taxation are based on our current understanding of the legislation but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Tax laws are subject to change.

Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) is a trading name of Investec Wealth & Investment Limited which is a subsidiary of Rathbones Group Plc. Investec Wealth & Investment Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered in England. Registered No. 2122340. Registered Office: 30 Gresham Street. London. EC2V 7QN.