ISAs have long been regarded as a simple and effective way of protecting your savings from the taxman, with the increased limit now allowing you to shelter up to £20,000 of your savings a year from being taxed. Whilst this can be a great help in protecting your nest egg during your own life, you’ll also want to know that your hard-earned savings will be safe after the event of your death so that as much of the money you’ve accumulated as possible can go to those you leave behind.
Thankfully, in the case of a spouse, this need not be a worry. The government introduced legislation in 2015 which means that surviving husbands, wives or civil partners can inherit an ISA from their other half with the tax-free wrapper remaining intact. The ISA will also not be subject to inheritance tax (IHT) if it’s being passed on to your spouse.
However, if you’re leaving an ISA to another family member, such as a child, the amount held in the account is still considered to be part of your estate. It could therefore be a contributing factor in pushing your assets over the amount that can be left to someone else without incurring tax, known as the ‘nil rate band’. As IHT is payable at a rate of 40%, this could put a serious dent in the amount your loved ones will actually receive after you’re gone.
If your savings are likely to push your estate above the nil rate band, there are options available to reduce the amount taken by the taxman. It’s now easier to safeguard your pension from IHT, no matter who you’re planning to leave it to. Those hoping to leave their money to someone other than a spouse or partner might consider keeping their money in a pension and live off their ISA income as far as possible, thereby being able to pass on their pension pot to a loved one without incurring tax upon it. It’s important to remember that not all pensions are set up to allow this, so it’s normally a good idea to seek professional advice about the best way to protect your estate from being taxed before making any plans for your savings.
