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05 August 2016 / Alyson Coulson
Issue: 7710 / Categories: Features , Tax , Brexit , EU
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Taxing times

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Alyson Coulson looks at the current IHT & probate situation & whether Brexit will have any effect

  • How will the new Lord Chancellor approach the key issue of inheritance tax?
  • What advice is to be given in the wake of the Brexit vote?

For private client lawyers, the appointment of a new Chancellor of the Exchequer always comes with a certain amount of nervousness. How will the new Chancellor deal with the tax that affects us most—inheritance tax? Will the ship remain on the same course set by the previous incumbent or will he take the helm and lead us into new uncharted waters?

So, what were we expecting? Back in February, we learned that the government is considering a massive hike in court fees for probate applications.

Our clients are currently required to pay a flat fee of £155 to process an application for a grant of probate. This flat fee had already risen from £45 in 2014. Individuals who do not use a solicitor to prepare their probate application are currently required to pay a flat fee of £215. Once

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Firm appoints head of intellectual property to drive northern growth

NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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