Newsletter issue – July 2026
HMRC opened 4,940 formal inheritance tax (IHT) enquiries in the last financial year - an 18% increase year-on-year. This is the highest level in six years, driven by a government crackdown on avoidance and non-compliance previously announced by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. She aims to raise an extra £6.5bn a year by the end of Parliament through HMRC modernisation and recruitment of 5,000 compliance caseworkers and 1,800 debt collection officers.
Formal enquiries are triggered when HMRC believes an IHT return may be incomplete or inaccurate. HMRC can demand documents, valuations, and explanations from families or accountants during these checks. However, only 40% of last year's checks resulted in amendments, down from 45% the previous year. Still, IHT receipts hit a record £8.5bn last year.
Frozen IHT thresholds, combined with rising property values and inflation, mean more estates are being pulled into the tax net each year. This will increase further in 2027, when pensions are added to the value of estates.