Company Shares in Your Will: How to Pass Them On

James died suddenly at 42 with a 30% stake in a successful marketing agency worth approximately £450,000. He had no will.

Under intestacy rules, his shares passed to his parents—not to his business partner or his long-term girlfriend who had helped build the company. His business partner faced nine months of legal disputes trying to negotiate with James's elderly parents, who knew nothing about running the business but legally owned a controlling stake when combined with other minority shareholders.

The company nearly collapsed. James's girlfriend received nothing despite five years of unpaid contributions.

This isn't a hypothetical horror story. In 2022-23, 4.62% of UK deaths resulted in an inheritance tax charge—31,500 estates. With 2.1 million actively trading companies in the UK, thousands of families face similar crises every year.

Company shares don't automatically go where you think they should. They follow your will, or if you don't have one, rigid intestacy laws that know nothing about your business relationships.

This guide explains exactly how to pass on company shares through your will, what happens if you don't, and how to navigate the intersection of company law, shareholders' agreements, and inheritance law to protect both your family and your business partners.

What Happens to Company Shares When You Die?

When you die, your company shares become part of your estate. They don't just "pass" directly to anyone—they follow a specific legal process.

Under section 773 of the Companies Act 2006, shares are transferred by "transmission" rather than "transfer." This distinction matters. A transfer is voluntary—you choose to sell or give shares during your lifetime. Transmission happens automatically by operation of law when you die.

Your personal representatives (executors if you have a will, administrators if you don't) acquire legal title to your shares. But here's the catch: under Model Articles for private companies, personal representatives don't automatically get voting rights. They hold the shares in limbo while probate is sorted out.

The timeline typically looks like this: shares remain frozen for 3-9 months until probate is granted. During this period, your business partners can't buy you out, your family can't sell the shares, and if you were a key decision-maker, the company may struggle to function.

Only after probate is granted can your personal representatives transfer the shares according to your will or, if you have no will, according to intestacy rules.

Here's what can go wrong:

Sarah owned 51% of a software company worth £800,000. She died without a will, survived by her husband and two teenage daughters. Under intestacy rules, her husband inherited the first £322,000 plus half the remainder. Her daughters inherited the other half—but they were 15 and 17.

Children under 18 can't own shares directly. The shares had to be held in trust until both daughters turned 18. For three years, every major business decision required trustee approval. Sarah's business partner, who owned 49%, couldn't make strategic decisions without consulting trustees who knew nothing about software development.

The company lost two major contracts because competitors moved faster.

The Problem with Dying Without a Will (Intestacy)

Intestacy creates "accidental shareholders"—people who inherit your shares but have no interest in or understanding of your business.

UK intestacy rules follow a rigid formula. If you die leaving a spouse and children, your spouse gets the first £322,000 plus personal possessions and 50% of the remainder. Your children get the other 50% split equally.

Notice what's missing? No provision for business partners. No provision for unmarried partners. No provision for the person who's actually been running the business with you for 10 years.

David and Emma were business partners, each owning 50% of a consulting firm worth £600,000. David was unmarried but had been with his girlfriend for eight years. When he died intestate, his shares didn't go to Emma or his girlfriend.

They went to his parents—a retired teacher and a postal worker, both in their 70s. They wanted to cash out immediately to supplement their pension. Emma wanted to buy them out but didn't have £300,000 available. The company had no life insurance policy in place.

They ended up selling to a competitor at a discount. David's girlfriend got nothing.

The statistics are sobering. Probate disputes increased to 992 per month in 2024, up from 867 per month in 2023. Business assets are frequent flashpoints because family members often want immediate cash while business partners need continuity.

Even worse, if your children are young when you die, they can't own shares directly. Shares must be held in trust until age 18. This creates a nightmare scenario: trustees who know nothing about your business making decisions that affect its survival for years.

Michael owned 40% of a manufacturing company. He died when his children were 8 and 11. The shares went into trust. For seven years, every significant decision—taking on debt, hiring senior staff, entering new markets—required trustee approval.

The trustees, anxious about their legal responsibilities, rejected anything remotely risky. The company stagnated while competitors innovated.

How Your Company's Articles of Association Affect Inheritance

Here's what most shareholders don't realize: your company's articles of association can override what your will says about how shares are transferred.

Articles of association are your company's constitution—legally binding rules about share ownership and transfer. They take precedence over your will regarding the mechanics of share transfer, though not who you want to benefit.

Let me explain that carefully. Your will determines who should benefit from your estate. But your company's articles determine whether shares can actually be transferred to that person—or whether they must be sold instead.

Most small companies adopt the Model Articles for Private Companies Limited by Shares when they incorporate. These articles include a section on "transmission" of shares—what happens when a shareholder dies.

Under Model Articles, a person who inherits shares (called a "transmittee") initially has no voting rights. They can either become a registered shareholder themselves, or they can require the company to transfer the shares to someone else (effectively selling them).

But many companies have bespoke articles with much stricter restrictions:

Pre-emption rights: Existing shareholders get first refusal to buy the shares at fair value before they can be transferred to your chosen beneficiary.

Director approval required: Your beneficiary can only become a shareholder if the board of directors approves.

Prohibited transfers: Shares can only be transferred to family members, not to anyone outside a defined group.

Tom left his 25% shareholding in a family business to his long-term partner in his will. Sounds straightforward. But the company's articles stated that shares could only be held by "blood relatives of the founding shareholders."

Tom's partner inherited the economic value—she received the cash when the company bought back the shares at fair value. But she couldn't become a shareholder herself, which meant she had no say in the business Tom had helped build.

The critical point: check your articles before you write your will. You can find them on Companies House or ask your company secretary.

Look for sections titled "Transfer of Shares" or "Transmission of Shares." Watch for these red flag clauses:

"Shares may only be transferred to..." (restrictions on who can own shares)
"The directors may refuse to register any transfer..." (director approval required)
"On the death of a member, shares shall be offered to existing shareholders..." (forced sale provision)

If your articles conflict with your wishes, you can change them—but it requires a special resolution approved by 75% of shareholders. That conversation is worth having now, not after you're gone.

Shareholders' Agreements and Death Clauses

Articles of association are public documents anyone can see on Companies House. Shareholders' agreements are private contracts between shareholders—and they often contain powerful provisions about what happens when you die.

Many shareholders sign these agreements when the company is formed and never look at them again. Big mistake.

Death clauses in shareholders' agreements typically fall into several categories:

Cross-option agreements: The surviving shareholders have the option to buy your shares, and your estate has the option to sell. This gives both sides flexibility while providing a mechanism for clean exit.

Forced buy-outs: The company or remaining shareholders must purchase the deceased's shares at a predetermined price or formula. Your family gets cash, not shares.

Permitted transfers: You can transfer shares to specific people (often spouse or children) without triggering buy-out provisions.

Automatic transfer: On death, shares automatically transfer to the company or surviving shareholders at a fixed price.

The most sophisticated arrangements link shareholders' agreements to life insurance policies ("keyman insurance"). Each shareholder takes out life insurance on the others. When one dies, the insurance payout funds the purchase of their shares.

Rachel and Stephen were equal partners in a digital agency worth £1.2 million. Their shareholders' agreement included a cross-option clause with a valuation formula: three times average profit over the previous three years.

Each took out £600,000 life insurance on the other. When Stephen died suddenly at 47, the insurance paid out £600,000. Rachel used this to buy Stephen's shares from his estate. His widow received £600,000 in cash—secure financial future without being dragged into business decisions.

This worked because they'd planned ahead.

But valuation disputes are common. The shareholders' agreement might specify "fair market value" but not how to calculate it. The estate wants the highest possible valuation. Surviving shareholders want the lowest. Without a clear valuation mechanism, you're headed for expensive disputes.

Mark owned 30% of a property development company. The shareholders' agreement said shares would be valued at "fair market value as determined by the company's accountant." When Mark died, the accountant (who the surviving shareholders had appointed) applied a 40% minority discount—reducing the value from £450,000 to £270,000.

Mark's family challenged this, arguing the discount was excessive. The dispute took 18 months and cost £85,000 in legal fees.

What to check in your shareholders' agreement:

Do you have one? (Many small companies don't—check with your company secretary or co-shareholders)
What does it say about death? (Look for sections titled "Death of Shareholder," "Transmission," or "Compulsory Transfer")
How are shares valued? (Fixed formula, independent valuer, accountant determination, multiple of EBITDA)
Is there life insurance to fund the buy-out?
Who gets the benefit—your estate or specific family members?

If your shareholders' agreement forces a sale, make sure your will addresses this. You can't leave shares to your children if the agreement requires your estate to sell them. But you can leave them the cash proceeds.

Writing Company Shares Into Your Will

Be specific. Vague language creates problems.

Don't write: "All my business interests to my wife."

Do write: "My entire shareholding in ABC Marketing Limited (company number 12345678), comprising 500 ordinary shares of £1 each, to my wife Emma Thompson."

The difference matters. The first version requires your executors to figure out what "business interests" means. Do you mean shares? Dividends owed? Loans you made to the company? Equipment you owned personally?

The second version is crystal clear.

Consider whether to leave shares as a specific gift or include them in your residuary estate. A specific gift means the shares go to the named person regardless of what else happens to your estate. Including them in the residuary estate means they're part of the general pot that gets divided according to your residuary clause.

For most shareholders, a specific gift makes sense. You want control over who gets these valuable, complicated assets.

If you're leaving shares to multiple beneficiaries, specify how they should be divided. "To my three children in equal shares" is clear. "To my children" without specifying proportions can create arguments.

Address what happens if your articles or shareholders' agreement force a buy-out:

"I give my entire shareholding in XYZ Limited to my daughter Sarah. If the company's articles of association or any shareholders' agreement require these shares to be sold, I direct that the sale proceeds be paid to Sarah."

This makes clear that Sarah should benefit financially even if she can't become a shareholder.

Name contingent beneficiaries in case your primary beneficiary dies before you or disclaims the gift:

"To my business partner David, or if he does not survive me, to his children in equal shares."

Consider leaving shares to trustees rather than outright, especially if:

Your beneficiaries are young or financially inexperienced
You want to protect shares from your beneficiary's creditors or divorce
You want professional management of business decisions until beneficiaries mature

Claire owned 60% of a logistics company worth £2.3 million. Her son was 22—enthusiastic but inexperienced. Claire left her shares in trust with two professional trustees and her business partner as co-trustees.

Her son received dividends but couldn't make reckless decisions. The trustees voted the shares for five years while her son learned the business. At 27, the shares transferred to him outright.

One critical mistake to avoid: forgetting about minority shareholdings. You might own 50% of your main business, 15% of a joint venture, and 5% of your mate's startup. List them all specifically.

James updated his will to include his main company shares—but forgot about the 20% stake in a supplier company worth £180,000. When he died, those shares passed under intestacy rules to his parents instead of his intended beneficiaries.

Update your will whenever your shareholding changes. You buy more shares? Update your will. You sell shares? Update your will. You start a new company? Update your will.

Tax Implications—Business Property Relief Changes

For years, Business Property Relief (BPR) was one of the most generous inheritance tax breaks available. Private company shares qualified for 100% relief if you'd owned them for at least two years.

This meant you could own shares worth £5 million and pay zero inheritance tax. The entire value passed tax-free to your beneficiaries.

That's changing dramatically from 6 April 2026.

Under new rules announced by the government, there will be a £1 million cap on 100% Business Property Relief. Above that, relief drops to 50%.

Here's what this means in practice:

If you own shares worth £3 million, the first £1 million qualifies for 100% relief (zero tax). The remaining £2 million gets 50% relief. So £1 million is taxable at 40% = £400,000 tax bill.

Under current rules, that same £3 million shareholding would pass completely tax-free.

The cap applies per person, not per estate. You can't transfer unused cap to your spouse. However, the normal spouse exemption still applies—transfers between spouses are unlimited and tax-free.

There's a critical transitional rule: the new rules apply to lifetime gifts made on or after 30 October 2024 if the donor dies on or after 6 April 2026. This anti-forestalling provision prevents last-minute gifting to avoid the new regime.

AIM-listed shares get hit even harder. Currently they qualify for 100% BPR. From April 2026, they only get 50% relief with no £1 million allowance at all.

For lifetime gifting, the £1 million allowance refreshes every seven years on a rolling basis. You could gift £1 million of qualifying shares, survive seven years, and gift another £1 million with 100% relief.

The tax planning implications are significant:

Martin owns shares worth £2.5 million in his engineering business. Under current rules, these would pass tax-free with BPR. Under the new rules from April 2026, there will be a £600,000 inheritance tax bill (£1.5 million at 40% after 50% relief).

If Martin equalizes the shareholding with his wife—each owning £1.25 million—each gets the £1 million allowance. Result: £100,000 total tax instead of £600,000.

Important caveats about BPR:

Your company must be a trading company. Investment companies and property holding companies don't qualify.

You must have owned the shares for at least two years before death.

BPR is lost if there's a binding contract for sale at death. Some cross-option agreements in shareholders' agreements might trigger this—check with a tax advisor.

BPR applies to the net value after liabilities. If the company owes you money (director's loan), that's not relievable.

With inheritance tax collections hitting £7.6 billion from April 2024 to February 2025—up £800 million (11.8%) from the previous year—HMRC is paying close attention. The new BPR rules will only increase the tax take further.

This creates urgency. If your shareholding is worth more than £1 million, you need specialist tax advice before April 2026.

Protecting Both Family and Business Partners

This is the real emotional challenge: balancing your family's financial security with your business partners' need for control and continuity.

Your spouse and children want to benefit from the wealth you've built. That's reasonable. But your business partners don't want your 19-year-old daughter who's studying art history suddenly owning 40% of the engineering firm and turning up at board meetings.

Also reasonable.

The solution isn't choosing one side over the other. It's structuring things so your family gets financial value without operational involvement.

Robert and Helen were equal partners in a consultancy worth £1.8 million. Both had young families. They had an honest conversation: "If I die, my family needs financial security. But you need to keep running the business without interference."

They set up cross-option agreements in their shareholders' agreement. Each took out £900,000 life insurance on the other. If Robert died, Helen had the option to buy his shares at fair value using the insurance proceeds. Robert's family had the option to require Helen to buy.

This gave both families certainty. Robert's widow would receive £900,000 in cash—enough to keep the family financially secure. Helen would own 100% of the business she'd built.

The alternative—Robert's widow becoming a 50% shareholder with no business experience—would have been a disaster for everyone.

Fair valuation is critical here. Don't try to use artificially low formulas to reduce what your family receives. Your spouse will feel cheated, and they might challenge the valuation in court.

Use independent professional valuation or a formula both sides agreed to when everyone was alive and aligned.

For family businesses where you want the business to stay in the family, consider different share classes:

Voting shares to the child who's actively involved in the business. Non-voting shares to other children who want financial benefit but not operational control.

Peter owned a manufacturing business worth £4 million. His daughter Anna had worked there for 15 years and was operations director. His son Mark was a teacher with no interest in manufacturing.

Peter restructured the company to create voting and non-voting shares. In his will, he left voting shares to Anna and non-voting shares to Mark. Anna got control. Mark got equal financial benefit through dividends and sale proceeds if the company was ever sold.

Both felt the arrangement was fair.

If your children are young, don't leave shares to them outright. Use a trust with professional trustees who understand business. The trustees can make informed decisions while your children are growing up, then transfer shares when they're mature enough to handle the responsibility.

Three practical steps to balance family and business interests:

Have the difficult conversation now. Sit down with your business partners and discuss what happens if one of you dies. Agree on principles before grief and financial pressure cloud judgment.

Get the business valued professionally. You can't plan sensibly without knowing what the shares are worth. Spend £2,000-£5,000 on a proper valuation.

Fund any buy-out arrangement. If surviving shareholders will buy out your family, make sure they'll have the money. Life insurance is cheaper than you think and removes the burden from your business partners' personal finances.

Special Situations and Complex Scenarios

Not all company shares fit the straightforward pattern. Here's guidance for less common situations:

Multiple companies: If you own shares in several companies, address each separately in your will. You might want different beneficiaries for different holdings. List each company by name and company number.

Joint ventures and minority stakes: These often have even stricter transfer restrictions than your main business. A 15% stake in a supplier company might have drag-along and tag-along provisions you agreed to years ago. Check every shareholders' agreement.

Shares in holding companies: If your company owns property or investments rather than trading, it may not qualify for Business Property Relief. The tax implications are very different.

AIM-listed shares: From April 2026, these only get 50% BPR with no £1 million allowance. If you own significant AIM holdings, the tax hit could be substantial.

Shares held jointly: Some companies allow shares to be held in joint names (though many don't). Joint shares usually pass automatically by survivorship to the surviving joint holder, outside your will. Check your share certificate and company articles.

Employee shareholders: If you received shares as part of an employee share scheme, there are often buy-back provisions on leaving employment or death. Your family may only receive a formula price, not market value.

Foreign company shares: If you own shares in a company incorporated outside the UK, foreign succession laws may apply. Spanish companies, for example, have forced heirship rules that override your will.

Dormant or dissolved companies: You might still be listed as holding shares in companies that stopped trading years ago. They're probably worthless, but include them in your will anyway to avoid confusion.

Jennifer owned shares in four companies: 60% of her main retail business (£1.2 million), 25% of a property holding company (£600,000), 10% of a tech startup (probably worthless), and 5% of an AIM-listed company (£80,000).

She made the mistake of treating them all the same in her will: "All my company shares to my husband."

When she died, the property company shares didn't qualify for BPR because it wasn't a trading company. The AIM shares only got 50% relief under the new rules. The tax bill was £156,000 higher than expected because she hadn't taken tax-efficient advice for each holding separately.

When you need specialist legal advice:

Shareholding worth over £1 million (BPR cap considerations)
Complex shareholders' agreements with cross-option provisions
Multiple share classes with different rights
Family business succession to the next generation
Company owns substantial property or investments
International elements (foreign companies, non-UK beneficiaries, non-domiciled status)
Existing disputes with co-shareholders
Trust structures for asset protection or tax planning

These situations are too complex for a simple online will. You need a solicitor who specializes in business succession planning and understands the interplay between company law, inheritance law, and tax law.

Practical Steps to Take Today

Here's your action plan. You can complete most of these steps in a single afternoon.

Step 1: Find your company documents (1 hour)

Download your company's articles of association from Companies House. You'll need your company number. The articles are usually free to download.

Locate any shareholders' agreement. Check your files or email archives from when the company was formed. If you can't find it, ask your co-shareholders or company secretary. Not all companies have one—but if you do, you need to read it.

Review both documents for transfer restrictions, pre-emption rights, and death clauses. Look for phrases like "on the death of a member," "transmission of shares," "compulsory transfer," or "drag-along rights."

Step 2: Understand your shareholding (30 minutes)

Confirm exactly how many shares you own and what class. Check your share certificate or the company's register of members.

Get a current company valuation. Ask your accountant or look at recent company accounts. For a rough estimate, use a multiple of net profit (typically 3-8x depending on sector). For planning purposes, you need to know if you're dealing with £100,000, £500,000, or £2 million.

Calculate potential inheritance tax. If your total estate (including shares) exceeds £325,000, or £500,000 if you're leaving your home to direct descendants, there may be IHT to pay. With the new BPR rules from April 2026, anything over £1 million faces potential tax even with relief.

Step 3: Have the conversation with co-shareholders (ongoing)

This is the difficult one. Sit down with your business partners and discuss what happens if one of you dies.

Questions to address:

Do we want families involved in the business, or should there be a buy-out?
How would we fund a buy-out?
What's a fair valuation method we can all agree to now?
Should we formalize this in a shareholders' agreement?

Don't put this off because it's uncomfortable. Your business partners are probably relieved you brought it up—they've been thinking about it too.

Step 4: Review life insurance (1 hour)

Check if your company has keyman insurance covering shareholders. Many companies take out policies when they're formed and forget about them. The cover might be woefully inadequate now that the business has grown.

Consider personal life insurance if your family will need money to buy out your shares or pay inheritance tax. Term life insurance is much cheaper than most people think—£500,000 of cover for a healthy 40-year-old might cost £30-£40 per month.

Make sure the amount reflects current valuations, not what the business was worth five years ago.

Step 5: Make or update your will (1-2 hours)

Be specific about your company shares. Include the company name, company number, number of shares, and class of shares.

Address what happens if your shares must be sold under the company's articles or shareholders' agreement. Make clear your beneficiaries should receive the cash value if they can't hold the shares themselves.

Name contingent beneficiaries in case your primary choice dies before you.

For straightforward shareholdings, WUHLD can help you create a legally valid will for £49.99. For complex situations—shareholders' agreements with buy-sell provisions, multiple share classes, trusts, or estates over £1 million—consult a solicitor specializing in business succession.

Step 6: Document your wishes (30 minutes)

Write a letter of wishes for your executors. This isn't legally binding, but it provides invaluable guidance.

Include:

Your intentions for the business (sell, continue trading, pass to specific person)
Information about co-shareholders and their contact details
Guidance on valuation (who to use, what method)
Any informal understandings with business partners
Details about business operations they'll need to know

Store this with your will. Your executors will be grateful.

Step 7: Review annually (30 minutes)

Set a reminder to review your will every year. Update it whenever:

You buy or sell shares
Your shareholding percentage changes
The company restructures or creates new share classes
You start a new company
Co-shareholders change
Your personal circumstances change (marriage, divorce, children)
Company valuation changes significantly

An out-of-date will creates as many problems as no will at all.

How WUHLD Can Help (and When You Need a Solicitor)

WUHLD can create a legally valid will that includes your company shares—if your situation is straightforward.

WUHLD is suitable if:

You own shares in a UK private trading company
Your company's articles don't prohibit transfer to your chosen beneficiaries
You don't have a complex shareholders' agreement with forced buy-out provisions
Your total shareholding value (after Business Property Relief) won't exceed the inheritance tax threshold
You want to leave shares outright to adult beneficiaries, not in trust
All companies are UK incorporated and all beneficiaries are UK resident

WUHLD will help you:

Clearly identify each shareholding by company name and number
Specify the exact number and class of shares
Name primary and contingent beneficiaries
Address what happens if articles or shareholders' agreements require a sale
Create a legally binding will for £49.99 (one-time payment, no subscription)
Preview your complete will free before paying anything
Download immediately after payment and update your will as your shareholding changes

The WUHLD process takes about 15 minutes:

Start your will free—no payment or credit card required. Specify your company shares with company details. Choose beneficiaries for each shareholding. Preview your complete will before making any payment. Pay £49.99 when you're satisfied.

You'll receive four documents: your legally binding will, a 12-page testator guide explaining how to sign it properly, a witness guide to give to your witnesses, and a complete asset inventory document.

Compare this to alternatives:

A solicitor will for shareholding typically costs £650-£1,500 or more, depending on complexity. They'll spend 2-4 hours reviewing your company documents and drafting. This is money well spent for complex situations.

WUHLD costs £49.99 for straightforward shareholdings. Perfect if your articles don't restrict transfer and you're leaving shares to family outright.

No will means intestacy applies—likely disaster for your business and family, as we've seen.

You should consult a solicitor if:

Your shareholding is worth over £1 million (the new BPR cap from April 2026 creates complex tax planning needs)
You have a shareholders' agreement with cross-option or forced buy-out provisions
Your company has multiple share classes (ordinary, preference, voting, non-voting)
You want shares held in trust for tax planning or asset protection
You're planning family business succession to the next generation
Your company is primarily a property or investment holding company (BPR complications)
You own shares in foreign companies or have non-UK beneficiaries
There are existing disputes with co-shareholders
Your articles have complex transfer restrictions
You need sophisticated tax planning to minimize inheritance tax

For these situations, expect to pay £1,000-£3,000+ for a solicitor. The investment is worth it when you're dealing with complex business structures and potentially hundreds of thousands in tax.

Be honest about which category you fall into. If you're unsure, start by previewing a will with WUHLD for free. As you work through the questions, you'll get a sense of whether your situation is straightforward or needs specialist advice.

The worst choice is doing nothing because you're overwhelmed by complexity. Even if you eventually need a solicitor, getting your thoughts organized through WUHLD's process can make that consultation more efficient and productive.

Create your will today and protect your business legacy. For just £49.99, you can ensure your company shares go where you want them to—not where intestacy rules dictate.

Ready to Create Your Will?

WUHLD makes it simple to create a legally valid will online in just 15 minutes. Our guided process ensures your wishes are properly documented and your loved ones are protected.

Start creating your will now — it's quick, affordable, and backed by legal experts.

Legal Disclaimer: This article provides general information about including company shares in your UK will and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Company law, inheritance law, and tax law are complex and your specific situation may require professional guidance. For advice specific to your individual circumstances, including interpretation of your company's articles of association, shareholders' agreement, or tax planning, please consult a qualified solicitor, accountant, or tax advisor. WUHLD's online will service is suitable for straightforward UK estates where company shareholdings are not subject to complex transfer restrictions; complex situations involving shareholders' agreements with buy-sell provisions, multiple share classes, or high-value estates requiring sophisticated tax planning may require professional legal advice.

Tax Information Disclaimer: Tax law is complex and subject to change. The information about Business Property Relief changes from April 2026 is based on government announcements and draft legislation and may change before implementation. For specific tax planning advice, consult a qualified tax advisor or accountant.

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