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16 February 2012 / Emma Satterly
Issue: 7501 / Categories: Features , Wills & Probate
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Giving encouragement

Will government proposals under the Finance Bill increase gifts to charity, asks Emma Satterly

The government wants to encourage people to donate more to charities, yet has struggled so far to create a compelling proposition. The white paper Giving talks of making giving easier to encourage more support for charities: if giving is easier people will give more. One such scheme concerns giving through wills: a reduction in the rate of inheritance tax on estates where 10% or more of the net estate has been left to charity. So, is this likely to increase charitable giving?

Draft legislation

Following consultation, draft legislation to be included in the Finance Bill has been published, which will apply to deaths after 6 April 2012. Consultation on the draft legislation ended last week.

The proposals identify three components of property comprised in the estate of the deceased which may be subject to inheritance tax on death:

  • The survivorship component: property which, immediately before the death, was joint property liable to pass by survivorship on death.
  • The settled property
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

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Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
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