Free calculator for executors
Inheritance Tax calculator
Enter what they owned and who it goes to. See the tax-free threshold, any tax at 40%, and every step of the working, the way HMRC sets it out.
No sign-up, no name or email needed. Rates from HMRC’s thresholds, checked 3 November 2026. A guide, not tax advice.
Enter what they owned to see the tax, worked out step by step.
Worked examples
A £600,000 estate, with a £300,000 home left to the children
Inheritance Tax: £40,000.
| Everything they owned | £600,000 |
|---|---|
| Estate that can be taxed | £600,000 |
| Tax-free threshold (nil-rate band) | −£325,000 |
| Home going to children or grandchildren (residence nil-rate band) | −£175,000 |
| Amount above the thresholds | £100,000 |
| Inheritance Tax at 40% | £40,000 |
Send form IHT400 to HMRC and pay by the end of the sixth month after the death, or HMRC charges interest. You normally pay some of it before probate is granted.
A widowed parent’s £900,000 estate, with a £400,000 home left to the children
Inheritance Tax: £0.
| Everything they owned | £900,000 |
|---|---|
| Estate that can be taxed | £900,000 |
| Tax-free threshold, with £325,000 from their late partner | −£650,000 |
| Home going to children or grandchildren (residence nil-rate band) | −£350,000 |
| Amount above the thresholds | £0 |
| Inheritance Tax at 40% | £0 |
No tax to pay, but you’ll probably still need to send form IHT400 to HMRC before applying for probate, to claim the thresholds.
A £2.2 million estate, with a £500,000 home left to the children
Inheritance Tax: £720,000.
| Everything they owned | £2,200,000 |
|---|---|
| Estate that can be taxed | £2,200,000 |
| Tax-free threshold (nil-rate band) | −£325,000 |
| Home going to children or grandchildren (residence nil-rate band, cut by £100,000 because the estate is over £2,000,000) | −£75,000 |
| Amount above the thresholds | £1,800,000 |
| Inheritance Tax at 40% | £720,000 |
Send form IHT400 to HMRC and pay by the end of the sixth month after the death, or HMRC charges interest. You normally pay some of it before probate is granted.
The rules it uses
- Tax-free threshold (nil-rate band): £325,000, fixed until 5 April 2031.
- Home allowance (residence nil-rate band): up to £175,000, fixed until 5 April 2030, when a home goes to children or grandchildren. Capped at the value of the home, and cut by £1 for every £2 the estate is over £2,000,000.
- A late husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s unused share of both passes on, so a couple can leave up to £1 million tax free.
- Anything left to a husband, wife, civil partner or charity is free of the tax.
- The rate above the threshold is 40%.
Sources: Inheritance Tax, residence nil-rate band, transferring a threshold and valuing the estate (GOV.UK). Want the whole probate plan, with the fee and forms? Answer 8 questions.
Questions executors ask
How much is Inheritance Tax in the UK?
40% of the estate above the tax-free threshold. The threshold is £325,000 per person, plus up to £175,000 more if their home goes to children or grandchildren. Anything left to a husband, wife, civil partner or charity is free of the tax.
How do I work out Inheritance Tax on an estate?
Add up everything they owned, take off debts and funeral costs, then take off anything left to a spouse, civil partner or charity. Take off the £325,000 threshold, and the home allowance if it applies. The tax is 40% of what is left.
Can a married couple leave £1 million tax free?
Yes, if both thresholds pass in full. When the first partner leaves everything to the other, their unused £325,000 and £175,000 home allowance pass on too, so the second estate can have up to £1,000,000 tax free when the home goes to children or grandchildren.
What is the residence nil-rate band?
An extra allowance of up to £175,000 when a home, or a share of one, goes to children, stepchildren or grandchildren. It can’t be more than the value of that home, and it shrinks by £1 for every £2 the estate is over £2,000,000.
When must Inheritance Tax be paid?
By the end of the sixth month after the death, or HMRC charges interest. Form IHT400 must go in within 12 months, and before you apply for probate.
What does this calculator leave out?
Gifts made in the 7 years before death, business and agricultural relief, and the lower 36% rate for estates that leave at least 10% to charity. Each can change the figure, so check with GOV.UK or an adviser if any applies.