A Legacy to Last: RG Law Charity Gifts in Wills

Accumulator Challenge 2025 total amount raised

Do you want to make a difference to a charity who has impacted your life?

Do you have a high value estate and could benefit from inheritance tax relief?

Now could be the perfect time to consider updating your Will and leaving a legacy to charity. Whether it’s a small gesture, or a sizeable gift, every little really does help!

If you are looking for inspiration, then look no further than the generous clients of RG Law who together have pledged £174,000 of legacies to Cancer Research UK in the past year. Nearly 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime, but together we can be part of the research that will beat it. Without gifts in Wills, this research would not be possible.

Every charity you can possibly think of is supported in part by legacy gifting. Speaking from personal experience, I am an avid supporter of the charity Support Dogs. I was recently shocked to find out that one in three of their service dogs would not exist if it weren’t for donations within Wills.

Leaving a gift within your Will can help transform someone else’s life, and what legacy could be more beautiful than that. 

Beyond this, did you know that charitable gifts can also benefit your nearest and dearest when it comes to estate planning?

UK Registered Charities are exempt from paying Inheritance Tax on legacies left to them. So, let’s say we are dealing with the estate of Mrs. Butler. If her estate is worth £375,000 then (presuming her executors cannot claim any tax exemptions) a 40% rate of tax will be payable on £50,000 of the estate. This means her executors must settle a tax bill of £20,000 to HMRC.

However, if Mrs. Butler had left a gift of £50,000 to a charity, then no tax would be payable from her estate at all.

If you gift 10% or more of your assets to charity within your Will, then you can also reduce the rate of tax payable on the rest of your estate (from 40% to 36%). When dealing with inevitably large figures, this can make a bigger difference than you would expect!

This is just one of many considerations when it comes to inheritance tax planning or having a high value estate, and it is vital you prepare your Will with a reputable firm of solicitors for this reason. At RG Law, we review all our client’s personal and financial circumstances as standard when creating their Wills. This allows us to tailor the advice we provide and guarantee your Will meets your needs!

It is incredibly common that clients approach us to create a ‘Simple Will’, and it turns out there is a great deal of additional provision needed, or complex legal advice required!

RG Law are long-term supporters of many national and local charities, so if you would like to leave a meaningful gift within your Will, we would be honored to help make that happen! Recently we were proud to support the St Leonard’s Accumulator Challenge for the second year in a row - overall, the event raised a whopping £27,614.07!

Don’t leave things to chance – get in touch for free no obligation advice today! Our friendly colleagues will be delighted to assist you in creating a Will which suits you.