London and South East families pay almost half of UK inheritance tax

Families in London and the South East paid almost half of all UK inheritance tax (IHT) last year, according to analysis by TWM Solicitors. TWM Solicitors says rising house prices and frozen tax thresholds are pulling more families into paying inheritance tax. She described the long-running freeze in the inheritance tax threshold as a “stealth tax”. She also said planned limits on inheritance tax relief for agricultural and business property would increase tax bills for many families. The HMRC inheritance tax statistics cover the 2023/24 tax year and were published on 30 July 2026.