Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Strategy. Read the original article for full details.

Inheritance Tax Receipts for April 2026 Drop to £0.7bn, Says HMRC

HMRC’s latest data reveals that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for April 2026 totalled £0.7 billion, which is £65 million lower than the same period last year. The figures were reported by Mortgage Strategy, highlighting a slight decrease in IHT receipts compared to the previous year.

Evelyn Partners’ head of estate planning, Ian Dyall, commented that the fall in IHT receipts for April 2026 is likely a short-term fluctuation rather than a shift in the overall upward trend. Dyall noted that recent changes to IHT reliefs and exemptions, introduced in the October 2024 Budget, indicate a willingness in the Treasury to target estates. He also referenced the capping of business reliefs and the future inclusion of unspent pension assets in IHT calculations.

Will Hale, chief executive of Key Equity Release, stated that the slight reduction in IHT receipts should not distract from the longer-term trend of increasing receipts. He pointed to rising asset values and the government’s decision to maintain tax-free thresholds at 2020 to 2021 levels up to 2030 to 2031 as contributing factors. Hale emphasised that rising house prices have played a major role in the growth of IHT receipts, making property wealth a central consideration in estate planning.

For UK letting agents and inventory clerks, these developments underline the growing importance of property values in inheritance tax planning. The ongoing changes to IHT rules and the impact of property prices may influence landlord and investor strategies, as well as the advice given to clients regarding property portfolios and succession planning.