Private Families

We advise families on the tax that affects their wealth: inheritance tax, trusts, Family Investment Companies, wealth planning, capital gains, residency, personal tax returns, cryptocurrency and HMRC enquiries. You work directly with Omar Aswat, a Chartered Tax Adviser, who designs the plan and works with your solicitor, accountant and financial adviser to put it in place.

They include homeowners and landlords whose estates now exceed the inheritance tax thresholds, business owners and their families, retirees with significant pensions and investments, people who have sold a business, and families with links abroad. We have advised 300+ clients. You do not need to be very wealthy; you need a situation where good tax planning makes a real difference.

Start with the question that worries you most. If it is what your family would pay when you die, begin with inheritance tax planning. If you are about to sell or gift something, start with capital gains. If you are moving, start with residency. A free first call will sort your issues into an order, and we will say what can wait.

We agree the scope and cost with you before any work starts, and your first call is free, so you can see how we work before you commit. The cost depends on what is involved, for example a one-off review, a structure set up or ongoing yearly support. We always explain what you get for it, and there are no surprises.

A financial adviser recommends investments, pensions and insurance products. A tax adviser designs the structure and works out the tax consequences of your choices, such as gifts, trusts and the sale of assets. Families usually need both. We work alongside your financial adviser, accountant and solicitor, so the investment plan and the tax plan point the same way.

A Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) is a tax specialist who has passed the demanding professional examinations of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and works to its professional standards. It is the leading UK qualification for tax advice. Omar Aswat, who founded ASWATAX, is a CTA with 15+ years' experience, and he leads the advice on every service for private families.

Yes. You work directly with a Chartered Tax Adviser and are not passed between departments. That means the person who learns about your family is the person who designs the plan and answers your questions. Where specialists are needed for a particular task, they work with us under the same roof, and you still have one point of contact.

You will hear back on the day you write. If you send a question or a document, you will hear from us that day, even if it is only to confirm the next step. For time-sensitive matters such as a property sale, an HMRC deadline or a move, tell us the date and we will plan around it.

Three stand out. From 6 April 2026, business and agricultural relief at 100% applies to the first £2.5m of qualifying property per person. From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds will count in the estate. And since 6 April 2025, inheritance tax depends on how long you have been UK resident rather than on domicile. All three change common plans.

Consider one when you want to give assets away but keep some control, protect assets for children or grandchildren, or look after a vulnerable person. Trusts carry entry, ten-yearly and exit inheritance tax charges, and trust tax rates are high, so they are not always the cheapest tool. We compare them with gifts and a Family Investment Company before you decide.

Neither is better in general. A Family Investment Company suits families with investable capital who want to keep control and pass on future growth through shares. A trust suits control, protection and flexibility. Many families use both together. The right answer depends on the size and type of assets, your income needs and who the next generation are.

Yes. Whether you are resident in the UK affects income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax, and leaving or arriving at the wrong time can be costly. We work through the Statutory Residence Test with you, plan the timing, and consider the inheritance tax tail after you leave. You can start with our Residency Checker tool.

Yes, particularly where the return is not straightforward, for example with overseas income, property, gains, a change of residence or cryptocurrency. We prepare and review the return, and join it up with your wider plan so there are no surprises. If you already have an accountant, we can work with them on the planning side.

Do not ignore it, and do not reply on your own before you understand what HMRC is asking. Contact us as soon as possible. We read the letter, tell you what it means and what the deadline is, and handle the correspondence for you. Early and accurate responses usually lead to a better outcome than a rushed one.

Yes. Crypto assets can give rise to capital gains tax, income tax or both, depending on how you acquired and used them, and the records can be hard to put together. We help families work out the tax position, prepare the numbers for their return, and plan disposals and inheritance. Our Cryptocurrency page explains the common situations.

Yes, and we prefer to. Trusts, wills, company structures and investments all need the right professional. We provide the tax design and make sure the legal documents, accounts and investments match it. If you do not have a solicitor or other adviser for a specific task, we can suggest people we trust.

Yes. The first call is free and without obligation. We use it to understand your family and your goals, tell you which issues matter, and explain how we would approach them. If we can help, we will say what is involved. If we cannot, or you do not need us, we will say that too.

A rough list of your assets, debts and pensions, details of any wills, trusts or company shares, your family structure, and what you want to achieve, such as passing on a home, funding grandchildren or moving abroad. Approximate figures are fine. You can also run the Inheritance Tax Calculator first to see your position.

No, but they are a useful start. The Inheritance Tax Calculator and the UK Residency Checker give you a quick estimate and a better set of questions. They cannot take account of your whole situation, such as your will, trusts, business or family. Use them to prepare, then speak to us to turn the answers into a plan.