Professional Intermediaries
Tax support for law firms and solicitors
Specialist tax analysis for solicitors on trusts, wills, transactions, property and disputes, so the legal documents deliver the tax outcome the client wants.
On this page10 sections
Key points
- 1Tax analysis before the documents are drafted
- 2Support on trusts, wills, deals, property and disputes
- 3White-label, joint or direct working
- 4Led by a Chartered Tax Adviser, same-day replies
Tax sits at the edge of nearly every instruction a law firm handles. A will, a trust deed, a sale agreement, a property transfer: each carries a tax outcome that the client may not have thought about, and that cannot easily be fixed once the document is signed. ASWATAX gives solicitors specialist tax input early, so the legal structure delivers the result the client actually wants.
Who this is for
This page is for solicitors and legal executives in private client, corporate, property, family and dispute resolution teams, and for in-house counsel at family businesses. You may be a small high-street practice or a larger firm with its own tax function that wants a second view.
Where tax and legal advice meet
Wills, trusts and estates
The same family intention can be delivered several ways, each with a different tax result. A gift, a lifetime trust, a will trust or a company can all move value to the next generation, but the inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax consequences differ sharply. Inheritance tax is charged at 40% above the nil-rate band of £325,000 (plus a residence nil-rate band of £175,000 in qualifying cases), so the right route matters. See Trusts and Estates and our article on common trust mistakes.
Corporate transactions
Share purchase agreements, management buy-outs and sales to an Employee Ownership Trust all turn on tax. The structure of consideration, the use of loan notes, the tax covenant and the warranties can move real money between buyer and seller. See Transaction Tax and Selling a Business.
Property
Transfers between family members, into companies or into trusts can trigger capital gains tax and stamp duty land tax even where no money changes hands. We help you advise on the tax cost before you draft. See Property Portfolio Incorporation and our article on transferring property to a family member.
Separation and settlement
Splitting shares, property or a business on divorce can create unexpected charges when done in the wrong form or order. A short tax review before an order or agreement is drafted often saves the family a great deal.
Disputes and HMRC enquiries
Where a matter involves HMRC, the technical tax analysis and the legal strategy need to line up. We support you on the tax points. See HMRC Enquiries.
What we do and do not do
We provide tax analysis, modelling, written advice and, where needed, HMRC applications and correspondence. We do not draft the legal documents or give legal advice, and we do not do compliance work such as routine tax returns that would compete with an accountant. You stay the lead adviser on the legal instruction.
How a tax review fits into a matter
- Early call. You tell us the client's aims and the legal options in view.
- Tax analysis. We compare the tax outcome of each route and flag traps.
- Written note. You receive a clear note you can share with the client or adapt for your own advice.
- Draft review. We read your draft from a tax perspective and suggest amendments.
- Implementation. We prepare any HMRC applications, claims or notifications that follow.
Ways of working
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Behind the scenes | We give you the analysis; you present it as part of your advice |
| Joint meetings | We attend client meetings with you, then step back |
| Direct engagement | We advise the client on the tax question, you remain lead on the legal side |
Tax traps that appear in legal work
- Gifts with strings attached. A gift that the donor continues to benefit from may stay in their estate for inheritance tax, however well it is documented.
- Trusts funded without checking gains. Putting an appreciated asset into trust can trigger capital gains tax even though no cash changes hands, though holdover relief may be available in some cases.
- Property moves that attract stamp duty land tax. A transfer to a connected company is generally charged on market value, and a family transfer that takes over a mortgage can be charged on the debt assumed.
- Sale agreements that leave the seller exposed. Wide tax indemnities can leave a seller liable for years, often four to seven, after completion.
- Documents that ignore recent changes. Wills and trusts drafted before 6 April 2026 may not reflect the business relief cap, or the pension changes due on 6 April 2027.
When to involve us
Bring us in at the instruction stage, not at the review stage. A call before heads of terms or before a will is drafted lets us compare options while they are all still available. If you are asked to act on a structure someone else has designed, an independent tax read is a sensible safeguard for you and the client.
Why ASWATAX
Omar Aswat, a Chartered Tax Adviser, leads the advice personally. We are commercially minded: we start from what the client wants and work back to the structure. We explain tax in plain English so you can relay it clearly, and we reply the same working day. We have advised 300+ clients and are rated 5.0 on Google from 31 reviews. Read about our approach, or see our overview for professional intermediaries.
Talk to us
If you have a matter where tax could change the legal approach, book a free first call or get in touch. The earlier we are involved, the more options your client has.
01 · Guide in progress
The Solicitor's Checklist for Tax in Private Client and Corporate Work
The tax questions to ask before the documents are drafted.
Talk it through instead
Our The Solicitor's Checklist for Tax in Private Client and Corporate Work is being written. In the meantime, a 20-minute call with a Chartered Tax Adviser is free.
Book a free callWe reply the same working day.
Often handled together.
- ServiceProfessional Intermediaries overviewSpecialist tax support for accountants, law firms, family offices and other advisers. We work under your client relationship, with a Chartered Tax Adviser, and respond quickly.Read the page
- Private FamiliesTrusts and EstatesTax advice on setting up, running and winding up trusts, and on dealing with an estate after a death, led personally by a Chartered Tax Adviser.Read the page
- Transaction TaxTransaction Tax overviewTax advice on buying, selling, management buy-outs and sales to an Employee Ownership Trust, led personally by a Chartered Tax Adviser.Read the page
- Property ProfessionalsProperty Portfolio IncorporationHow to move rental property into a limited company, and when the CGT, SDLT, mortgage and Section 24 trade-offs make it worth doing.Read the page
- Private FamiliesFamily Investment CompanyWhere a Family Investment Company sits in your wider family plan alongside gifts, trusts, pensions and your business, and when another route is better.Read the page
From the journal.
Questions, answered.
Straight answers to what clients ask us most. Your own situation may differ, so treat them as a starting point.
Q1How can a tax adviser help a solicitor on a private client matter?
By working out the tax result of the options before the documents are drafted. The same family wishes can be achieved through a will trust, a lifetime trust, a gift or a company, each with different inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax effects. We set those out so you can draft with the outcome in mind.
Q2Do you draft legal documents?
No. We provide tax analysis and advice, and you draft and advise on the legal documents. We are happy to review a draft from a tax perspective and tell you where a clause could create an unintended charge, but the legal drafting and the legal advice stay with you.
Q3Can you help with the tax side of a share purchase agreement?
Yes. We review and advise on tax warranties, indemnities and the tax covenant, as well as structuring points such as loan notes, earn-outs and share exchanges. We work alongside the corporate team to protect either the buyer or the seller, depending on who you act for.
Q4What can you add on trust work?
We can model the inheritance tax entry, periodic and exit charges for a proposed trust, advise on which assets to settle, and explain the capital gains tax position on funding. We can also advise trustees on distributions and reporting. This lets you advise the settlor on the real cost and benefit of the trust.
Q5Do you advise on tax in a probate or estate administration?
Yes. We can help personal representatives with inheritance tax valuations and reliefs, capital gains tax on sale of estate assets, income tax in the administration period and deeds of variation. Getting the tax correct early can save the estate a substantial amount and avoid later HMRC queries.
Q6Can you help with tax in a divorce or separation?
Yes. Dividing a business or property on separation can trigger capital gains tax, stamp duty land tax or income tax if done in the wrong order or form. We advise on the tax result of settlement options so that the order or agreement is drafted tax-efficiently for your client.
Q7Do you work with commercial property and real estate teams?
Yes. We help with property transfers into companies, stamp duty land tax on acquisitions and incorporations, capital allowances on commercial property and the tax consequences of different holding structures. Early tax input often changes how a transaction is structured, so it helps to involve us before heads of terms are agreed.
Q8What about a client who needs a tax opinion?
We can provide written advice on a defined question, setting out the facts and assumptions, the law and our conclusion with its level of confidence. A written view of this kind can support the client's decision and help you demonstrate that the tax position was considered.
Q9Can you help on a cross-border matter?
Yes. For clients with assets or family in more than one country, we advise on the UK position: residence, domicile-related rules, inheritance tax exposure on worldwide assets and the effect of tax treaties. Where overseas advice is needed we work with local counsel to build one joined-up plan.
Q10Can you speak to the client directly or only through us?
Either. Some solicitors prefer to take our analysis and relay it, others invite us into the meeting. In both cases you remain the lead adviser on the legal instruction. We confirm the arrangement at the outset so the client understands who is advising on which part.
Q11How quickly can you review a draft document?
We confirm the timetable. A focused review of a draft for tax points can often be returned within a few days, depending on its length. If a deal or completion date is looming, tell us on the first call and we will work to it.
Q12Do you get involved in disputes with HMRC?
Yes. If a client's matter turns into an HMRC enquiry or a disagreement about a tax charge, we can support you with the technical analysis and, where appropriate, deal with HMRC as agent. We are careful to keep your lawyer-client privilege issues in mind and agree handling with you first.
Q13How do you handle confidentiality and privilege?
We treat all instructions as strictly confidential and keep each matter separate. Legal advice privilege does not generally extend to advice from tax advisers who are not lawyers, even when engaged through a law firm. If privilege matters, for example because litigation is in prospect, tell us at the start so the engagement can be structured with that in mind. You should take your own view on privilege.
Q14Can you help with a Family Investment Company or other wealth structure?
Yes. A Family Investment Company needs coordinated company law, tax and trust advice. We handle the tax design and modelling, and your team handles the articles, shareholder agreement and any trust. We have set up 50+ Family Investment Companies and can work with you on the documents.
Q15Do you advise on employee share schemes and incentives?
We advise on the tax side of share incentives and the interaction with a sale or restructure, including how share structures and employment-related securities rules affect the outcome. Because these matters sit alongside the legal documents, early involvement helps avoid avoidable income tax charges.
Q16Can we introduce you to a client at the start of a retainer?
Yes. Many firms like to introduce a tax adviser at the outset of larger matters, such as an estate plan or a business sale, so tax is considered while options are open. We can be on a call or in a meeting early and then stay in the background until needed.
05 · Next step
Talk it through with Omar.
The first call is free. You'll speak to a Chartered Tax Adviser, and leave with a clear view of your options.
We reply the same working day.
