Ben Brassington Consultant Solicitor

Ben specialises in providing bespoke advice to farmers and rural estate owners. Ben farms in partnership with his family and is able to offer pragmatic solutions for clients. Ben assists clients with identifying the most appropriate ownership structure to adopt in relation to their assets to mitigate inheritance tax and achieve the safe passage of assets from one generation to the next.

Ben assists and advises farmers and landowners regarding:

• Farm business planning and future succession planning options
• Partnership agreements
• Tax efficient wills incorporating appropriate flexibility and protection
• Administration of estates
• Setting up trusts
• Ongoing advice to trustees, executors, partners and individual business owners
• Property/land ownership transfers and ownership structures/arrangements

Examples of Ben’s recent work:

• Preparing the inheritance tax forms and application to obtain the Grant of Probate relating to a Diversified Rural Estate valued at over £9 million. HMRC accepted the claims made for Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief at 100%, resulting in the assets passing to the next generation free of Inheritance Tax.
• Advising Partners regarding the most appropriate ownership structure to adopt in relation to the farming assets and non-farming assets valued at approximately £40 million. The ownership structure adopted ensures the maximum Inheritance Tax reliefs are available to the Estate to maximise the future value of the Family’s assets. Ben also prepared Tax Efficient Flexible Wills for the Senior Partners to achieve the safe passage of assets to the next generation.
• Assisting a farming family with splitting the farming partnership business. Advising the Senior Partners regarding the long-term Inheritance Tax effects of gifting farming business assets during their lifetime, and putting in place appropriate documentation to protect their Estates if the gifted assets become chargeable to Inheritance Tax following the death of a Partner.
• Providing advice to a 2000 acre Rural Estate with a portfolio of business interests. Assisting with identifying appropriate ownership structures to minimise Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax charges relating to the diversified business assets and future potential development sites.

Please contact Ben for assistance.