Nicola Evans considers whether the charitable giving reforms
announced in this year's Budget are likely to be an effective
catalyst to change society's attitude to giving.
In the Budget in March 2011, the Chancellor announced a package
of reforms which the government has since described as 'the
most radical and generous reforms to charitable giving for more
than twenty years'. This is aimed at 'encouraging
charitable giving and building a more socially conscious
society'. Will the reality match the rhetoric?
Incentivising charitable legacy giving
The Chancellor announced a 'major change to our inheritance
tax system', namely that for deaths from 6 April 2012, the
inheritance tax rate would be reduced by 10% for estates in which
at least 10% of the net estate is left to charity. A consultation
on this proposal ('A new incentive for charitable giving')
has now been launched, giving further information on how the relief
is intended to operate, but also highlighting
