Autumn Budget 2026: What Might Be Next For Private Clients?

As the Autumn Budget approaches, it is tempting to fixate on speculation about what tax changes may lie ahead.

The recent changing of the guard at the top of government has inevitably created renewed uncertainty for private clients and their advisers. At a time when the sweeping inheritance tax(Opens in a new tab) reforms introduced by the Finance Act 2026 are already reshaping succession planning, many will be wondering whether the Autumn Budget could introduce yet more change on this front.

The story so far

The overhaul of the ‘non dom’ tax rules from April 2026, a cap on Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) since April 2026, and the bringing of unused pension wealth within the scope of inheritance tax (IHT) from April 2027, have fundamentally altered the estate planning landscape for many affluent families. This continues to drive behavioural change, with a significant upswing in lifetime gifting and use of trusts and other structures designed