Leaving a gift of love and hope

Senior Associate at Birketts, Natasha Senior, shares how leaving a charitable legacy in your Will can have an astounding lasting impact

When we think about Wills and estate planning, we often consider the tangible assets we’ll leave behind when we are no longer here. But what if our legacy could be more than just material possessions? What if it could change lives and bring  hope to those who need it most? By leaving a charitable legacy in your Will to SNAP, you can do just that.

What is a charitable legacy?

A charitable legacy is a provision in your Will that designates a gift to a charitable organisation registered with the Charity Commission. SNAP’s registered charity number is 1077787. A charitable legacy can be a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or even a particular asset.

How to leave a charitable legacy?

Leaving a charitable legacy is straightforward. When drafting your Will, you simply specify the charity you wish to support and the nature of your gift. It is also important to ensure the necessary charity receipt clause is included in your Will.

The inheritance tax benefits

One of the significant benefits of leaving a charitable legacy is that they are not subject to inheritance tax. Furthermore, if  you leave at least 10% of your ‘net estate’ to a charity, the rate of inheritance tax is reduced from 40% to 36%. This can  result in substantial tax savings, making it a financially savvy move.

Impact of your legacy

By leaving a legacy to SNAP in your Will, you will help to ensure that SNAP can continue supporting families across  Essex for many years to come. Your gift could help to provide a variety of vital services such as the SNAP Helpline, which has received 4,403 contacts so far this year or SNAP’s range of activity sessions for children and young people which has already delivered over 4,000 hours of support this year. One parent shared,

“When we moved here, my child was in the process of getting a diagnosis. Never in a million years did I plan or know that the village I would need would be right on my doorstep. You have wiped my tears educated me, empowered me,  challenged me. You’ve given me new friends in the other mums who just ‘get it’. And although we have our up and down  days, we are thriving because of your support… Everything you do changes the world for us.”

Leaving a charitable legacy is therefore not only a powerful way to support SNAP, but it also offers  tangible financial benefits too.

Birketts LLP will be running a webinar for SNAP families about how to write a Will or set up a Trust on Wednesday 29th January 2025 between 7pm-9pm. To register your interest, please email [email protected].

Will drafting and inheritance tax planning can be complex and there are a number of other things to consider alongside the above. Specialist legal advice should be taken. Birketts’ Private Client Advisory Team can assist with any queries in relation to such matters.

Visit www.birketts.co.uk for more information on Wills & Legacies.