Readers’ forum: Property liability

Our client became the life tenant of a flat from the will of her late husband who died in 2014.

The flat has proved difficult to let and any income received from the property is only incidental to her main sources of income.

I believe that the life interest will form part of her estate when she dies and I am unclear as to whether her estate is then liable for all the inheritance tax that may be due.

Her other assets would at present be enough on their own to trigger a charge to inheritance tax on her death. There is no inheritance tax allowance from her late husband’s estate.

Given the low level of income and her age any inheritance tax charge to her estate would seem disproportionate compared with the benefit to her.

Would readers advise on the inheritance tax liability on her death...