Tax changes could lead to ‘fire sale’ of family SMEs, experts warn

Industry leaders have warned there will be an influx of for-sale signs on UK businesses as their owners and subsequent heirs begin to cope with a change in inheritance tax (IHT).

The concern comes following the announcement in Reeves’ Autumn Budget that business assets worth more than £1m would no longer be exempt from IHT – further affecting a large number of family businesses.

Richard Stanley, partner at accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, believes there will be a large number of businesses sold by those who inherit them, “just to settle the big IHT bills.”

This, Stanley said, could be met with reduced demand or an unfavourable market as a whole.

“Is there a market for all those SMEs? We could well see them being sold off at ‘fire sale’ prices. That would mean years of built-up value simply going to waste,” Stanley said.

Currently, Britain’s SMEs account for over 99 per cent of the country’s business population, a growing total of 5.5m.

From April 2026, a tax of 20 per cent would be raised on the value of inherited property assets above £1m under the plans.

While this still represents a tax relief of 50 per cent compared to the standard rate, it has been criticised by those who fear it will cause troublesome succession planning.

Stanley said IHT on business assets will also cause business owners to extract cash from their firms in order to make it a “gift to their heirs” — gifts are exempt from IHT after seven years — which will in turn lead to less money for investment and growth.

“In some cases that could reach the point of the businesses being ‘asset-stripped’ as their owners get older,” Stanley added.

Neil Davy, chief executive of Family Business UK, is one of many advocating for a reversal of what he coined a “damaging policy.”

“Inheritance Tax is widely seen as a tax on individuals. But the truth is that when it’s applied to those owning and running family businesses, it is a direct cost to the company,” Davy said.

He added: “Typically, family business owners retain 90 per cent of their wealth in the business so few people will have the means to fund a 20 per cent Inheritance Tax bill.

“So, either the business covers the cost through a dividend payment or assets, or the entire business, will be sold to cover the cost.”