Widowed - how much nil band IHT left to transfer to surviving spouse?

gracelet88

I've had no contact with my former in-laws or the executor of my late wife's estate since 2013, and I have no idea how much her estate was valued at and how much unused basic threshold for inheritance tax might be available to transfer to me. She died in 2013 so threshold was £325k.

Her sole assets came nowhere near that number. Does anyone know how I can find out the unused amount that can be transferred to me — without contacting the executor? I want to organise my affairs to ease the admin burden on my second wife when I die, and I certainly don’t want her to have to reach out to my late wife’s estranged family.

For context, this situation is complicated. I was widowed due to suicide, and my late wife’s family blamed me for it. She also made a will disinheriting me the week before her death, giving everything to her sister also the Executor, and I couldn't afford legal fees to challenge that at the time. She took everything she could get her hands on, even some joint property, which included the dog for example. So you'll understand why I don't want to touch that with a bargepole.

Keep_pedalling

gracelet88 said:

I've had no contact with my former in-laws or the executor of my late wife's estate since 2013, so I have no idea how much unused basic threshold for inheritance tax might be available to transfer to me. She died in 2013 so threshold was £325k.

Her sole assets came nowhere near that number. Does anyone know how I can find out the unused amount that can be transferred to me — without contacting the executor? I want to organise my affairs to ease the admin burden on my second wife when I die, and I certainly don’t want her to have to reach out to my late wife’s estranged family.

For context, this situation is complicated. I was widowed due to suicide, and my late wife’s family blamed me for it. She also made a will disinheriting me the week before her death, giving everything to her sister also the Executor, and I couldn't afford legal fees to challenge that at the time. She took everything she could get her hands on, even some joint property, which included the dog for example. So you'll understand why I don't want to touch that with a bargepole.

So sorry you have had to go through this. If the executors had to go through probate then this will be a public record and you can obtain a copy through the probate office.

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/

The good news is that anything to your wife is exempt from IHT so your executors probable do not need to claim any of the transferable NRB, and definitely won’t if your second wife inherits everything.