Most Britons back cutting or abolishing inheritance tax, poll finds
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to abolish inheritance tax on main residences regardless of value, as part of a broader tax-cutting agenda. A new YouGov poll shows 52 per cent of British voters support cutting or scrapping the levy, underlining the issue's electoral appeal.
The proposal would allow couples to pass on an additional £1million tax-free, reducing the number paying inheritance tax by more than half. According to the poll, only 13 per cent want inheritance tax to remain unchanged, whilst 9 per cent back increasing it, with 26 per cent of Labour supporters and 27 per cent of Liberal Democrats backing abolition. The £6billion pledge is funded by welfare cuts and forms part of a package that also includes scrapping stamp duty and ditching the proposed mansion tax.
- 52% of Britons back cutting inheritance tax, says YouGov poll
- Badenoch pledges homes exempt from tax, couples can pass £1m free
- Plan supported across parties, including 26% of Labour voters
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Inheritance tax is a levy paid when someone's property, savings and possessions pass to their heirs after death. In Britain, the first £325,000 of an estate is not taxed, but anything above that is taxed at 40 per cent. Most people do not pay it because their estates fall below this threshold.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has proposed abolishing the tax on main homes entirely, which would allow families to pass on their house without any tax liability regardless of value. This forms part of a wider tax-cutting policy agenda from the Conservative Party.
Inheritance tax is politically significant because it affects how wealth passes between generations and influences government revenue. Public attitudes towards the tax therefore matter in the broader debate about taxation and how the government funds public services.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those advocating abolition or substantial cuts to inheritance tax argue it represents unjust double taxation, since assets being transferred have already been taxed as income. They contend it particularly harms middle-class families trying to pass modest homes and small businesses to their children, whilst proving administratively costly and economically inefficient. The polling showing 52% public support reflects a widespread belief that individuals should retain autonomy over accumulated wealth and pass it freely to family without state appropriation.
The case against
Those defending inheritance tax argue it plays an essential role in preventing extreme wealth concentration across generations and maintaining a society where opportunity isn't entirely determined by inheritance. They note that only around 4% of estates currently pay the tax, meaning it primarily affects genuinely wealthy households rather than ordinary families, and that exempting main residences removes significant revenue without meaningfully assisting the middle class. They further question funding this through welfare cuts, seeing it as prioritising asset transfer for the wealthy over social support for the vulnerable.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Brits back Kemi’s push to slash death duties with 52% saying they should be cut or abolished – and even Labour voters supportive”.