After RBC Brewin Dolphin’s latest survey revealed that over half of affluent individuals are worried about upcoming changes to inheritance tax, Nick Ritchie at RBC Wealth Management shares his thoughts on emerging trends about philanthropic gifting.

Affluent individuals (62 per cent) are concerned about upcoming changes to inheritance tax (IHT). With less than a year to go, just under a third are already changing how they are gifting. Of those changing their gifting behaviour, they are gifting more often, gifting earlier, gifting larger amounts and even expanding who they are gifting to. These findings came from a new survey from RBC Brewin Dolphin.

The survey from UK and Ireland’s wealth manager covered the views of 1,000 UK individuals aged 55 plus with either a personal income of over £100,000 ($135, 000), investable assets of over £500,000, or a house valued more than £1 million. It comes ahead of changes due to take effect on 6 April 2027. These changes will bring unused pension pots, and a wider number of death benefits into scope for IHT for the first time, alongside freezing the current nil-rate band at £325,000 until April 2031.

Last week, Nick Ritchie, senior director and wealth planner at RBC Wealth Management, discussed emerging trends in philanthropic gifting. With around £14 billion donated to charities in the UK last year, philanthropy plays an important role in how individuals support good causes as part of their wealth plans.

“While children and grandchildren remain primary recipients of gifts, our data shows that around one in five respondents are also choosing to gift to charities or not-for-profit organisations,” Ritchie told WealthBriefing. “This ranks firmly in the top three categories for gifting, sitting ahead of friends and other relatives and reflects a clear desire among affluent individuals to support philanthropic causes alongside family members.”

“Beyond ad hoc direct gifts to specific charities, we are seeing more clients turn to donor-advised funds or their own charitable trusts or foundations as a way to set aside funds for causes they care about,” he said. “These structures provide a mechanism to grow a dedicated philanthropic fund and involve younger family members in the decision-making process, whether that is how funds are invested or which causes to support. Philanthropy can give real purpose to wealth, offering families a way to align their values and involve the next generation in something meaningful.”

“For those thinking about where to start, it helps to focus on what matters most to you, as giving tends to have greater impact when it is driven by real passion,” Richie continued. “Charitable gifts are also often enhanced by generous tax reliefs, which can further boost the difference your giving makes."

Current rules allow individuals to give away up to £3,000 worth of gifts each tax year without these being added to the value of an individual's estate for IHT. Up to £2,500 can also be given to an offspring who is getting married or entering a civil partnership. If an individual wants to make a larger financial gift, for example towards university fees or buying a property, this is known as a potentially exempt transfer (PET), and the person must live for at least a further seven years for it to be IHT free.

The survey revealed that the top five recipients of gifts were children (68 per cent), grandchildren (26 per cent), charities or not-for-profits (19 per cent), other relatives (13 per cent) and friends (5 per cent)

The survey was conducted in partnership with Find Out Now between 22 May and 5 June 2026 with a sample of 1,000 respondents.