Can I give money to my children tax-free?
- Nic Round: Chartered Wealth Manager
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
If you’re thinking about helping your children financially, you may ask:
Can I give money to my children tax free?
In the UK, you can give money to your children, but the tax treatment depends on the amount, timing, and your wider estate position. The rules are mainly linked to inheritance tax rather than income tax.
Behind this question are often deeper concerns:
Will this create a tax problem later?
Is there a limit I can give each year?
What happens if I die after making the gift?
Am I reducing inheritance tax or complicating it?
Understanding how gifting works under UK tax rules helps avoid unintended consequences.
Is there a tax on giving money?
There is no immediate tax simply for giving money to your children.
However, gifts may be considered when calculating inheritance tax if you die within a certain period.
This is where the seven-year rule becomes important.
The annual exemption
Each individual can give away up to £3,000 per tax year free of inheritance tax.
This is known as the annual exemption.
If unused in one tax year, it can usually be carried forward for one year only.
For example:
You did not use last year’s exemption.
This year you could give £6,000 tax-free.
This exemption applies per person, so couples can combine allowances.
Small gifts exemption
You can also give:
Up to £250 per person per tax year
To as many individuals as you like
Provided no other exemption is used for the same recipient.
Wedding or civil partnership gifts
Specific allowances apply:
£5,000 to a child
£2,500 to a grandchild
£1,000 to others
These are separate from the £3,000 annual exemption.
Larger gifts and the seven-year rule
If you give more than the available exemptions, the gift is classed as a potentially exempt transfer (PET).
This means:
If you survive seven years from the date of the gift, it usually falls outside your estate for inheritance tax.
If you die within seven years, the gift may be counted when calculating inheritance tax.
Taper relief may reduce the tax if death occurs between three and seven years, but it does not eliminate the inclusion of the gift in the estate calculation.
A simple example
Imagine:
You give your daughter £100,000.
You survive more than seven years.
The gift generally falls outside your estate for inheritance tax.
If you die four years after making the gift:
The £100,000 may be counted when calculating inheritance tax.
Taper relief may reduce the tax due depending on timing.
The gift itself is not taxed when made.The tax question arises only if death occurs within seven years.
Gifts from surplus income
There is another often overlooked exemption.
If you can demonstrate that gifts are made:
From surplus income (not capital)
On a regular basis
Without reducing your standard of living
They may be immediately exempt from inheritance tax.
This exemption requires clear record-keeping.
The behavioural layer
Often the real question is not technical.
It is:
Am I helping now in a sensible way?
Should I wait?
Am I giving too much?
Could this leave me financially exposed?
Gifting can feel generous and supportive.
But it also reduces your own financial flexibility.
Clarity matters before acting.
A more useful question
Instead of asking only:
Can I give money to my children tax free?
A more practical question might be:
Can I afford to give this money without affecting my long-term security?
Tax is one factor.
Sustainability is another.
Both deserve consideration.
Some of the most common practical questions people ask about gifting money to children are below.
How much can I give my children each year tax free?
You can usually give £3,000 per year under the annual exemption, plus small gift allowances and wedding exemptions where applicable.
Do my children pay tax on money I give them?
No. There is no income tax on receiving a gift. The tax consideration relates to inheritance tax if you die within seven years.
Does the seven-year rule apply to all gifts?
It applies to gifts above annual exemptions that are classed as potentially exempt transfers.
Can regular payments to children be tax free?
Yes, if made from surplus income and properly documented, regular gifts may be exempt from inheritance tax.
A calm place to think first
If you are considering giving money to your children, there may be no need to act immediately.
Often the first step is to clarify:
Your long-term financial needs
Whether the gift affects your own security
How it fits into wider estate planning
Evoa exists to provide that quiet thinking space — before advice, before action.
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