• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
PoliticsU.K.
Europe

Rishi Sunak considers cutting the U.K.’s ‘most unfair tax’—but doing so would help Britain’s ultra-rich the most, says economic research report

Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2023, 8:15 AM ET
rishi sunak speaking pointing his hand upward
Rishi Sunak is said to be mulling a possible overhaul to inheritance tax in the U.K.WPA Pool/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s potential cuts on inheritance tax which could offer the most gains to Britain’s wealthiest 1%, according to a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. 

Recommended Video

If Sunak’s Conservative Party moves to abolish the tax, it could cost the country £7 billion ($8.50 billion) in revenue, or about 0.3% of the U.K.’s GDP, a year.

But about half of the benefits of such cuts are forecasted to go to those with estates valued at £2.1 million ($2.55 million) or more, which represents only the top 1% of all estates, an IFS report published Wednesday found. 

The research institute also said that such an abolition of inheritance tax would also exacerbate inequalities in the U.K.

“While a reformed inheritance tax could do more to promote intergenerational mobility, big wealth inequalities by parental background already exist before inheritances are received,” the IFS report said.

The authors argue that inheritance has been growing in recent times—and as that growth is set to continue, younger generations are expected to acquire larger sums from their ancestors. 

“Together with the growing importance of inheritance as a part of lifetime economic resources, this inequality in future inheritances means that parental wealth is set to be a greater driver of lifetime income across younger generations,” the report said.

Proposed inheritance tax changes come ahead of the general elections slated for next year as Sunak’s party is finding ways to boost its support.

Many of Britain’s richest people have estates in constituencies that Conservative members of Parliament hold, so a potential inheritance tax overhaul could shore up the party’s votes.

How important is the inheritance tax for the U.K.?

The U.K.’s inheritance tax has been divisive. It’s charged at 40% on assets valued at more than £325,000 ($395,000), with extra allowances on passing on a main home to heirs and some case-by-case exemptions. 

In its present form, this tax was only applied to under 4% of the U.K.’s deaths, according to government data from July.

As a result, revenues from the inheritance tax are also minuscule. But in about 10 years, IFS estimates the revenue will expand to over £15 billion ($18.23 billion), in today’s prices, double the collections made now.

Representatives at the British government also underscored the importance of the small, yet significant collection from the inheritance tax. 

“More than 93% of estates are forecast to have zero inheritance tax liability in the coming years—however, the tax raises more than £7 billion a year to help fund public services millions of us rely on daily,” a government spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. 

Talks on a possible change to the taxing on inheritance are set against a backdrop of persistently high but easing inflation and high interest rates impacting British households.

These factors have also put pressure on public finances in the long run as government debt is tied to them. A reduction or abolition of the inheritance tax could further affect national spending.

The current regime, first introduced in 1986, was an effort to redistribute wealth in society by taxing the rich and directing that into benefits for those who are less well off.

But over time, this system has earned a reputation for being easy to circumvent and has consistently been one of the most “unfair taxes” in the country. 

Reforms to the system such as placing a cap on certain reliefs that typically “open up channels to avoid the tax” could help create a robust source of revenue for the government, raise up to £4.5 billion ($5.5 billion), IFS argued.

These funds could then be channeled into other public-sponsored programs or tax cuts in other areas.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Prarthana Prakash
By Prarthana PrakashEurope Business News Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Prarthana Prakash was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

‘Iran just basically put its wish list into this’: the Trump-Iran agreement gives Iran a free pass on nuclear treaty violations pending final deal
Middle EastDonald Trump
‘Iran just basically put its wish list into this’: the Trump-Iran agreement gives Iran a free pass on nuclear treaty violations pending final deal
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 18, 2026
5 hours ago
Sanders stands at a podium with a poster that reads "fight oligarchy"
PoliticsBernie Sanders
‘Make AI work for ordinary people’: Bernie Sanders wants to pay you $1,000 every year from a government stake in AI companies 
By Jacqueline MunisJune 18, 2026
6 hours ago
z
PoliticsElections
Zohran’s primary of power: the Democrat that Republicans fear most runs New York City
By Steve Peoples, Anthony Izaguirre, Matt Brown and The Associated PressJune 18, 2026
10 hours ago
hegseth
EuropeNATO
Pete Hegseth flew to NATO, told allies they might fail his review, and caught an early flight home
By Lorne Cook and The Associated PressJune 18, 2026
10 hours ago
We’ve now got the full text of the U.S.-Iran peace deal—and allies are appalled at the gains it hands to Iran
BankingMarkets
We’ve now got the full text of the U.S.-Iran peace deal—and allies are appalled at the gains it hands to Iran
By Jim EdwardsJune 18, 2026
13 hours ago
World Cup, America 250 face new risk with spy law lapse
CybersecurityWorld Cup
World Cup, America 250 face new risk with spy law lapse
By Caitlin Reilly, Roxana Tiron and BloombergJune 17, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
17 hours ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
3 days ago
Vanguard's alarming state of retirement in 2026: The average American has $167,970 in their account—or they have $44,115
Personal Finance
Vanguard's alarming state of retirement in 2026: The average American has $167,970 in their account—or they have $44,115
By Nick LichtenbergJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.