uk.co.simplyestate/estate-planning

Measured conclusion: Deep-tested. L2 outcome: tools_ok.

UK estate-planning calculators + knowledge (IHT, intestacy, trusts, wills). Read-only.

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Copy this into your MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "estate-planning": {
      "url": "https://simplyestate.co.uk/api/ai/mcp",
      "transport": "streamable-http"
    }
  }
}

Measured tools (16)

• calculate_iht

  Estimate a UK Inheritance Tax bill (2025/26 England & Wales rules). Models the nil-rate band, residence nil-rate band and its £2m taper, spousal doubling, the 40% charge, the 2027 pension change, plus optional debts, charity rate (36% at 10%+), transferred allowances and business/agricultural relief. Illustrative only — excludes lifetime-gift history.

  Parameters:

  • estateValue (required) — number — Total estate value excluding any pension you add separately (£)
  • married (required) — boolean — Married or in a civil partnership (combined/doubled allowances)
  • leavingHomeToDescendants (required) — boolean — Does a main home pass to children/grandchildren? Enables the residence nil-rate band
  • homeValue — number — Value of the main home (£) — caps the residence nil-rate band
  • charityPct — number — Share of the net estate left to charity (%)
  • debtsValue — number — Mortgage, loans and funeral costs (£)
  • includeDebts — boolean — Deduct debts/liabilities first
  • pensionValue — number — Unused pension value to fold in (£)
  • includeRelief — boolean — Qualifying business/agricultural assets get simplified relief
  • includePension — boolean — Include unused pensions (the rules from 6 April 2027)
  • transferredNrb — number — Late spouse's unused nil-rate band (£), capped £325,000
  • transferredRnrb — number — Late spouse's unused residence nil-rate band (£), capped £175,000
  • leavingToCharity — boolean — A share of the estate is left to charity (10%+ cuts the rate to 36%)
  • reliefAssetsValue — number — Value of qualifying business/agricultural assets (£)
  • transferredAllowance — boolean — Claim a late spouse's/civil partner's unused allowances

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• compare_pension_2027

  Show the Inheritance Tax impact of the April 2027 change that brings most unused pensions into the estate: the IHT before vs after, and the extra tax. Exposure only — models nothing about pension products or what to do with a pension (that is FCA-regulated advice).

  Parameters:

  • estateValue (required) — number — Estate value excluding pensions (£)
  • leavingHomeToDescendants (required) — boolean — Does a main home pass to children/grandchildren?
  • married (required) — boolean — Married or in a civil partnership
  • pensionValue (required) — number — Unused pension value (£) — counted only in the 'from 2027' scenario
  • homeValue — number — Main home value (£) — caps the residence nil-rate band
  • pensionToSpouse — boolean — Pension would pass to a spouse first (educational note only)

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• who_inherits_intestacy

  Apply the England & Wales intestacy rules (dying without a will, rules from 26 July 2023): who inherits and how much. ALWAYS returns the warnings — e.g. a cohabiting partner inherits nothing, and jointly-owned assets usually pass outside these rules by survivorship.

  Parameters:

  • maritalStatus (required) — string — Legal status at death (only marriage/civil partnership counts)
  • hasChildren (required) — boolean — Any biological or legally adopted children (stepchildren don't count unless adopted)
  • estateValue (required) — number — Estate passing under intestacy (£) — sole-name assets, minus debts
  • hasPartialWill — boolean — A valid will covers some assets (partial intestacy)
  • hasForeignAssets — boolean — Property/accounts held abroad — local succession law applies
  • jointlyOwnedValue — number — Approx value of jointly-owned assets (£) — passes by survivorship, outside these rules

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• compare_trusts

  Recommend which UK trust types are worth discussing for a goal, with an HONEST note that always accompanies the recommendation (e.g. no trust simply avoids care fees — deliberate-deprivation rules apply with no time limit). Each trust lists what it does NOT do. 'No trust may be needed' is a valid answer.

  Parameters:

  • goal (required) — string — What the person is trying to achieve

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• will_readiness_check

  Score estate-planning readiness against a checklist. Pass `answers` as a map of item id → true/false (ids: has_will, will_recent, executors_named, guardians_named, lpa_property, lpa_health, wishes_recorded, assets_listed; advanced: pension_nominations, digital_assets, business_succession, foreign_assets, life_insurance_trust). Missing or false items count as gaps. Returns a band: covered / gaps / urgent.

  Parameters:

  • answers (required) — object — Map of checklist item id → true (in place) / false
  • hasChildren (required) — boolean — Household includes children under 18 (enables the guardianship item)
  • includeAdvanced — boolean — Include the advanced/often-forgotten items

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• estimate_probate_cost

  Estimate the cost of probate in England & Wales: the HMCTS application fee (£300 where the estate is over £5,000; no fee at £5,000 or below — the same with or without a will), sealed-copy costs, and — on the professional route — typical fee ranges across the UK market (NOT the firm's fees; most professional fees attract VAT on top). Guidance, not advice.

  Parameters:

  • estateValue (required) — number — Gross estate value (£) — home, savings, investments, minus debts
  • includesProperty (required) — boolean — Estate includes a house or flat (enables the IHT-instalments note)
  • hasWill (required) — boolean — A valid will exists (grant of probate); without one, letters of administration
  • professionalRoute (required) — boolean — true = with professional help (adds typical UK market fee ranges); false = applying yourself

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• check_need_probate

  Check whether a grant of probate (or letters of administration) is LIKELY to be needed in England & Wales, from what the person owned and how they owned it. Returns a guidance verdict — likely / maybe / unlikely — with per-asset reasons and next steps. Indicative only: every bank and institution sets its OWN probate threshold and decides asset by asset, so the honest answer always includes asking each one directly.

  Parameters:

  • soleProperty (required) — boolean — Property or land registered in the deceased's sole name
  • jointProperty (required) — boolean — Property owned jointly — held as joint tenants it passes by survivorship
  • largestBalance (required) — string — Largest single bank or building-society balance in their sole name
  • soleInvestments (required) — boolean — Shares or investments held in their sole name
  • allToSpouse (required) — boolean — Everything passes to a surviving spouse/civil partner who owned it jointly

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• calculate_lpa_cost

  Calculate the Office of the Public Guardian fees to register Lasting Powers of Attorney in England & Wales: £92 per LPA (applications received from 17 November 2025), with a 50% remission where the donor's gross annual income is under £12,000 and a full exemption on certain means-tested benefits (both claimed with form LPA120). Registration fees only — nothing about drafting costs or whether an LPA is right for someone.

  Parameters:

  • lpaTypes (required) — string — Which LPA(s) — 'Both types' registers two documents per person
  • couple (required) — boolean — A couple making the same LPAs each (doubles the document count)
  • incomeUnder12k (required) — boolean — Donor's gross annual income below £12,000 (50% remission)
  • qualifyingBenefits (required) — boolean — Donor receives certain means-tested benefits (full exemption)

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• estimate_care_cost

  Project what care home fees could cost: typical self-funder weekly ranges (sourced 2026 estimates rounded from published averages) × 52 weeks × years, by region and care type. The educate-only means-test notes are ALWAYS included — England's capital limits and Wales's single limit are stated as facts for education; there is deliberately no 'how much could you protect' computation, because no arrangement simply avoids care fees.

  Parameters:

  • region (required) — string — Where the care would be
  • careType (required) — string — Residential care or nursing care
  • years (required) — number — Whole years of care to project (e.g. 1, 2, 3 or 5)

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• gift_7_year_timeline

  Map lifetime gifts onto the 7-year-rule timeline: which taper BAND each gift sits in and when it falls outside the estate. An EDUCATIONAL timeline of the bands and mechanics only — NOT a personal tax computation: taper relief reduces the rate of tax, never the gift's value, and it only matters where total gifts in the 7 years before death exceed the £325,000 nil-rate band (used up oldest gift first). No personal tax figures are computed.

  Parameters:

  • gifts (required) — array — Up to 5 gifts to place on the timeline

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• check_deed_of_variation

  Check whether a deed of variation is available — guidance-only eligibility against the s.142 IHTA 1984 conditions: the hard two-year window from the date of death (HMRC does not extend it), adult beneficiaries with capacity, and the agreement of everyone whose share would reduce. Returns yes / no / depends with blockers, goal-mapped possibilities, and an honest note that ALWAYS accompanies the result. No tax outcome is promised — whether it helps depends on the whole estate.

  Parameters:

  • deathTiming (required) — string — When the person died — the two-year window is the hard statutory gate
  • allAdults (required) — boolean — Every beneficiary whose share would reduce is an adult (18+) with capacity
  • allAgree (required) — boolean — Those affected beneficiaries all agree to the change
  • goal (required) — string — What the family wants the variation to achieve

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• check_rnrb

  Check residence nil-rate band eligibility and amount (England & Wales 2025/26): up to £175,000 per person where a home you own (or owned) passes to direct descendants, doubled for a married couple / civil partners, plus a late spouse's transferred allowance — capped at the home's value and tapered by £1 for every £2 the estate exceeds £2m. Illustrative check with plain-English reasons.

  Parameters:

  • ownsHome (required) — boolean — You own (or owned) a home that is — or was — your residence
  • passesToDescendants (required) — boolean — The home passes to children/grandchildren (step, adopted and foster children count)
  • homeValue (required) — number — Value of the home (£) — caps the available allowance
  • estateValue (required) — number — Total estate value including the home (£) — drives the £2m taper
  • married (required) — boolean — Married or in a civil partnership (combined/doubled allowance on the second death)
  • transferredRnrb — number — Late spouse's unused residence nil-rate band (£), capped £175,000
  • transferredAllowance — boolean — Claim a late spouse's/civil partner's unused residence allowance
  • downsizedAfterJuly2015 — boolean — Sold or downsized after 8 July 2015 — surfaces the downsizing-addition note (never changes the numbers)

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• lookup_glossary

  Look up plain-English definitions of UK estate-planning terms (IHT, trusts, LPAs, probate). Omit `term` to list all.

  Parameters:

  • term — string — Term or partial term to match; omit to return the full glossary

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• search_guides

  Search Simply Estate's estate-planning guides (wills, IHT, LPAs, trusts, probate) by keyword. Returns titles, URLs and excerpts to cite.

  Parameters:

  • query (required) — string — Keywords to search guide titles, excerpts and tags

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• get_faqs

  Return Simply Estate's frequently-asked questions and answers (fees, regulation, IHT, trusts, wills/LPAs/probate). Optional keyword filter.

  Parameters:

  • query — string — Optional keyword to filter the FAQs

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

• request_consultation

  Submit a request for a FREE, no-obligation estate-planning consultation on the user's behalf. Use only with the user's explicit consent and real contact details. Returns a reference id; the Simply Estate team follows up. Estate planning here is not FCA-regulated.

  Parameters:

  • name (required) — string — The person's full name
  • email (required) — string — A real email address (required if no phone)
  • phone — string — Phone number (optional)
  • county — string — County, if known
  • message — string — Brief description of what they'd like help with
  • service — string — Area of interest

  Hints: read-only not declared · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world not declared

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