Residential property makes up nearly half the value (49%) of UK estates facing inheritance tax in London compared to a quarter or less in areas including Wales (25%), the North East (24%), Scotland (23%) and Northern Ireland (18%).
The proportion of estates made up of cash and financial securities is also lower in London and the East of England than other regions, the analysis of HMRC figures following a FOI request from retirement specialist Just Group has revealed.
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at Just Group, said: "In areas such as London and the East of England property is a much bigger proportion of the estate and relatively low amounts of cash and securities are left compared to other areas which may require a very different approach to estate planning.
"Property can be tricky when it comes to estate planning because it is providing a place to live and is often a sentimental as much as a financial asset and," he said. "It is also illiquid in the sense you can't sell or gift part of a property as easily as cash or other investments."
