Flint Bishop Limited

Wills, Probate, Tax & Trust

Senior Associate

Introducing Marc

Marc King is a specialist in estate planning and trust and estate administration, with a strong focus on Inheritance Tax, business succession planning and the taxation of giving.

For almost 20 years he has worked exclusively in the fields of probate, wills and trusts with leading firms in the North West and Midlands.

Marc says, “Estate planning requires careful analysis of a client’s circumstances and their needs and wishes. The objective may be to minimise tax, ensure the continuity of a business, or protect a beneficiary from financial threats, present and future – or even themselves. You may be concerned about divorce, bankruptcy, complicated family situations or the financial sense of the person you want to provide for.

“I can recommend solutions that can deliver peace of mind in a cost-effective way. Inheritance Tax and trust and estate administration are often misunderstood, even by professionals. I aim to demystify the subject of wills, trusts and taxation so that my clients can understand their options and make the best choices available to them.”

Experience

Marc has spent much of his career advising clients with complex requirements, including business participants and clients with taxable estates and assets overseas.

He strongly believes that the best results are found by working closely with a client’s existing advisers. Marc says, “A client’s accountant or IFA will often have valuable insights and a good conversation at the outset will help identify the client’s needs very quickly and ensure that the client receives clear and coherent advice from all of their advisers.”

Cases Marc has advised upon include:

Using option agreements backed by life cover to finance the succession plan for a business in the event of the death of a shareholder. Converting a debt interest in a business to an equity stake by way of a rights issue to enable Business Property Relief (for Inheritance Tax) to be immediately available. Analysing businesses to identify whether Business Property Relief is likely to be available and suggesting structural changes to enhance the likelihood of qualifying. Using discretionary trusts to mitigate Capital Gains Tax on gifts of property and shares. Using Discretionary Trusts in wills to provide flexibility on death to enable the availability of Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief to be tested. Advising on the restructuring of family trusts to achieve lower administration costs and greater tax efficiency.

Marc has appeared as a guest speaker for organisations and charities on a variety of subjects and has devised in-house training for trainee and junior lawyers to develop their skills and help firms adhere to best practice. He has also provided consultancy services to smaller firms to assist them with complex cases.

Marc completed his law degree at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Member of STEP (specialists in inheritance and succession planning)