Introducing:
Lifetime Gifts Tracker

This article first appeared in the FT Adviser 21 September 2026.

Zenplans has launched a tracker to help advisers and clients put structure around recording lifetime gifts.

The tracker allows advisers to monitor available exemptions and evidence the requirements around the normal expenditure out of income exemption, which Zenplans described as “one of the most powerful IHT planning options available”.

The tracker is built for advisers to use directly with clients, specifically organising all gifts in one place, logging supporting evidence, monitoring available gift exemptions and usage, and giving advisers a view on gifting across the entire client base.

It also produces HMRC-aligned reports, allows collaboration with other professionals, gives executors access on death, and is fully customisable in the advisers’ branding.

Explaining the launch, Zenplans stated that lifetime gifting is becoming more central to financial plans.

It detailed that, for many clients, the strategy had typically been to build up pension pots as a wealth-transfer vehicle, passing them to children free of IHT while funding retirement from other savings and investments.

However, due to the changes which are due to come into force in April 2027, advisers are currently looking for ways to help clients manage the resulting rise in IHT liability.

Therefore, lifetime gifting is playing a “growing role”, particularly the normal expenditure out of income exemption.

One user of the tracker, Depledge Strategic Wealth management principal financial planning director, Andrew Day, said: “Estate planning is front of mind for our clients in advance of the seismic changes to pensions and IHT in 2027.

“We have been very active helping clients implement strategies to help clients retain wealth within their families, with lifetime gifting playing a central role.

“Getting the record-keeping right is essential and Zenplans’ technology allows us to help clients to track their gifts and net income over years with the ability to upload tax returns and expenditure information and forward this in an IHT form-compliant way to their solicitor on death.”

Additionally, Zenplans pointed out that gifting has an intergenerational angle as the recipients of the gifts are likely to be the clients’ beneficiaries and potentially the advisers’ future clients.

As a result, Zenplans stated that gifting must be a core part of financial planning, as years of good planning mean many clients will end up with more than enough to cover unexpected life events, so their risk is no longer running out of money.

Instead, clients may risk dying with too much money still in their account, which ultimately means missed life opportunities and an unnecessary tax bill on the estate, which smart gifting can address.

Finally, Zenplans offered the perspective of another user, TFAS Enterprises chief commercial officer, Richard Ardron, who added: “From April 2027 lifetime gifting will play a much bigger role in how advisers plan with their clients.

“2027 Ready by TFAS is the definitive support programme for financial advisers navigating the IHT and pension rule changes.

“Including Zenplans’ Gifts Tracker in the programme was a natural decision as it serves as a practical way for us to ensure advisers are informed, confident and ready.”