Is YouCanDoProbate right for your estate?
Who can use our platform
YouCanDoProbate works for nearly any estate in England and Wales, including those with an inheritance tax liability. This page explains in plain terms exactly what the platform covers, the situations where it is worth speaking to us first, and the small number of cases where a different route would serve you better.
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Honest from the start
Straightforward, honest, and no small print.
We think you deserve a clear answer before you spend any time or money. This page explains every scenario in plain language, including the nuanced ones where the answer is “it depends” rather than simply yes or no.
If your situation is covered, you can register and get started straight away. If you are not sure, or if something on this page matches your situation but you want to check, just call us. We will give you an honest answer in minutes.
When the platform
is right for you.
Confirmed as suitable
YouCanDoProbate is designed for your estate if any of the following apply.
The platform supports a wide range of estates, including those that require IHT400 Inheritance Tax forms alongside the probate application. Here is what is covered.
YouCanDoProbate currently supports estates where the death occurred on or after 1 January 2022. If the death was before this date, please see the amber section below, as a legacy version of the platform may be available.
Domicile relates to where a person considered their permanent home to be. For most people who lived and worked in England or Wales, this is straightforward. If there is any uncertainty, for example if the deceased was born abroad or held property overseas, call us before starting.
PA1P is the probate application form used when there is a valid Will. PA1A is the application for Letters of Administration used when there is no Will. YouCanDoProbate completes whichever applies to your estate, filled in accurately from the answers you provide.
YouCanDoProbate completes the full IHT400 Inheritance Tax account and all applicable supplementary schedules. You do not need to know which schedules are required. The platform selects and completes the correct ones automatically.
If the person who died left a valid Will, YouCanDoProbate guides you through a Grant of Probate application. You enter the Will details and the platform guides you through the rest.
If there is no Will, YouCanDoProbate includes an Intestacy Walkthrough. This guides you through the Rules of Intestacy to establish who is entitled to inherit, and then completes the application for Letters of Administration.
If the estate is above the available thresholds and inheritance tax is due, the platform handles this fully. It calculates the tax owed, applies all available exemptions and completes the IHT400 and all required schedules. The tax itself is paid to HMRC separately.
If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership and their late spouse did not use all of their nil rate band, the unused portion can be transferred and added. This can significantly reduce or eliminate an inheritance tax liability. YouCanDoProbate calculates and applies this automatically.
Where a residential property was owned by the deceased and is being left to a direct descendant such as a child or grandchild, an additional nil rate band allowance may apply. YouCanDoProbate calculates and applies this automatically, including checking whether the estate qualifies and by how much.
As with the standard nil rate band, any unused Residence Nil Rate Band from a deceased spouse or civil partner can be transferred and added. YouCanDoProbate handles this automatically alongside the RNRB calculation.
YouCanDoProbate can be used where the deceased held assets outside the UK. Where the total value of overseas assets exceeds £100,000, inheritance tax forms will be required. The platform covers this fully, including the relevant overseas asset schedules within the IHT400.
Confirmed as suitable?
Ready to begin?
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Worth a quick
call first.
Speak to us before you start
These situations are more nuanced. You may still be able to use the platform.
The following scenarios are not straightforward yes or no answers. In some cases the platform can handle the majority or all of your application and we just need to talk through the specifics. A short conversation with our team will give you a clear picture before you commit to anything.
YouCanDoProbate's main platform currently supports deaths from 1 January 2022 onwards. However, if the person died before this date and the estate qualifies as an excepted estate, a legacy version of the platform may be available. This covers PA1 Probate forms and the IHT205 and IHT217 forms that apply to deaths before these dates.
What to do:
Call us on 0800 689 1447 before registering and we will confirm whether the legacy platform is suitable for your situation and how to access it.
If the deceased made regular gifts from their income and those gifts formed part of their normal expenditure, these may be exempt from inheritance tax under a specific relief. The platform cannot provide guidance or calculations for this type of claim. However, it can still produce all other probate and inheritance tax forms. Because the value of these gifts does not affect the estate calculations when exempt, the overall estate figures remain accurate for everything else.
What to do:
Call us first so we can talk through your specific situation. The relevant section of the IHT403 dealing with this exemption would need to be completed independently. Everything else would be handled by the platform as normal.
Trusts vary in their structure and implications. Life Interest trusts, where a surviving spouse has the right to occupy a property or receive income during their lifetime, are usually compatible with the platform. Discretionary trusts, or trusts where assets were settled into trust during the deceased's lifetime, can introduce complexities that may prevent the platform from being used.
What to do:
Call us before registering and describe the trust arrangement. We will tell you quickly whether the platform is appropriate for your situation.
Where 10% or more of the estate is left to a qualifying charity, a reduced rate of 36% inheritance tax may apply. The platform does not currently produce the calculations required to support this claim. However, it can still produce all other probate and inheritance tax forms. The claim for the reduced rate itself would need to be made independently outside the platform.
What to do:
Call us first. If the overall inheritance tax saving from the reduced rate is significant, you may want to take independent advice on this specific element. We can then confirm whether using the platform for the remainder of the application makes sense.
Want to know if it's suitable?
We'll give you an honest answer
If you are not sure, or if something on this page matches your situation but you want to check, just call us. We will give you an honest answer in minutes.
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Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
When the platform
cannot help.
Speak to us before you start
Please seek alternative advice if any of the following apply.
The following situations are outside the scope of YouCanDoProbate. If any of these apply to the person who died or their estate, we would recommend speaking to a probate solicitor or specialist provider. We will always be honest about this.
If the person who died did not consider England or Wales their permanent home, or was not a long-term UK resident living in England or Wales, the estate falls outside the scope of the platform. Estates with a non-UK domicile have different inheritance tax rules and often require specialist advice.
Where the estate involves a transfer between spouses or civil partners and the surviving spouse was not domiciled in England or Wales, the inheritance tax treatment differs from the standard rules. The full spousal exemption does not apply in the same way and the calculations required fall outside the scope of the platform.
If the validity of the Will is being challenged, or if there is a dispute between beneficiaries, legal representation is essential. This is not something a platform can or should handle.
A gift with reservation of benefit occurs when the deceased gave away an asset during their lifetime but continued to benefit from it. A common example is giving a property to a child but continuing to live in it without paying a market rent. These gifts require specific forms and calculations that the platform does not currently support. Note this is different from regular gifts made outright, which the platform handles fully.
The platform can handle Business Asset Relief where it applies to quoted stocks and shareholdings. However, where the relief applies to other business assets such as a sole trader business, a partnership interest or unquoted shares in a private company, the platform does not currently support the necessary calculations and schedules.
Agricultural Relief reduces the inheritance tax value of qualifying agricultural property such as farmland or a working farm. Estates involving agricultural property and a claim for Agricultural Relief fall outside the scope of the platform. We would recommend seeking advice from a probate solicitor with agricultural estate experience.
Where the trust involved is discretionary in nature, or where assets were settled into a trust during the deceased's lifetime in a way that creates complex inheritance tax treatment, the platform cannot be used. Please call us to describe your specific situation and we will give you an honest assessment.
National Heritage assets include historic houses, land of outstanding natural beauty, works of art of national importance, and archives or manuscripts of historical significance. These assets can qualify for conditional exemptions from inheritance tax but the relevant rules are highly specialist and fall entirely outside the scope of the platform.
Want to know if it's suitable?
We'll give you an honest answer
If you are not sure, or if something on this page matches your situation but you want to check, just call us. We will give you an honest answer in minutes.
Try it risk-free · 14 Day Money Back Guarantee
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
One fair
fixed price.
How much does it cost?
No hidden extras. No hourly rates. No percentage of the estate.
The price you see is the price you pay, whether your estate is simple or involves inheritance tax.
One time payment
£499
including VAT
The only additional cost is the official £526 Probate Registry fee for estates over £5,000, paid directly to HMCTS by cheque or postal order enclosed with your printed application.
Want to talk to us first?
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Call 0800 689 1447 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Try it risk-free.
14 Day Money Back
Guarantee
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T&Cs apply.
What's included?
Everything you need to apply, in one price
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Probate forms completed for you
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Inheritance tax forms completed when required
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Guided, step-by-step probate journey
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Automatic estate calculations and exemptions
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Full submission guidance: what to send, where, and how
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Unlimited support by phone, email, live chat and ticket
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Integrated written and video guidance
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Save your progress and return any time
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See how it works
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One fixed price of £499. Here is exactly what that covers.
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The better way to get probate done.
Less cost. Less time. Less stress.
Work through the platform at your own pace. Expert support whenever you need it. Your Grant of Probate at the end of it, without paying thousands you do not have to pay.
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