God blessed Abraham so that he could in turn be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2). Not just members of his own family, tribe, city or nation, but all the peoples of the earth.
After you have taken care of your loved ones in your will, please consider widening your care to those who belong to your extended family, that is your Christian brothers and sisters worldwide.
A legacy gift (that is, a gift included in your will) can:
Bring aid and healing to believers who have suffered violence for their faith
Give shelter to displaced Christian families fleeing persecution in their homeland
Educate and train young children in their faith through Christian schooling
Build and repair churches in places of pressureand persecution
Feed Christians facing hunger and deprivation, disadvantaged for belonging to the family of God
Strengthen Christian brothers and sisters with Bibles in their Educate and train young own language
Support an evangelist or pastor facing daily danger in their ministry in regions where Christians are a persecuted minority
Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax charged on the value of a deceased person’s estate. It only affects people whose estate is worth more than the tax-free amount of £325,000. There is normally no IHT to pay if you leave everything above the £325,000 threshold to your spouse or a charity.
Your threshold can increase to £475,000 if you give away your home to your children or grandchildren. If you are married and your estate is worth less than the threshold, any unused threshold can be added to your spouse’s threshold. This means that their threshold can be as much as £950,000.
IHT is charged at 40% on the amount of the estate that is above the threshold. For example, if your estate is worth £500,000 and your tax-free threshold is £325,000, then IHT will be 40% of £175,000 (that is, £500,000 minus £325,000).
If your estate is complicated, it may be worth taking professional advice, as IHT has many detailed rules.
An estate can pay Inheritance Tax (IHT) at a reduced rate of 36%, if at least one-tenth or 10% or more of the net value of the estate is left to charity. It is interesting to see the echo of the Old Testament tithe here, which was used to support the community’s worship. All tithes and gifts are to be given with an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ.
Your IHT tithe can ensure the survival and revival of Christianity for years to come in areas where Christians are the oppressed minority and persecuted for their faith.
