John Annetts specialises in acting for UK HNW and UHNW individuals and families in relation to their tax and succession planning, and the administration of high-value and complex estates. John is Head of Wealth and Succession at Howard Kennedy.
John advises a broad client base that includes entrepreneurs, business owners, property investors, entertainers, and artists, with focus on estate and succession planning, inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning, asset protection and wealth structuring. This often involves preparing complex wills and creating trusts or corporate structures, including family investment companies, to fully utilise tax exemptions and reliefs, protecting and structuring family assets for future generations.
John guides executors through the practical complexities of the administration of estates process. Many of the estates that John deals with contain business assets and offshore elements. As part of his estate administration work, John advises on post-death planning and tax mitigation opportunities using deeds of variation and the restructuring of assets, for example, private company shareholdings.
John advises UK trustees and beneficiaries on both trust law and taxation issues related to the general administration of trusts and the exercise of the trustees' powers. He also deals with matters involving the Office of the Public Guardian, including preparing and registering lasting powers of attorney.
John is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the Association of Tax Technicians, and the Private Client Section of the Law Society.
