Unmarried or unregistered couples are warned they still have no inheritance rights under the intestacy rules, regardless of how long they have been cohabiting – meaning they could face high inheritance tax bills. Unmarried couples can pass on assets valued up to £325,000 tax-free upon death (the inheritance tax nil rate band), but anything above this is potentially subject to 40 per cent IHT. Official figures have shown the total number of cohabiting couples has increased from around 1.5 million in 1996 to around 3.6 million in 2021, an increase of 144 per cent. An expert has urged cohabiting …