Octopus Investments has launched ‘Ask Octopus’, a helpdesk that offers technical support on inheritance tax (IHT) and estate planning to advisers.

The helpdesk aims to support advisers by making the complex matters of estate and IHT planning simpler.

It will help advisers by responding to technical questions about estate planning and IHT, and by providing clarity on tax rules in relation to a client’s estate planning.

Furthermore, advisers will be assisted in understanding some of the legalities of estate planning, such as wills, probate, and more.

Advisers can submit questions to the helpdesk online or meet with Octopus team members directly.

Commenting on the announcement, Octopus Investments tax product specialist, Toyin Oyeneyin, noted that as the majority of advisers were not part of networks or national firms, they may not have the broader technical team support that they need to best serve their clients, and outsourcing can prove costly.

“Even those that are part of larger organisations don’t always have the access to the technical help they’re really looking for,” Oyeneyin continued.

“‘Ask Octopus’ will enable us to provide that much-needed, free support to advisers. It will allow us to gain a better understanding of the sort of issues advisers are grappling with and to learn more about how we can then help them and their clients.”

Octopus Investments distribution director, Kristy Barr, added: “Our helpdesk gives advisers a one-stop shop to tap into the breadth and depth of our knowledge on topics such as IHT, estate planning legalities and on business relief products, enabling them to deliver specialist advice to their clients.”

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