Preparation Pack vs Complete Bundle: which one fits your estate.
Most personal applicants buy the Preparation Pack. Estates crossing the inheritance tax threshold buy the Complete Bundle. The €220 difference is the full tax layer: CAT calculations, IT38 drafts, Dwelling House Exemption assessment, Section 72 check, and the Revenue clearance letter. This page sets out the five triggers that decide which is right.
What the €220 difference buys.
| Preparation Pack €229 | Complete Bundle €449 | |
|---|---|---|
| SA2 Revenue filing briefing | Included | Included |
| 25 institution notification letters | Included | Included |
| Probate affidavit draft | Included | Included |
| Registry appointment briefing | Included | Included |
| Post-Grant administration walkthrough | Included | Included |
| Basic CAT calculation sheet | Included | Included |
| CAT calculator per beneficiary | Not included | Included |
| IT38 return drafts per beneficiary | Not included | Included |
| Dwelling House Exemption assessment | Not included | Included (5 Section 86 conditions tested) |
| Section 72 life insurance review | Not included | Included |
| Agricultural Relief assessment | Not included | Included (2025 disponer test applied) |
| Business Relief assessment | Not included | Included |
| Section 49 CATCA Revenue clearance letter | Not included | Drafted for signature |
Upgrade to Complete Bundle if any of these apply.
If none of the five below apply, the Preparation Pack handles everything your application needs. If any one does, the Complete Bundle pays for itself in the tax structuring alone.
1. Any beneficiary's inheritance crosses a group threshold
Group A €400,000 (parent to child). Group B €40,000 (sibling, niece, nephew, grandchild adult). Group C €20,000 (everyone else). Once crossed, CAT is owed, IT38 must be filed, and the calculation is more than the basic sheet covers.
2. The estate includes the family home
Dwelling House Exemption can eliminate a €30,000 to €130,000 CAT charge on the inherited home if the beneficiary qualifies under the five Section 86 conditions. Testing these requires the Complete Bundle's DHE assessment.
3. There is a life insurance policy with a CAT clause
A Section 72 qualifying policy pays the beneficiary's CAT directly to Revenue and stays outside the estate. The Complete Bundle confirms whether the policy qualifies and whether the assignment is properly documented.
4. Prior gifts to the same beneficiary
Every gift from the same group since 5 December 1991 aggregates. If the deceased gave the beneficiary a cash gift at a wedding, a property deposit, or any taxable transfer years ago, it counts. Getting this wrong triggers late-filing interest.
5. Farm or business assets in the estate
Agricultural Relief (90% reduction) and Business Relief (90% reduction) can transform the tax position. Both have strict conditions and a new 2025 disponer active-farmer test. The Complete Bundle assesses eligibility, but above €1 million of relieved value, a solicitor may still be the right call.
Three example estates, three different answers.
Scenario 1: widow inheriting a small estate
Late husband's estate is a joint bank account of €60,000 (passes by survivorship, outside the estate), a sole account of €30,000, and the family home in joint names of €380,000 (also passes by survivorship). Spouse is fully CAT-exempt. No CAT arises. Probate is needed only to clear the sole account.
Right pack: Preparation Pack. No tax layer needed.
Scenario 2: two adult children inheriting parent's estate
Single parent dies leaving a home worth €600,000, bank accounts worth €120,000, and a pension of €80,000 to each child. Split equally. Each child inherits roughly €400,000. Each child is exactly at the Group A threshold of €400,000. Neither has prior gifts. DHE may apply to the home if one child lived with the parent.
Right pack: Complete Bundle. CAT position needs per-beneficiary calculation, DHE assessment is essential on the home, IT38 is likely needed even if tax is zero after DHE.
Scenario 3: farming estate passing to a son
Farmer dies leaving a working farm worth €1.4 million to his son, a long-standing active farmer, plus a home and savings worth €300,000. Son passes the beneficiary asset test and the active-farmer test. Father farmed the land for 6 years before death, meeting the new 2025 disponer test.
Right pack: Complete Bundle for the relief structuring, but consider a solicitor. At this value, having a solicitor sign off on the Agricultural Relief claim is often worth the extra cost because an incorrect claim can cost six figures in clawback later.
Your €79 Readiness Check tells you which pack fits.
The Readiness Check questionnaire covers the five triggers above and reports in plain English which pack is right for your specific estate. If the answer is Preparation Pack, you upgrade for €179 (€229 minus the €50 credit). If the answer is Complete Bundle, you upgrade for €399 (€449 minus the €50). Either way the Readiness Check has paid for itself and the diagnostic is on the record.
If the answer is "no product at all, this is solicitor work," we say so plainly. The €79 is refundable in that case on request, because the report has done its job by telling you not to spend more.
Related Compare