Business leaders Sir Richard Branson and Charles Dunstone and investment banker Jacob Rothschild have committed to give 10% of their estates to charity via their wills as part of the Legacy10 campaign which has just been launched in the UK.

The campaign was set up to encourage people to make the most of the inheritance tax breaks announced by the UK government in the last Budget. From April 2012, anyone who leaves at least 10% of their wealth to charity will have their inheritance tax bill reduced from 40% to 36%.

As such it is targeting the 3% of individuals who die each year and are Inheritance Tax payers.

However, a Populus poll of over 2,000 people across the UK, commissioned by Legacy10, has found that over 80% were unaware of the impending changes to IHT, but that over 70% would now either make a legacy or consider doing so. One of the aims of Legacy10 will be to encourage that 70% to make a pledge: although 74% of Britons support a charity in their lifetime, only 7% of the UK population leave a gift to charity in their will.

For more information, see www.legacy10.com