UK Trusts And Estates Decline For Fourth Consecutive Year

UK Trusts And Estates Decline For Fourth Consecutive Year

The number of trusts and estates fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2017/18 to 149,500.

This represents a 29% drop in the past 12 years since the 220,500 trusts and estates recorded in 2005/06, according to new data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

In 2013/14, 171,500 trusts and estates made a full self-assessment. This fell to 167,000 in 2014/15, 164,000 in 2015/16 and 159,000 in 2016/17.

Despite the decrease in trusts and estates making self-assessment returns, over £2.7 billion worth of income was created in 2017/18, a 12% increase on the previous year.

The total amount of chargeable gains stood at £3.23 billion with the overall tax bill in 2017/18, for trusts and estates, tipping the scale at £1.32 billion which represented a 5% increase within the year.

49,000 beneficiaries receiving income from their interest in possession trusts made self-assessment returns in 2017/18, a fall of 4,000 returns from the year previous.

Similarly, the number of trusts and estates paying tax at the special trust rate making self-assessments also fell by 4,000 in 2017/18 to 86,500.

Overall, £675 million worth of tax was payable on income of trusts and estates in 2017/18. Of this number, £140 million was taken from interest in possession trusts and £495 million generated from trusts taxed at the special tax rates.

£645 million worth of Capital Gains Tax was made from tax taken from gains in trusts and estates, a 1% increase from the year earlier.

£1.45 billion was taken from gains made on trusts paying tax at the trust rate, representing a 3% fall on 2016/17.

Chargeable gains for interest in possession trusts were £1.45 billion in 2017/18, which was in line with the year previous.

The trust registration service also increased registrations by 22,500 on the previous year, rising to 107,500.

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