Bare trusts ― IHT

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
Produced by a Tolley Trusts and Inheritance Tax expert
Trusts and Inheritance Tax
Guidance

Bare trusts ― IHT

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
Produced by a Tolley Trusts and Inheritance Tax expert
Trusts and Inheritance Tax
Guidance
imgtext

This guidance note discusses the IHT treatment of bare trusts. Bare trusts are sometimes used for inheritance tax planning although their use is limited. Bare trusts are not ‘settlements’ for inheritance tax purposes and so any transfer to a bare trust for an individual is not a chargeable lifetime transfer.

What is a bare trust?

The term 'bare trust' applies to an arrangement where the legal ownership of property is in a different name from that of the person beneficially entitled to it. The person entitled to it has absolute rights to both capital and income, but the legal owner will conduct the management of it. Some of the situations in which a bare trust might arise are described below.

Assets held for children

Minors do not have the legal capacity to enter into an enforceable contract or give a valid receipt. Property which, in equity, belongs to a child must be held in the name of a trustee. Whilst the child is under 18 (in England and Wales, 16 in Scotland), the trustee,

Continue reading the full document
To gain access to additional expert tax guidance, workflow tools, generative tax AI, and tax research, register for a free trial of Tolley+™
TAKE A FREE TRIAL NOW
Powered by Tolley+™
  • 12 Nov 2025 09:40

Home/ Tolley Tax Guidance/ Trusts and Inheritance Tax / Advising on trusts — IHT

Popular Articles

Corporation Tax

FRS 102 ― tax presentation and disclosures

FRS 102 ― tax presentation and disclosuresPresentation of tax under FRS 102An entity must present changes in a current tax liability (or asset) and changes in a deferred tax liability (or asset) as a tax expense (or income) unless the item creating the current or deferred tax amount is recognised in

14 Jul 2020 11:46 | Produced by Tolley in association with Steve Collings Read more Read more
Employment Tax

Payroll record keeping

Payroll record keepingUnder SI 2003/2682, reg 97, “...an employer must keep, for not less than 3 years after the end of the tax year to which they relate, all PAYE records which are not required to be sent to [HMRC]...”. Reasons for keeping the records include:•being able to calculate tax and

14 Jul 2020 12:52 | Produced by Tolley in association with Ian Holloway Read more Read more
Owner-Managed Businesses

Capital allowances on cars

Capital allowances on carsSummary of capital allowances on carsThe current capital allowance rates applicable to cars are as follows:Pool typeDescription of carRateLegislationMain rate poolNew and unused cars with CO2 emissions of 50g/km and below 18%CAA 2001, s 104AASecondhand cars with CO2

14 Jul 2020 11:08 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more