INHERITANCE TAX, PART 1
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In the Paper F6 (UK) exam, there will always be a minimum of five marks on inheritance tax. This two-part article will look at those aspects of inheritance tax that you need to know, with this first article explaining the scope of inheritance tax
The Paper F6 (UK) syllabus requires a basic understanding of inheritance tax (IHT), and this two-part article covers those aspects that you need to know. It is relevant to candidates taking Paper F6 (UK) in either June or December 2013, and is based on tax legislation as it applies to the tax year 201213 (Finance Act 2012)。
There will always be a minimum of five marks (but no more than 15 marks) on IHT, with these marks being included in either Questions 3, 4 or 5.
The scope of inheritance tax IHT is paid on the value of a personˇs estate when they die, but it also applies to certain lifetime transfers of assets. If IHT did not apply to lifetime transfers it would be very easy for a person to avoid tax by giving away all of their assets just before they died.
As far as Paper F6 (UK) is concerned the terms ˉtransferˇ and ˉgiftˇ can be taken to mean the same thing. The person making a transfer is known as the donor, while the person receiving the transfer is known as the donee.
Unlike capital gains tax where, for example, a principal private residence is exempt, all of a personˇs estate is generally chargeable to IHT.
A person who is domiciled in the UK is liable to IHT in respect of their worldwide assets. As far as Paper F6 (UK) is concerned, people will always be domiciled in the UK.
Transfers of value During a personˇs lifetime IHT can only arise if a transfer of value is made. A transfer of value is defined as ˉany gratuitous disposition made by a person that results in a diminution in value of that personˇs estateˇ。 There are two important terms in this definition:
Gratuitous: Poor business deals, for example, are not normally transfers of value because there is no gratuitous intent.
Diminution in value: Normally there will be no difference between the diminution in value of the donorˇs estate and the increase in value of the doneeˇs estate. However, in some cases it may be necessary to compare the value of the donorˇs estate before the transfer, and the value after the transfer in order to compute the diminution in value. This will usually be the case where unquoted shares are concerned. Shares forming part of a controlling shareholding will be valued higher than shares forming part of a minority shareholding.
Example 1 On 4 May 2012 Daniel made a gift to his son of 15,000 1 ordinary shares in ABC Ltd, an unquoted investment company. Before the transfer Daniel owned 60,000 shares out of ABC Ltdˇs issued share capital of 100,000 1 ordinary shares. ABC Ltdˇs shares are worth 8 each for a holding of 15%, 10 each for a holding of 45%, and 18 each for a holding of 60%.
Although Danielˇs son received a 15% shareholding valued at 120,000 (15,000 x 8), Danielˇs transfer of value is calculated as follows:
?、G Value of shares held before the transfer 60,000 x 18 1,080,000
Value of shares held after the transfer 45,000 x 10
450,000 ________
Value transferred
630,000 ________
By contrast, for capital gains tax purposes the valuation will be based on the market value of the shares gifted, which is 120,000.
As far as Paper F6 (UK) is concerned, a transfer of value will always be a gift of assets. A gift made during a personˇs lifetime may be either potentially exempt or chargeable.
Potentially exempt transfers Any transfer that is made to another individual is a potentially exempt transfer (PET)。 A PET only becomes chargeable if the donor dies within seven years of making the gift. If the donor survives for seven years then the PET becomes exempt and can be completely ignored. Hence, such a transfer has the potential to be exempt.
If the donor dies within seven years of making a PET then it becomes chargeable. Tax will be charged according to the rates and allowances applicable to the tax year in which the donor dies. However, the value of a PET is fixed at the time that the gift is made.
Example 2 Sophie died on 23 January 2013. She had made the following lifetime gifts:
8 November 2005 A gift of 450,000 to her son.
12 August 2010 A gift of a house valued at 610,000 to her daughter. By 23 January 2013 the value of the house had increased to 655,000.
The gift to Sophieˇs son on 8 November 2005 is a PET for 450,000. As it was made more than seven years before the date of Sophieˇs death it is exempt from IHT.
The gift to Sophieˇs daughter on 12 August 2010 is a PET for 610,000 and is initially ignored. It becomes chargeable as a result of Sophie dying within seven years of making the gift, and the transfer of 610,000 will be charged to IHT based on the rates and allowances for 201213.
Chargeable lifetime transfers Any transfer that is made to a trust is a chargeable lifetime transfer (CLT)。
There is no legal definition of what a trust is, but essentially a trust arises where a person transfers assets to people (the trustees) to hold for the benefit of other people (the beneficiaries)。 For example, parents may not want to make an outright gift of assets to their young children. Instead, assets can be put into a trust with the trust being controlled by trustees until the children are older.
Unlike a PET, a CLT is immediately charged to IHT based on the rates and allowances applicable to the tax year in which the CLT is made. An additional tax liability may then arise if the donor dies within seven years of making the gift. Just as for a PET, the value of a CLT is fixed at the time that the gift is made, but the additional tax liability is calculated using the rates and allowances applicable to the tax year in which the donor dies.
Example 3 Lim died on 4 December 2012. She had made the following lifetime gifts:
2 November 2005 A gift of 420,000 to a trust.
21 August 2010 A gift of a house valued at 615,000 to a trust. By 4 December 2012 the value of the house had increased to 650,000.
The gift to the trust on 2 November 2005 is a CLT for 420,000, and will be immediately charged to IHT based on the rates and allowances for 200506. There will be no additional tax liability as the gift was made more than seven years before the date of Limˇs death.
The gift to the trust on 21 August 2010 is a CLT for 615,000, and will be immediately charged to IHT based on the rates and allowances for 201011. Lim has died within seven years of making the gift so an additional tax liability may arise based on the rates and allowances for 201213.
Rates of tax IHT is payable once a personˇs cumulative chargeable transfers over a seven-year period exceed a nil rate band. For the tax year 201213 the nil rate band is 325,000, and for previous years it has been as follows:
?、G
?、G 200304 255,000
200405
263,000 200506 275,000
200607
285,000 200708 300,000
200809
312,000 200910 325,000
201011
325,000 201112 325,000
The rate of IHT payable as a result of a personˇs death is 40%. This is the rate that is charged on a personˇs estate at death, on PETs that become chargeable as a result of death within seven years, and is also the rate used to see if any additional tax is payable on CLTs made within seven years of death.
The rate of IHT payable on CLTs at the time they are made is 20% (half the death rate)。 This is the lifetime rate.
The tax rates information that will be given in the tax rates and allowances section of the June and December 2013 exam papers is as follows: 1 325,000 Nil
Excess Death rate Lifetime rate
40% 20%
Where nil rate bands are required for previous years then these will be given to you within the question.
Example 4 Sophie died on 26 May 2012 leaving an estate valued at 600,000.
The IHT liability is as follows:
Death estate
Chargeable estate 600,000
_______ IHT liability 325,000 at nil% 275,000 at 40% 100,000
_______
Example 5 Ming died on 22 April 2012 leaving an estate valued at 300,000.
On 30 April 2010 she had made a gift of 240,000 to her son. This figure is after deducting available exemptions.
IHT liabilities are as follows:
Lifetime transfer 30 April 2010
?、G Potentially exempt transfer 240,000
_______
The PET is initially ignored.
Additional liability arising on death 30 April 2010
Potentially exempt transfer 240,000
_______
The PET utilises 240,000 of the nil rate band of 325,000 for 201213. No IHT is payable.
Death estate
?、G
?、G Chargeable estate 300,000
_______ IHT liability 85,000 at nil% 215,000 at 40% 86,000
_______
Only 85,000 (325,000 240,000) of the nil rate band is available against the death estate.
Example 6 Joe died on 13 October 2012 leaving an estate valued at 750,000.
On 12 November 2009 he had made a gift of 400,000 to a trust. This figure is after deducting available exemptions. The trust paid the IHT arising from the gift.
The nil rate band for the tax year 200910 is 325,000.
Lifetime transfer 12 November 2009
Chargeable estate 400,000
_______ IHT liability 325,000 at nil% 75,000 at 20% 15,000
_______
The gift to a trust is a CLT. The lifetime IHT liability is calculated using the nil rate band for 200910.
Additional liability arising on death 12 November 2009
?、G Chargeable estate 400,000
_______ IHT liability 325,000 at nil% 75,000 at 40% 30,000
IHT already paid
?。?5,000) _______
Additional liability
15,000
The additional liability arising on death is calculated using the nil rate band for 201213.
Death estate
?、G Chargeable estate 750,000
_______ IHT liability 750,000 at 40% 300,000
_______
The CLT made on 12 November 2008 has fully utilised the nil rate band of 325,000.
Taper relief It would be somewhat unfair if a donor did not quite live for seven years after making a gift with the result that the gift was fully chargeable to IHT. Therefore taper relief reduces the amount of tax payable where a donor lives for more than three years, but less than seven years, after making a gift. The reduction is as follows: Years before death
Percentage reduction %
Years before death
Percentage reduction % Over three years but less than four years 20
Over four years but less than five years
40 Over five years but less than six years 60
Over six years but less than seven years
80
Although taper relief reduces the amount of tax payable, it does not reduce the value of a gift for cumulation purposes.
The taper relief table will be given in the tax rates and allowances section of the exam.
Example 7 Winnie died on 9 January 2013. She had made the following lifetime gifts:
2 November 2007 A gift of 460,000 to a trust. The trust paid the IHT arising from this gift
16 August 2009 A gift of 320,000 to her son
These figures are after deducting available exemptions.
The nil rate band for the tax year 200708 is 300,000, and for the tax year 200910 it is 325,000.
IHT liabilities are as follows: Lifetime transfers
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