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Completing form IHT100 Inheritance Tax Account

You'll need to complete form IHT100 Inheritance Tax Account if Inheritance Tax is due on assets transferred into or out of a trust. Completion is also required on a trust's ten-year anniversary if the value of the assets is above the Inheritance Tax threshold.

When to use the IHT100 form for trusts

You may need to fill in an IHT100 form if:

  • assets are transferred into a trust
  • someone who transferred assets into a trust dies within seven years of making the transfer
  • an 'interest in possession' - where a beneficiary can use or enjoy a trust asset as if it's theirs - comes to an end
  • trustees dispose of or transfer assets out of the trust
  • the trust reaches a ten-year anniversary and has to pay a ten-year anniversary charge
  • a special trust - for example a charitable trust - is no longer entitled to special tax treatment

These are known as 'chargeable lifetime events'. A description of each event as well as exceptions to these rules can be found on page 6 of the guidance notes for form IHT100.

Some trusts don’t have to send in an IHT100 form. These are usually trusts with a low value.

Completing an IHT 100 is not required for an event which meets the provisions of the excepted transfers and settlements regulations.

Step one - make sure you've got the right pages

In addition to the main IHT100 form, you'll need to fill in a separate 'event form' for every individual chargeable event you're reporting on. There are seven event forms:

  • IHT100a - Gifts and other transfers of value
  • IHT100b - Ending an interest in possession in settled property
  • IHT100c - Assets in a relevant property trust ceasing to be relevant property
  • IHT100d - Discretionary trust ten-year anniversary
  • IHT100e - Assets ceasing to be held on special trusts
  • IHT100f - Cessation of conditional exemption and disposal of trees and underwood
  • IHT100g - Alternatively secured pension chargeable event

You may also need to fill in supplementary (additional) pages for certain types of asset held in the trust, or if the person making a transfer into trust lives overseas.

You can download form IHT100, the event forms, supplementary pages, guidance notes and worksheets for helping you with the Inheritance Tax calculations.

Step two - complete the return

The IHT100 return is split into nine parts:

  • Part A - looks at what kind of chargeable event you're reporting - it also prompts you to fill in an event form for each event that you report
  • Part B - covers details about the trust - for example, information about the person who transferred assets into the trust and the tax reference of the trust
  • Part C - covers contact details for the main trustee dealing with the trust's tax affairs, or the professional representative of the trust
  • Parts D, E, F - cover information about the assets themselves and will prompt you to fill in the relevant asset-specific supplementary pages where necessary
  • Parts G, H - cover the Inheritance Tax calculations, which you can choose to do yourself, or ask HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to do for you (see section below)
  • Part J - covers contact details for those who will get a payment if too much Inheritance Tax is paid
  • Part K - is where you sign and declare that, to the best of your knowledge, the information you have given is correct and complete

Step three - calculate the tax

You can either do this yourself at parts G and H of the IHT100 form, or you can ask HMRC to do this for you. If you want HMRC to do the calculation, leave parts G and H blank and go straight to part J.

If you choose to do the calculations yourself, you'll need to use form IHT100WS to help you.

Guidance for completing form IHT100WS can be found in form IHT113. Once you have your final figures, form IHT100WS will tell you how and where to copy them over to the main IHT100 form.

'Inheritance Tax calculations' can be complicated and you might want to get professional help with them. See the section below on getting help and advice.

Step four - submit the return

All completed IHT100 Inheritance Tax Account forms should be sent to the HMRC Trusts & Estates Office in Nottingham.

Deadlines, penalties and payments

Trustees have up to one year after a chargeable event to report it to HMRC using the IHT100 form.

However, tax might be due before this time, so it's advisable to act quickly after a chargeable event occurs.

The following table shows the deadlines for payment.

Chargeable event occurs

Tax due
January 31 July
February 31 August
March 30 September
1 - 5 April 31 October
6 - 30 April 30 April (next year)
May - October 30 April (next year)
November 31 May (next year)
December 30 June (next year)

The payment methods and penalties for non-payment are the same as for all Inheritance Tax payments.

  • Paying Inheritance Tax

Get professional help for your trust

Understanding trusts can be difficult so you may want to work with a solicitor or tax advisor. Remember though that the trustee is still legally responsible for the trusts' tax affairs. You'll find some links below to professional organisations - although not all professionals are registered with them.

If you want HMRC to communicate with your agent or professional representative on Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax matters, you'll need to fill in form 64-8. Follow the link below to find out more about completing form 64-8.

If you want HMRC to communicate with your agent or professional representative on Inheritance Tax issues you'll need to enter their details on form IHT100.