Introduction Background Note
6.Section 62 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act (TCGA) 1992 contains provisions concerning CGT on death.
7.They provide that when someone dies there is no deemed disposal on death and, therefore, death is not an occasion of charge to CGT. The assets in a person’s free estate are treated as being acquired by personal representatives at their market value at the date of death. In this way, gains accrued up to the date of death are not subject to double taxation under inheritance tax (IHT) and CGT.
8.Property held on trust is normally subject to IHT at 6 per cent every ten years. As an exception, property held on qualifying trusts for a vulnerable person are taxed to IHT at the normal 40 per cent rate on the death of the vulnerable person as if the property was held by that person rather than the trustees. The exception applies where the person has an interest in possession in the trust property (broadly, an absolute entitlement to the income of the trust). It also applies where the person does not have an interest in possession by deeming that an interest in possession was held.
9.Sections 72 and 73 of the TCGA 1992 contain provisions similar to those in section 62 for property held in a qualifying vulnerable beneficiary trust. However, this is currently restricted to only those trusts where the beneficiary has an actual interest in possession in the trust property. This requirement is distorting decisions on the most appropriate trust structure. The measure extends sections 72 and 73 to include trusts where the vulnerable beneficiary is treated as having an interest in possession.