(This archived guidance relates to HMRC discretionary
practice before the 6th April 2006. For current guidance on
Registered Pension Schemes see the Registered Pension Schemes
Manual)
(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the
Freedom of Information Act 2000)
Inheritance Tax (IHT) was introduced by the Finance Act 1986
to replace Capital Transfer Tax (CTT). CTT, in turn, replaced
Estate Duty for property passing on death and also made lifetime
gifts and other transfers of capital liable to tax. The Capital
Taxes Office (CTO) will not consider documents setting up or
amending occupational pension schemes or offer an opinion about
whether a claim for IHT may arise. You should therefore avoid
making any comments which might be taken as the Revenue’s
view on any liability to or exemption from IHT. Some general
information about IHT in relation to pension schemes is given in
the following paragraphs and more detailed information is on the
file SF70/135. The Office Library also has an explanatory booklet,
IHT 1, at reference F9 which briefly mentions pension schemes as
part of a general description of IHT. Do not, however, try to
answer any enquiries about IHT, whether they are general in nature
or about a particular scheme. IHT is not the responsibility of this
Office and we should not express any views about its
application.
