IHTM28081 - Liabilities: investigating liabilities: costs of sale (general)
The costs of sale of assets that were unsold at the date of death or transfer are not normally deductible for Inheritance Tax purposes, even when the property is land subject to a trust for sale. This is because the value of property for Inheritance Tax purposes is ‘the price which it might reasonably be expected to fetch if sold in the open market’ (IHTM09703). In other words this is the gross sale price payable by a purchaser without deduction of the expenses of sale or the commission charged for selling the property.