How Inheritance Tax works: thresholds, rules and allowances

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When someone living outside the UK dies

If your permanent home (‘domicile’) is abroad, Inheritance Tax is only paid on your UK assets, for example property or bank accounts you have in the UK.

It’s not paid on ‘excluded assets’ like:

  • foreign currency accounts with a bank or the Post Office
  • overseas pensions
  • holdings in authorised unit trusts and open-ended investment companies

There are different rules if you have assets in a trust or government gilts, or you’re a member of visiting armed forces.

Contact the Inheritance Tax helpline if you’re not sure whether your assets are excluded.

When you will not count as living abroad

HMRC will treat you as being domiciled in the UK if you either:

  • lived in the UK for 15 of the last 20 years
  • had your permanent home in the UK at any time in the last 3 years of your life

Double-taxation treaties

Your executor might be able to reclaim tax through a double-taxation treaty if Inheritance Tax is charged on the same assets by the UK and the country where you lived.