Shorter Reads

A commentary on inheritance tax case, Routier v HMRC

James Austen comments on the Supreme Court’s decision in this notable IHT case.

1 minute read

Published 16 October 2019

Authors

Share

Key information

The Supreme Court today handed down judgment in a rare and important Inheritance Tax (IHT) case which has wide-reaching consequences for taxpayers and charities in the UK, Jersey and worldwide.

The Court allowed the appeal by trustees of a Jersey charitable trust who had claimed IHT relief on a gift of UK property (worth £1.7m) to the Jersey charitable trust.  This exempted the charity from a claimed UK IHT charge of nearly £600,000.  HMRC had sought to deny charity tax relief, claiming it was only available on gifts to domestic UK charities.  In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court disagreed, saying that such a restriction on charity tax relief (which dated back to the Dreyfus case in the 1950s) was unlawful as a matter of EU law.

A number of important points arise from the Supreme Court’s decision, including:

  • Jersey cannot be treated as part of the UK for free movement of capital purposes under the EU Treaty;
  • Consequently, the UK cannot tax movements of capital between the UK and Jersey if to do so would be illegal under EU law;
  • As long as a gift of UK property is for charitable purposes only under the law of any part of the UK, it does not matter where in the world that charity is located, and the charity does not have to be subject to the jurisdiction of UK courts;

The Supreme Court’s decision is relatively brief when compared with the Court of Appeal decisions which it overturned.  As such, it raises a number of new questions.  Perhaps the most important of these is whether HMRC might seek to justify limiting charity tax relief to jurisdictions with which the UK has in place a treaty on the exchange of tax information.  However, given that the Supreme Court’s decision was silent in this regard (meaning that it did not form part of its reasoning) and because it expressly overruled – and criticised – the Court of Appeal for entertaining that question, one may fairly assume that HMRC could not lawfully seek to impose such a restriction.

This decision represents an important victory for taxpayers and charities faced with an intransigent and out-dated refusal by HMRC to give tax relief for charitable gifts to non-UK charities.  However, because the Court decided only to deal with the EU law aspects raised by the case, and not to deal with the parallel domestic law points, the longevity of the judgment will of course turn on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

A fuller analysis of the Supreme Court’s decision and its implications will follow.

Related latest updates
PREV NEXT

Related content

Arrow Back to Insights

Shorter Reads

A commentary on inheritance tax case, Routier v HMRC

James Austen comments on the Supreme Court’s decision in this notable IHT case.

Published 16 October 2019

Associated sectors / services

  • UK trusts, tax and estate planning

Authors

The Supreme Court today handed down judgment in a rare and important Inheritance Tax (IHT) case which has wide-reaching consequences for taxpayers and charities in the UK, Jersey and worldwide.

The Court allowed the appeal by trustees of a Jersey charitable trust who had claimed IHT relief on a gift of UK property (worth £1.7m) to the Jersey charitable trust.  This exempted the charity from a claimed UK IHT charge of nearly £600,000.  HMRC had sought to deny charity tax relief, claiming it was only available on gifts to domestic UK charities.  In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court disagreed, saying that such a restriction on charity tax relief (which dated back to the Dreyfus case in the 1950s) was unlawful as a matter of EU law.

A number of important points arise from the Supreme Court’s decision, including:

  • Jersey cannot be treated as part of the UK for free movement of capital purposes under the EU Treaty;
  • Consequently, the UK cannot tax movements of capital between the UK and Jersey if to do so would be illegal under EU law;
  • As long as a gift of UK property is for charitable purposes only under the law of any part of the UK, it does not matter where in the world that charity is located, and the charity does not have to be subject to the jurisdiction of UK courts;

The Supreme Court’s decision is relatively brief when compared with the Court of Appeal decisions which it overturned.  As such, it raises a number of new questions.  Perhaps the most important of these is whether HMRC might seek to justify limiting charity tax relief to jurisdictions with which the UK has in place a treaty on the exchange of tax information.  However, given that the Supreme Court’s decision was silent in this regard (meaning that it did not form part of its reasoning) and because it expressly overruled – and criticised – the Court of Appeal for entertaining that question, one may fairly assume that HMRC could not lawfully seek to impose such a restriction.

This decision represents an important victory for taxpayers and charities faced with an intransigent and out-dated refusal by HMRC to give tax relief for charitable gifts to non-UK charities.  However, because the Court decided only to deal with the EU law aspects raised by the case, and not to deal with the parallel domestic law points, the longevity of the judgment will of course turn on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

A fuller analysis of the Supreme Court’s decision and its implications will follow.

Associated sectors / services

  • UK trusts, tax and estate planning

Authors

Need some more information? Make an enquiry below.

    Subscribe

    Please add your details and your areas of interest below

    Specialist sectors:

    Legal services:

    Other information:

    Jurisdictions of interest to you (other than UK):



    Article contributor

    Enjoy reading our articles? why not subscribe to notifications so you’ll never miss one?

    Subscribe to our articles

    Message us on WhatsApp (calling not available)

    Please note that Collyer Bristow provides this service during office hours for general information and enquiries only and that no legal or other professional advice will be provided over the WhatsApp platform. Please also note that if you choose to use this platform your personal data is likely to be processed outside the UK and EEA, including in the US. Appropriate legal or other professional opinion should be taken before taking or omitting to take any action in respect of any specific problem. Collyer Bristow LLP accepts no liability for any loss or damage which may arise from reliance on information provided. All information will be deleted immediately upon completion of a conversation.

    I accept Close

    Close
    Scroll up

    Find out about Business

    Find out about Dispute Resolution

    Find out about Individuals & Families

    Find out about Real Estate

    We are Collyer Bristow - The law firm for those that
    value individuality, creativity and collaboration.

    Legal & Pricing info Regulatory InformationAccessibilitySitemapPricing and service information

    Listen to our latest podcast: Budget Miniseries: Impacts on Families with US Connections (Part 1)

    Listen to our latest podcast: Cracking the Code on Directors’ Service Agreements

    Read our latest article: Economist, or just economical with the truth? How can employers respond to ‘fake claims’ on a CV?

    Listen to our latest podcast: Autumn Budget 2024 Special (Part 2)

    Read our latest article: ‘Promoting the integrity of the register’: The new Companies House approach to non-compliance

    ExpandNeed some help?Toggle

    < Back to menu

    I have an issue and need your help

    Scroll to see our A-Z list of expertise

    Get in touch

    Get in touch using our form below.



      Business Close
      Private Wealth Close
      Hot Topics Close