Established in 2017 to digitalise the trust registration process, the Trust Registration Service (TRS), recently required modification so HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can fulfil its obligations under new anti money laundering regulations.
The rules require all UK express trusts and some non-UK trusts (including most non-taxable trusts) to register with HMRC. The TRS began accepting registrations from non-taxable trusts last September, with an initial deadline of 10 March 2022. However, due to delays in preparing the TRS, the deadline was subsequently amended to 1 September 2022.
The September deadline is applicable to all trusts in existence on or after 6 October 2020, even if they are now closed. After this deadline, all new trusts (and any changes to the details of existing trusts) must be registered within 90 days. So that trusts set up close to the September deadline are not penalised, the 90-day rule will also apply to trusts set up on or after 2 June 2022.
Exemptions
Some trusts are exempt from registration unless they pay UK tax. Examples include trusts holding life insurance, trusts used to hold money or assets of a UK-registered pension scheme and other policies that pay out upon a person’s death, charitable trusts and will trusts. Rules relating to trusts are complex, please get in touch with your financial adviser if you are unsure