1. I have heard I need to register my trust?
This is correct. The Fifth Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) came into effect in the UK on 6 October 2020. This directive has vastly extended the reporting obligations of Trusts to HMRC.
It replaces the Fourth Money Laundering Directive (4MLD) and adds reporting obligations to a significant number of trusts.
Below is reminder of the previous obligations under 4MLD and the new obligations under 5MLD.
Since 2017, if a Trust incurs a liability to income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax or Stamp Duty Reserve Tax, trustees are required to register information about their trusts on HMRC’s online portal the Trust Registration Service (TRS).
Under 4MLD if a liability to income or capital gains tax arises the trustees must register their trust by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which the tax liability arose. For example, if the trust incurs a tax liability on 3rd March 2020, the trust must be registered by 5th October 2021.
If a Trustee would like to register a Trust they will first need to apply for a Government ID as HMRC’s online portal uses a Government gateway account.
Continuing obligations under 4MLD
Registering a Trust is not the end of a Trustee’s obligations under 4MLD.
HMRC additionally requires that an annual declaration be made by the Trustees confirming that the details previously provided are still accurate. This must be done by 31 January after the end of each tax year. For example, 5th April 2021 is the end of the current tax year so the annual declaration must be submitted by 31st January 2022.
The Trustees must also declare on the portal if the trust has come to an end.
Yes, you do.
5MLD extends the obligation to register, keep details accurate and make an annual declaration to most non-taxpaying trusts, regardless of whether they are liable to pay any tax.
The trusts which do not need to be registered are:
THE TRUSTS WHICH NEED TO BE REGISTERED ARE:
Trusts of Land where the legal owners registered at the Land Registry differ to the owners deriving an interest in the property. For example where parents have contributed to a home for their child or when a couple buy a property together but only one name is on the title deeds.
Just as with 4MLD, those trusts caught by 5MLD will need to be registered with HMRC using their online portal. This applies to all trusts created from 6.10.2020. Generally, trust have 30 days from creation to register.
Although 5MLD came in to force on 6 October 2020, HMRC’s online portal is not yet ready so those trusts cannot currently be registered. It has however been planned that the portal will be ready from late summer 2021 and from that point on trustees will have 12 months to register their existing qualifying Trusts. Any trusts created after the portal is available to register will have 30 days from creation to do so.
The details needed to be registered under 5MLD will broadly be the same as those required under 4MLD. The information required is:
The details required for the Settlor and the Trustees are their full names, addresses and National Insurance numbers. The minimum details required for the beneficiaries are their names and the type of interest they have in the trust.
Once the trust has been registered, under 5MLD, the trustees will have an obligation to update the portal within 30 days of them becoming aware of any changes to the information previously reported.
Those changes can be a change in trustees, a beneficiary’s address, a change in assets for example. In addition to keeping the portal updated the trustees will also have an obligation to make an annual declaration confirming that the details are correct.
If trustees to do not comply with the legislation they are liable to receive quite significant financial penalties and sanctions.
In view of the above change in legislation, our specialist Trust team at Wards can advise you:-
Please contact our Trust Solicitors Mary Harty or Klerwi Le Fol-Caraës for further information.
Email: Mary.Harty@wards.uk.com or Klerwi@wards.uk.com or please telephone our Bristol office on 0117 929 2811.