Ifac, Head of Tax, Declan McEvoy, warns beneficiaries of gifts and inheritances of new tax implications.
A change in how the value of gifts or inheritances of free money is calculated for Capital Acquisitions Tax purposes will have implications for anyone benefitting from these arrangements.
Up to now, for Capital Acquisitions Tax purposes, the value of gifts or inheritances of free money has been calculated based on the interest rate that the money involved would have earned if it had been on deposit.
However, in the future, under changes introduced in the Finance Bill 2021, the calculation will be based on the cost of borrowing an equivalent amount on the open market.
The new valuation method is likely to result in an increase of around 3% in the calculated value of gifts or inheritances of free money.
This is because while deposit interest rates have been very low in recent times, the average mortgage interest rate is close to 3%.
Gifts and inheritances
For example, a child is entitled to a lifetime tax-free threshold of €335,000 in respect of gifts and inheritances taken from their parents.
Where the aggregate of the gifts and inheritances the child receives from a parent exceeds €335,000, only the excess is subject to CAT tax.
In addition to this €335,000 tax-free threshold, the first €3,000 of gifts to a child in any year is exempt from CAT under the annual small gift’s exemption.
Two parents can make gifts to a child to the value of €6,000 in any year free of CAT.
The effect of the finance bill can be illustrated where say, the cheapest loan interest rate available on the open market is 3%.
- A child gets a loan of €100,000 from a parent, and the interest is foregone. The gift element is €3,000, and this is covered by the small gift exemption
- A loan of €200,000 from both parents will also be covered.
Tax-free threshold
However, a loan more than the above amount will eat into the tax-free threshold that a child can get.
- If, over ten years, a child has a €350,000 interest-free loan from a parent, then the annual interest gift is €10,500 at 3% interest. The annual small gift tax allowance is €3,000. Therefore, over a 10-year period, a child has eaten into the tax-free threshold by €75,000.
If a child had used up the allowance before the gift was received, then they would have an annual tax bill on the €7,500 of €2,475, and a return would need to be completed annually for this.
The disposer of the gift or property must be aware of this change and the tax consequence. (The ‘disposer’ is the person transferring the property.)
Another measure in the Finance Bill will allow Revenue to seek a tax return from the ‘disposer’ of gifts of property where the property concerned is subject to Agricultural Relief or Business Relief claims.
This is on top of the requirement in Finance Bill 2020 to make it mandatory to make a gift or inheritance return Tax Return (IT38) where relief is claimed.
Deadlines
Remember, the date for submitting this return and paying the tax is October 31st, 2021, if a paper filer and November 17th if you file and pay online.
Ensure you submit and pay on time to avoid a surcharge.
For information and/or advice on how these measures will impact you, contact your local Ifac office.
