Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Inheritance Tax – 31 March 1988

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Inheritance Tax on 31st March 1988.

Mr. Gordon Brown To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list all those representations he has received to amend the exemption limit for inheritance tax on donations to political parties; and if he will place the submissions in the Library; (2) what was the basis on which he calculated that there will be no loss in revenue from his decision to amend the exemption limit for inheritance tax on donations to political parties; (3) how many estates in which donations were made to political parties in each year since 1979 have been subject to inheritance tax liability or capital transfer tax; (4) how much (a) inheritance tax or (b) capital transfer tax has been paid in each year since 1979 on donations to political parties.

Mr. Major Information is not kept of the number of estates paying inheritance tax or capital transfer tax on gifts to political parties or of the amount of tax paid, but it is not thought that under present rules gifts of £100,000 or more are normally made, so the loss in revenue from abolishing the limit is likely to be negligible. No representations have been received to amend the exemption limit.