Scrap 'failed' inheritance tax, says economic think tank

Inheritance tax should be scrapped, the Resolution Foundation says
Inheritance tax should be scrapped, the Resolution Foundation says Credit:  Steven May / Alamy

Inheritance tax should be scrapped and replaced by a system that is fairer and harder to avoid, an economic think tank has said.

Death duty is a “failed” and “unfixable” tax which does not keep up with modern society, according to the Resolution Foundation.

Adam Corlett, Senior Economic Analyst at the think tank, said inheritance tax “manages the uniquely bad twin feat of being both wildly unpopular and raising very little revenue.”

The taxman collected £5.2m from inheritance tax in 2017-2018, a 53% rise in four years, figures from HM Revenue & Customs show.

Despite the increase, IHT still only amounts to 77p of every £100 raised nationally and just 4 per cent of estates are subject to it, the...

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