Glossary · UK
What is Quick Succession Relief?
An Inheritance Tax relief that reduces the tax due when the same assets pass through two estates within five years, avoiding double taxation.
Full Definition
Quick Succession Relief (QSR) reduces the Inheritance Tax (IHT) payable on an estate where the deceased had themselves received property within the previous five years on which IHT was already charged. Its purpose is to prevent the same wealth being taxed in full twice in quick succession, for example where someone inherits and then dies shortly afterwards. The relief works by reducing the IHT attributable to that earlier inheritance on a sliding scale based on the time between the two deaths: 100% relief if the gap is one year or less, then 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% as each further year passes, with no relief once five years have elapsed. The relief applies against the tax, not the value, and is calculated by reference to the increase the first transfer made to the recipient's estate. QSR sits within the wider IHT framework, where the nil-rate band remains £325,000 and the residence nil-rate band £175,000 (tapering once the estate exceeds £2 million), with IHT charged at 40% (or 36% where at least 10% is left to charity). IHT is a UK-wide tax, so QSR applies identically in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The personal representatives claim it when calculating the estate's liability.