HMRC Inheritance Tax : applying for probate
The procedure you need to follow and the forms you will need to apply for probate, or confirmation in Scotland, will be slightly different depending on where the deceased lived.
England & Wales
You will need to fill in some forms to apply for probate and to provide details of the deceased's estate. You can download the forms you need to apply for probate from the HM Court Service and you can download the forms you need to provide details of the estate from this site.
To find out whether the deceased's estate can qualify as an 'excepted estate' you will need to fill in form IHT205. To help you to decide ‘Is it an excepted estate?’ you can view the information in the Customer Guide.
Northern Ireland
You will need to fill in some forms to apply for probate and to provide details of the deceased's estate. You can download the forms you need to provide details of the estate from this site.
To find out whether the deceased’s estate can qualify as an ‘excepted estate’, you will need to fill in form IHT205. To help you to decide ‘Is it an excepted estate?’ you can view the information in the Customer Guide.
If the estate is an 'excepted estate' you should then contact the Probate & Matrimonial Office at:
Royal Courts of Justice,
PO Box 410
Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 3JF
Telephone: 028 9072 4678
Email: probate@courtsni.gov.uk
The Probate Office has produced a booklet called Dealing with a deceased person's estate (PDF 535K) that will tell you what to do.
If the deceased died before 6 April 2004, you do not need to fill in form IHT205. Instead you should telephone the Probate and IHT Helpline to find out whether the estate qualifies as an excepted estate.
If you find that the estate is not an excepted estate, you will need to fill in a full Inheritance Tax Account
If you need any help with filling in the Inheritance Tax forms, you should telephone the Probate and IHT Helpline.
Downloading the forms
To download any of the forms and the notes to help you fill them in, right click on the link below and choose the save option.
Important note
All the forms and notes are in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you have Adobe Reader 7 (or later) installed on your computer, you will be able to view, complete and print the forms. You will not be able to save the completed form.
To save copies of the completed forms to your hard disk, you will need to purchase the full version of Adobe Acrobat 7 standard (or later) from Adobe and install it on your computer.
If you require this material in print, large print or Braille please contact the Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline.
File name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Return of estate information (blank form to print out and fill in) |
|
| Return of estate information (to fill in on screen) |
|
| Notes to fill in form IHT205 (2006) |
File name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Return of estate information (blank form to print out and fill in) |
|
| Return of estate information (to fill in on screen) |
|
| Notes to fill in form IHT205 |
|
Appendices to notes to fiill in form IHT205 |
File name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Short form for Personal Applicants (blank form - to print and fill in by hand) |
|
| Notes to fill in form IHT205 |
|
| Addendum IHT 206 page 14. Change of process from 5 April 2004 |
|
Short form for Personal Applicants (to fill in on screen) |
File name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Short form for Personal Applicants (blank form - to print and fill in by hand) |
|
| Short form for Personal Applicants (to fill in on screen) |
|
| Notes to fill in form IHT205 |
File name |
Description |
|---|---|
| Short form for Personal Applicants (blank form - to print and fill in by hand) |
|
| Short form for Personal Applicants (to fill in on screen) |
|
| Notes to fill in form IHT205 |
For deaths before 6 April 2000
Telephone the Probate and IHT Helpline for the forms you need.
For further help
If you do not want to download the forms, you can telephone the Probate and IHT Helpline and ask them.
If you find that the estate is not an excepted estate, you will need to
fill in a full HMRC Account.
If you need any help with the application for probate, you should telephone
your local probate registry.
If you need any help in deciding whether the estate is an 'excepted estate' or in filling in the Inheritance Tax forms, you should telephone the Probate and IHT Helpline.
