Which types of trust have to register
Most UK express trusts, and some non-UK trusts with UK links, need to be registered on the Trust Registration Service, whether or not they pay tax, subject to a set of exclusions (gov.uk, Register a trust, as at July 2026, subject to change). HMRC publishes a plain list of common trust types and whether each usually registers.
| Common trust type | Usually registers on TRS? |
|---|
| Bare trust (where an express trust) | Generally yes, unless an exclusion applies |
| Interest in possession trust | Generally yes |
| Discretionary trust | Generally yes |
| Charitable trust (registered as a charity) | No |
| Disabled person's trust | Not as an express trust; may register if it has a UK tax liability |
| Bereaved minor / 18-to-25 trust (set up by will) | Not as an express trust; may register if it has a UK tax liability |
Source: HMRC, Trust Registration Service Manual TRSM10030, as at July 2026, subject to change. Exclusions are detailed and fact-specific.
The categories are not mutually exclusive: many trusts meet more than one definition at once, and the registration outcome can turn on fine detail. Where the lead trustee did not provide all the required information when registering, HMRC states the missing details must be completed within 90 days of registering the trust (gov.uk, Register a trust, as at July 2026, subject to change). Getting the classification right can matter for both penalties and tax, so it is one of the points many people choose to check with a solicitor or tax adviser. For a fuller walkthrough, see our guide to the trust registration service.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a single named official source: HMRC's accredited official statistics publication on trusts, released in December 2025. Registration counts are stated as at 31 March 2025; income, tax and Self Assessment counts relate to the tax year ending 2024.
- HMRC, Statistics on trusts in the UK, December 2025: register totals, new registrations, non-taxable share, estates, Self Assessment counts by type, total income and total tax. gov.uk, published December 2025.
- HMRC, Trust Registration Service Manual (TRSM10030): common trust types and whether each usually registers. gov.uk, accessed July 2026.
- HMRC, Register a trust: who must register and the 90-day completion rule. gov.uk, accessed July 2026.
- HMRC, Trusts and taxes: the special trust rates for discretionary and accumulation trusts. gov.uk/trusts-taxes, accessed July 2026.
Figures are quoted as HMRC rounds and publishes them; no number here has been estimated or extrapolated beyond what the source states. Where a year-on-year baseline is shown, it is HMRC's own stated prior-year figure. Rules and allowances are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change.
Frequently asked questions
How many trusts are registered in the UK?
Around 835,000 trusts and estates were registered and recorded as open on the Trust Registration Service as at 31 March 2025, with 121,000 new registrations in the year to that date (HMRC, December 2025). The register is UK-wide and includes both taxable and non-taxable trusts, so it is broader than the number filing tax returns.
What is the most common type of trust registered?
Among trusts filing Self Assessment in the tax year ending 2024, those taxed at the special trust rates, broadly discretionary and accumulation trusts, were the largest group at 84,500, ahead of 52,000 interest in possession trusts (HMRC, December 2025). The full register also holds many non-taxable trusts that do not file returns.
What is the difference between a taxable and non-taxable trust registration?
A taxable trust registers because it has a UK tax liability, while a non-taxable express trust generally registers under money-laundering rules even with no tax to pay. Around 78% of new registrations in the year to 31 March 2025 were non-taxable (HMRC, December 2025). Which category applies depends on the trust's facts.
Do all trusts have to register?
Most UK express trusts must register, but there are exclusions. Charitable trusts registered as charities generally do not register, and disabled person's, bereaved minor and 18-to-25 will trusts are not registrable as express trusts, though they may register if they have a UK tax liability (HMRC, TRSM10030, as at July 2026). The detail is fact-specific.
Are the number of registered trusts rising?
The cumulative register has generally grown since the Trust Registration Service launched, reaching around 835,000 trusts and estates as at 31 March 2025 (HMRC, December 2025). Some of that growth may reflect existing trusts registering under newer rules rather than a rise in new trusts being created, so the trend can be read in more than one way.
Does this data cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes. HMRC's trusts statistics are UK-wide, so the register and Self Assessment figures include Scotland and Northern Ireland (HMRC, December 2025). Trust law itself differs between jurisdictions, particularly in Scotland, so how a given trust is set up and taxed can depend on where it is based and governed.
About Fairchild Oldfield
The Fairchild Oldfield team brings together estate planning, tax, independent financial advice and client care, working with families across England and Wales.
Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not a firm of solicitors. This article is general information based on practical experience and published official statistics, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ. Statistics are drawn from the reference periods stated at each point of use; allowances and rules are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner, an accountant, or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider your individual circumstances.
