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Residential NRB (RNRB) meaning

What does Residential NRB (RNRB) mean?
The residential nil-rate band (RNRB) is the additional inheritance tax (IHT) allowance available on death when a home (or former home) is left to direct descendants. It sits on top of the basic nil-rate band and, subject to statutory conditions, can reduce IHT by up to the current maximum RNRB (presently £175,000), but is tapered for larger estates (currently reduced by £1 for every £2 above a £2 million threshold). The RNRB is defined in legislation (Inheritance Tax Act 1984, as amended by the Finance Act 2015). It applies where the deceased had a qualifying residential interest—broadly, a property they occupied as a residence at some point—and that interest (or equivalent value) passes to lineal descendants outright or via certain trusts (for example, an immediate post-death interest, bereaved minors’ or 18–25 trusts). A downsizing addition may preserve relief if the home was sold or reduced in value and other assets pass to descendants. Unused RNRB is generally transferable to a surviving spouse or civil partner. Only one residence can qualify. The RNRB applies uniformly in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is no equivalent in Ireland, which uses Capital Acquisitions Tax and a separate dwelling house exemption.
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View the related Practice Notes about Residential NRB (RNRB)

PRACTICE NOTES
UK Inheritance Tax—Residence Nil Rate Band: eligibility, calculation, tapering, downsizing, trusts, transferable RNRB, planning and claims

Residence nil rate band (RNRB) This Practice Note outlines the residence nil rate band (RNRB), once called the additional threshold and also referred to as the residential nil rate band or residential property nil rate band. It sets out what the RNRB is, when it can apply, how the figure is worked out and also the process for claiming it in practice. Although this Practice Note includes some links to worked examples, customers are directed to Practice Note: Q&As for extensive links to Q&As and worked examples showing how the RNRB operates across different practical situations and various scenarios in practice. The RNRB sits alongside the basic NRB and can further cut the inheritance tax (IHT) due on death. It is set against the taxable value of the estate, but unlike the basic NRB it is confined to being applied only to: the value of a residential property interest the estate on death, and the inheritance of lineal descendants estates not exceeding the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK IHT Residence Nil Rate Band and Transferable RNRB: Q&As and Worked Examples on Eligibility, Downsizing, Trusts, Tapering and Claims

IHT—residence nil rate band Q&As This Practice Note is designed to direct practitioners to Q&As and worked examples explaining the rules by which the inheritance tax (IHT) residence nil rate band (RNRB)—also called the additional threshold—and the transferable RNRB (brought-forward allowance) are worked out and applied on deaths occurring on or after 6 April 2017. For an overview of the RNRB, see Practice Note: IHT—residence nil rate band. Note that while new Q&As are added as they arise, individual Q&As are not updated and reflect the law as at the date shown in each instance. In particular, Q&As dated before 6 April 2025 are likely to discuss the domicile-based IHT regime, rather than the residence-based regime in force from that date. For details on the basic nil rate band (NRB) and the transferable NRB, and especially how to claim these reliefs and the key deadlines, see Practice Notes: IHT—nil rate band (NRB) and transferable NRB and IHT—calculation of nil rate band and transferable NRB. Identifying the qualifying residential...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK residential property for offshore clients: structuring choices, tax exposure (IHT, CGT, SDLT/LBTT/LTT, ATED), and the Finance Act 2025 residence-based IHT reforms

STOP PRESS: Abolition of non-dom regime and introduction of residence-based IHT regime Finance Act 2025 (FA 2025), which received Royal Assent on 20 March 2025, brings in legislation to end the remittance basis of taxation and introduce a residence-based approach from 6 April 2025. It also makes residence, rather than domicile, the principal test for inheritance tax exposure. Additional reforms include updates to the rules on excluded property status, the removal of protected settlements status for offshore trusts, and revisions to overseas workday relief. For further detail, see Practice Notes: The abolition of the remittance basis of taxation from 2025–26 and A new residence-based regime for IHT from 2025–26. See also: Finance Bill Tracking Service: Key dates (Finance Bill 2025) and Finance Act 2025. Who is an ‘offshore client’? This Practice Note examines typical ownership arrangements for UK residential property for offshore clients intending to use the property as a UK home. ‘Offshore clients’ refers to individuals who: up to 5 April 2025, are...

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