Form IHT405: telling HMRC about houses, land and buildings
This page covers what form IHT405 is, who completes it, what it asks for, and how it sits with the other inheritance tax forms.
What is form IHT405?
Form IHT405 is one of the supplementary schedules to form IHT400, the full Inheritance Tax account, and it works out no tax itself; its totals carry into form IHT400.
Form IHT405 is current, not withdrawn. GOV.UK last updated the page on 21 April 2026, adding a new version. If you downloaded the form from GOV.UK before then, take a fresh copy.
Who needs to complete form IHT405?
You need form IHT405 if you are completing form IHT400 and the person who died owned houses, land or buildings, or an interest in land and buildings, in their own name. Property they owned jointly with someone else goes on form IHT404, 'Jointly owned assets', instead.
The real question is whether the estate needs form IHT400 at all, which applies when there is Inheritance Tax to pay or the estate does not qualify as an excepted estate (GOV.UK). An estate is usually excepted if its value is below the current Inheritance Tax threshold, in which case there is no form IHT400 and no form IHT405.
What information does form IHT405 ask for?
Each property gets its own entry: address or description, freehold or leasehold, any letting or lease details, Agricultural, Business or Woodlands Relief claimed, and open market value at the date of death (GOV.UK). Separate sections cover special factors affecting value, such as damage or development potential, and any property sold or being sold within 12 months of the death.
There is no set threshold above which HMRC requires a professional valuation for land and buildings. GOV.UK's own advice is that valuing land can be complicated and you are strongly advised to use a professional valuer regardless of value, and that if you already have a valuation you should attach a copy with the form.
Valuing the property is the real work, not the paperwork. See how to value an estate for probate.
How does form IHT405 fit with form IHT400?
Form IHT405 has no deadline of its own. It goes in with form IHT400, which must be sent within 12 months of the death and before you apply for probate (GOV.UK). Inheritance Tax itself must be paid by the end of the sixth month after death; GOV.UK's example is a January death, paid by 31 July, with interest charged if you are late.
After you send the forms, HMRC sends a unique code you need before applying for probate. A mortgage secured on the property is a debt, and debts go on a schedule of their own, form IHT419.
How does form IHT405 affect the residence nil rate band?
The residence nil rate band is £175,000, applying from 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2030. You claim it on form IHT435, not on form IHT405, but the value you gave on form IHT405 is what the claim rests on. The IHT435 conditions are that the deceased died on or after 6 April 2017, owned a residence in the estate, and direct descendants inherited it.
The band also reduces by £1 for every £2 the estate is worth above £2 million, so a high property value can cut the relief. See the residence nil rate band.
Can you pay the tax on a property in instalments?
You can pay Inheritance Tax over 10 equal yearly instalments on qualifying assets, and land and buildings, including houses, qualify if they are not sold (GOV.UK). The first instalment is due at the end of the sixth month after the death, and later ones on that date each year. You pay no interest on the first instalment unless it is late. Say on form IHT400 that you want to pay this way; once you sell, you must pay in full.
Telling everyone else who needs to know
Valuing a property is one job. Telling every organisation the person dealt with is another, and that is the one that eats weeks. Legacy Trail finds the accounts the person held and notifies them centrally.
Frequently asked questions
No. GOV.UK does not describe form IHT405 as an interactive PDF, unlike form IHT400. You download it, fill it in, and post it with form IHT400. Gather your figures first, since you will need them for the wider pack.
No fixed threshold, but GOV.UK strongly advises using a professional valuer regardless of value, since land and buildings are a complicated area to value. If you already have a valuation, attach a copy to form IHT405.
No. GOV.UK's own IHT400 guidance lists jointly owned houses, flats and land under form IHT404, 'Jointly owned assets', not form IHT405, which covers property the deceased owned outright.
Use form IHT38 to claim relief. GOV.UK's rule is that whoever is liable for the Inheritance Tax on the land can claim relief if it is later sold at a loss against the value used on form IHT405, provided the sale happens within 4 years of the death (3 years if the death was on or before 15 March 1990).
Yes, the same form. Confirmation is the Scottish equivalent of probate, so form IHT400 and its schedules apply UK-wide, and the GOV.UK page for form IHT405 carries no separate Scottish or Northern Irish version. IHT421 is the probate summary for Northern Ireland, a different form for a different purpose.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary. If you are dealing with an estate, consider taking advice from a solicitor who specialises in probate. For other guidance specific to your circumstances, speak to a funeral director, Citizens Advice, or a regulated financial adviser.