Trustees, settlors and beneficiaries may need support with annual trust tax returns, the Trust Registration Service, inheritance tax charges, beneficiary reporting, trust accounts and tax planning around distributions or changes to a trust. London has specialist private client practices, chartered accountancy firms and larger tax advisory firms covering both UK and international trust structures. This guide provides a practical overview of trust tax services in London rather than ranking the firms.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors providing trust tax services for trustees, settlors and beneficiaries alongside private client tax, inheritance tax, probate, estate administration and wider advisory work. Its dedicated Trust Tax service covers annual trust Self Assessment returns, Trust Registration Service registrations and updates, trust tax pool calculations, R185 certificates, ten-year anniversary and exit charge calculations, IHT accounts and tax advice relating to distributions, appointments and trust wind-ups. The firm also works with UK family trusts and trusts arising under wills.
The firm works with organisations ranging from growing owner-managed businesses and charities through to larger corporate groups and regulated entities. Audit engagements are delivered in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) and supported by a structured risk-based audit methodology.
Acumon holds a Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence, allowing the firm to audit listed companies and other entities subject to enhanced regulatory oversight in the United Kingdom. PIE audits are subject to additional regulatory supervision and quality requirements.
In addition to its UK audit registration, Acumon also holds audit licences in several international financial centres, including the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Jersey and Isle of Man. These licences enable the firm to support international corporate groups where entities are located across multiple jurisdictions.
International group structures frequently involve a combination of UK operating companies and offshore holding entities, particularly in sectors such as investment management, technology, energy and international trade. Coordinating audit and assurance work across these structures requires familiarity with cross-border financial reporting, group consolidation processes, governance arrangements and internal control environments.
For trust tax clients, Acumon’s wider private client and estate practice means ongoing trust compliance can be coordinated with inheritance tax planning, probate and estate administration, personal tax reporting and cross-border advice. The firm can also assess whether a trust needs to register with HMRC, maintain TRS records as trustees or beneficiaries change and calculate the tax consequences before capital is distributed or a trust is brought to an end.
Trust Tax Capabilities
Acumon provides trust tax services across a wide range of organisational structures and sectors.
These include:
- UK limited companies and corporate groups
- Public Interest Entities (PIEs) and regulated organisations
- UK subsidiaries of international groups
- charities and not-for-profit organisations
- owner-managed businesses approaching statutory audit thresholds
- offshore holding companies and investment vehicles
Trust tax engagements are typically led by senior professionals with direct involvement throughout the engagement.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations
Acumon holds several audit registrations that enable it to support organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
These include:
- UK statutory audit registration
- Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
- Jersey audit licence
- Isle of Man audit licence
- Cayman Islands audit licence
- British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations allow the firm to provide audit services to groups that include entities in both the UK and key international financial centres.
Core Services
Acumon provides a range of services that support financial reporting and governance.
These include:
- statutory external audit
- group and subsidiary audits
- Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
- charity and not-for-profit audit
- audit of international group structures
- internal audit and governance reviews
- risk management and compliance support
Audit work is often delivered alongside discussions with management and boards regarding financial reporting processes and governance frameworks.
Many organisations initially encounter statutory audit requirements as they grow and exceed the audit exemption thresholds set out in the Companies Act.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
- approaching their first statutory audit
- preparing for external investment
- expanding into international markets
- operating within corporate group structures
Early engagement with an audit firm can help ensure that financial reporting systems and documentation are aligned with statutory audit requirements.
Contact Information
- Website: acumon.com
- Phone: 020 8567 3451
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Saffery
Saffery provides trust tax advice and administration for UK and international structures. Its work includes advising settlors, beneficiaries and trustees on the tax implications of trusts, preparing trust accounts and tax returns, corresponding with HMRC and supporting estate and succession planning. The firm can also act as co-trustee and administer investment and property portfolios held within trusts. Its tax team covers Trust Registration Service requirements, including registrations, changes and the annual review obligations applying to taxable trusts.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families and trustees combining trust taxation with ongoing administration
- Core services: Trust tax returns, trust accounts, TRS compliance, trust administration and estate tax returns
- Trust coverage: UK and international trust structures
- Additional capability: Co-trustee and private wealth services
Contact Information:
- Website: www.saffery.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/saffery
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/saffery_uk
- Address: 71 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4BE
- Phone: 020 7841 4000
Rawlinson & Hunter
Rawlinson & Hunter has a substantial private client practice covering the taxation, accounting and administration of trusts. Its services include trust bookkeeping, preparation of accounts and trust tax returns, maintenance of Trust Registration Service records and regulatory disclosures. The firm also advises on the tax implications of establishing, administering, changing or winding up trusts. Its international private client work extends to non-resident trusts and the UK tax consequences for trustees, settlors and beneficiaries.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families and trustees with complex or international wealth structures
- Core services: Trust tax returns, accounting, administration, TRS compliance and tax advice
- Specialization: UK resident and international family trusts
- Tax coverage: Income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax affecting trusts
Contact Information:
- Website: www.rawlinson-hunter.co.uk
- E-mail: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rawlinson-&-hunter
- Address: Eighth Floor, 6 New Street Square, New Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 3AQ
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7842 2000
PKF Littlejohn
PKF Littlejohn has a dedicated UK Trust Tax Planning service covering both compliance and advisory work. The firm prepares Self Assessment Trust Tax Returns, tax certificates for beneficiaries and inheritance tax returns associated with transfers into trust, ten-year anniversaries, capital distributions and trust wind-ups. Its team also advises offshore trusts where there are UK tax liabilities or UK tax consequences for settlors or beneficiaries, providing a relatively focused option for trustees whose requirements extend beyond routine annual filings.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Trustees requiring detailed UK trust tax compliance and IHT reporting
- Core services: Trust Tax Returns, beneficiary tax certificates and IHT returns
- IHT support: Transfers into trust, ten-year charges, exit charges and wind-ups
- International capability: Offshore trusts with UK tax exposure
Contact Information:
- Website: www.pkf-l.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Twitter: x.com/PKF_Littlejohn
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/littlejohn
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/pkf.littlejohn
- Address: 30 Churchill Place, London, E14 5RE
- Phone: 020 7516 2200
Mercer & Hole
Mercer & Hole combines private client tax with a dedicated trusts practice. Its team handles accounting and tax compliance for family trusts, trust administration and strategic tax advice, while its wider tax compliance service includes annual returns and Trust Registration Service entries. The firm also advises offshore trustees on UK tax issues, UK reporting requirements and the position of UK resident beneficiaries. Trust work can therefore be coordinated with succession planning, inheritance tax and broader private client advice.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: UK and international families requiring tax and trust administration together
- Core services: Trust tax compliance, trust accounting, TRS reporting and administration
- International capability: UK taxation of offshore trusts and beneficiaries
- Related services: Succession and inheritance tax planning
Contact Information:
- Website: www.mercerhole.co.uk
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Mercer-Hole/100067536078183
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mercer-&-hole
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mercerhole
- Address: 3 Lombard Street, London, EC3V 9AA
- Phone: 020 7236 2601
Buzzacott
Buzzacott’s Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate practice advises trustees alongside individuals, entrepreneurs, non-residents and estates. Its trust work covers tax compliance and advisory matters, including trust returns and inheritance tax reporting. The firm also has specialist US and UK tax capabilities for trusts where settlors, trustees or beneficiaries have connections to both jurisdictions, covering UK inheritance tax, US estate and gift tax considerations and cross-border trust reporting.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Trustees requiring private client tax support or US-UK expertise
- Core services: Trust tax compliance, tax advice, probate and inheritance tax
- International capability: US and UK trust reporting and planning
- Client focus: Trustees, high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and non-residents
Contact Information:
- Website: www.buzzacott.co.uk
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Buzzacott/100066357656648
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/buzzacott
- Address: 130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL
- Phone: 020 7556 1200
Dixon Wilson
Dixon Wilson focuses heavily on private clients, families, trusts and family businesses. Its family office work includes preparing accounts and tax returns for family trusts, advising on tax-efficient trust distributions and attending trustee meetings. The firm also advises on inheritance tax planning and the use of trusts for transferring wealth between generations. International work covers the UK taxation of offshore structures, including trusts, making the practice relevant where family arrangements involve assets or beneficiaries in more than one jurisdiction.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families using trusts as part of wider family office or succession arrangements
- Core services: Trust accounts, tax returns, distribution advice and trustee support
- Specialization: Private clients, families and intergenerational wealth
- International capability: UK taxation of offshore trusts and structures
Contact Information:
- Website: dixonwilson.co.uk
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dixonwilsonaccountants
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/dixon-wilson
- Address: 22 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LS
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7680 8100
Moore Kingston Smith
Moore Kingston Smith provides dedicated trust and estate services within its private client tax practice. The firm advises on using trusts for tax and estate planning and can structure and manage trusts on behalf of individuals and trustees. Its broader private client team also deals with inheritance tax, personal tax compliance, cross-border taxation and probate and estate administration, allowing trust-related tax work to be coordinated with the wider financial affairs of a family or estate.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families combining trust structuring with estate and succession planning
- Core services: Trust structuring, trust management, tax planning and estate administration
- Related tax services: IHT, personal tax compliance and cross-border tax
Contact Information:
- Website: mooreks.co.uk
- Twitter: x.com/MooreKSLLP
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/moore-kingston-smith
- Address: 6th Floor, 9 Appold Street, London, EC2A 2AP
- Phone: 020 4582 1000
HaysMac
HaysMac provides private client tax advice for individuals and families as well as people taking on responsibilities as trustees. Its practice covers family wealth, succession and inheritance tax alongside UK and international tax matters. Trust services sit within the wider private client offering, allowing trustees to obtain tax advice while coordinating personal tax and family wealth issues through the same firm.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Family trusts requiring wider private client and succession advice
- Core services: Private client tax, trust advice, inheritance tax and tax compliance
- Client focus: Individuals, families and trustees
- Related capability: Family wealth and international private client matters
Contact Information:
- Website: haysmac.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/haysmac
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifeat_haysmac
- Address: 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1AG
- Phone: 020 7969 5500
RSM UK
RSM UK provides tax and administrative support for trusts as part of its private client offering. Its work can begin with advice on establishing a trust and extend into HMRC reporting, trust administration, preparation of accounts and tax returns and inheritance tax returns. Periodic reviews can also be used to consider whether an existing structure remains appropriate from a tax and family wealth perspective. The London private client team has experience with both UK and offshore trusts.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Trustees requiring ongoing compliance plus wider private client advice
- Core services: Trust establishment, HMRC reporting, accounts, tax returns and administration
- Tax coverage: Inheritance tax, capital gains tax and private client taxation
- International capability: UK and offshore trust matters
Contact Information:
- Website: www.rsmuk.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rsm-uk
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rsm.uk
- Address: 25 Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4AB
- Phone: 020 3201 8000
Forvis Mazars
Forvis Mazars provides trustee and private client tax services for families, trustees and executors. Its trustee work includes trust administration, inheritance tax planning, lifetime and will trusts, ownership structures and estate administration, with the option for its trust corporation to act as trustee. The firm’s international private client team also advises on non-resident trusts and beneficiaries, cross-border tax obligations and reporting where family assets or structures extend across several jurisdictions.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Larger or international family wealth structures requiring multidisciplinary support
- Core services: Trustee services, trust administration, IHT planning and estate administration
- International capability: Non-resident trusts, beneficiaries and cross-border tax
- Trustee option: Professional trustee services through the firm’s trust corporation
Contact Information:
- Website: www.forvismazars.com
- Twitter: x.com/ForvisMazarsUK
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/forvis-mazars-in-the-uk
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/forvismazarsuk
- Address: 30 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7AU
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7063 4000
Blick Rothenberg
Blick Rothenberg has a dedicated Trusts & Estates service covering structures throughout their lifecycle. For UK trusts, the firm provides tax reporting, including trust tax returns and inheritance tax returns, together with accounts and administration. Offshore trust work can include UK trust tax returns, IHT, non-resident capital gains tax reporting, calculations of gains and income, record keeping and disclosures to HMRC. Its US-UK practice adds cross-border trust, estate and gift tax expertise where families have connections to both countries.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: UK and offshore trusts with complex reporting requirements
- Core services: Trust tax returns, IHT returns, accounts, administration and HMRC compliance
- International capability: Offshore trusts and US-UK family wealth matters
- Related services: Estate administration and succession planning
Contact Information:
- Website: www.blickrothenberg.com
- Twitter: x.com/BlickRothenberg
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blickrothenberg
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/blickrothenberg
- Address: 16 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5AH
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7486 0111
BKL
BKL combines specialist tax services with professional trustee support. Its tax practice includes inheritance tax and trusts, while its professional trustee service is designed for families that want an accountant and tax specialist involved directly in the administration and decision-making of a trust. The firm advises on tax and succession planning and can act through the BKL Trust Corporation. Its private client team also covers UK and offshore trusts within estate, inheritance and international tax planning.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families wanting tax advice alongside professional trustee involvement
- Core services: Trust tax advice, IHT planning, succession planning and professional trusteeship
- International capability: UK and offshore trust structures
- Trustee option: BKL Trust Corporation
Contact Information:
- Website: bkl.co.uk
- Twitter: x.com/BKLtweets
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/berg-kaprow-lewis-llp
- Address: First Floor, 5 Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RD
- Phone: 020 7832 0444
MHA
MHA’s private client tax practice works with individuals, families, trusts, estates and investment structures, providing both tax compliance and advisory support. Its services include tax compliance for individuals and trusts, succession and inheritance tax planning, international private client tax and advice involving trusts and estates. The firm also supports clients with HMRC matters and cross-border tax issues, allowing routine trust compliance to be coordinated with wider private client planning.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Families with trusts, estates or international private client tax issues
- Core services: Trust tax compliance, private client tax, succession and IHT planning
- International capability: Offshore trusts and cross-border structures
- Tax support: HMRC enquiries, compliance and advisory work
Contact Information:
- Website: www.mha.co.uk
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/MHA-Accountants/100063452388108
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mha-uk
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mhaaccountants
- Address: 2 London Wall Place, London, EC2Y 5AU
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7429 4100
Kreston Reeves
Kreston Reeves has a dedicated Trusts and Estates practice covering London and the South East. Its published services include professional trustee appointments, Trust Registration Service work, trustee tax returns, trust accounts, trust administration, tax advice and planning, trust establishment and dissolution, estate administration and inheritance tax planning. The team therefore covers both annual compliance and the tax and administrative decisions that arise during the life of a trust.
Key Facts
- Ideal for: Trustees seeking ongoing tax, accounting and administration support
- Core services: Trustee tax returns, trust accounts, TRS, administration and tax planning
- Trust lifecycle: Establishment, ongoing management and trust dissolution
- Related services: Probate, estate administration and inheritance tax planning
Contact Information:
- Website: www.krestonreeves.com
- Twitter: x.com/KrestonReeves
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kreston-reeves
- Address: 2nd Floor, 168 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6RA
- Phone: 020 7382 1820
Conclusion
Trust tax services in London vary from annual compliance focused on Self Assessment returns and Trust Registration Service updates to broader arrangements combining trust accounting, administration, inheritance tax planning, professional trusteeship and estate work. International and offshore structures can add another layer of reporting, particularly where trustees, settlors, beneficiaries or assets are located in different jurisdictions.
The appropriate firm depends on the structure of the trust and the amount of ongoing support required. Trustees dealing mainly with annual filings may prioritise a dedicated trust tax compliance team, while families managing significant assets, offshore structures or succession planning may need tax, accounting, estate and trustee services coordinated within the same practice.