Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Inheritance Tax on the Valuation Office Agency’s processing of cases; and whether her Department plans to take steps to help mitigate any increase in demand.

This question was answered on 7th May 2025
Inheritance Tax (IHT) is the responsibility of HMRC. In matters involving the valuation of land and buildings, HMRC will refer cases to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for a specialist view. HMRC decides whether to refer particular property valuation cases to VOA.

Any changes in demand are managed by HMRC and VOA’s existing joint governance groups, which oversee volumes of referrals to VOA across IHT and all other heads of tax.

On 28 April 2025, the government announced that VOA’s functions will be brought into HMRC by the end of this financial year. This will combine the expertise and experience of both organisations in policy, valuations and programme delivery to support government to deliver change more quickly and effectively, including forthcoming policy changes to IHT.