Generally speaking, there is little inheritance tax payable by heirs in China.
Because, in China, heirs do not need to pay inheritance tax, except for some other taxes and fees, which are comparatively small.
1. Inheritance tax: N/A
At present, China has neither imposed inheritance tax, nor issued regulations or draft regulations related thereto.
This is the official statement of China’s Ministry of Finance in 2017.
2. Fee for inheritance right notarization: 0.5 ~ 2% of the estate
If you want to inherit the deposit in the decedent’s bank account or the house of the decedent, you need to prove to the bank or the house registration authority that you have the right to inherit.
In China, this requires you to obtain a notarial certificate issued by a notary office to prove your inheritance right.
If you intend to use the notarial certificate to prove that you have the right to inherit an estate, then you have to pay the notary office a notarization fee according to a certain proportion of the market price of the estate.
The prices charged by notary offices vary from each other in China.
Generally, this proportion ranges from 0.5 to 2%.
3. Deed tax: 1 ~ 5% of the house price
If you want to inherit the decedent’s house, you need to pay deed tax.
Specifically:
(1) If you are the legal heir of the decedent, you are not required to pay deed tax.
For example, if you are the children, spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents of the decedent, you do not need to pay deed tax.
(2) Otherwise, you need to pay deed tax.
The deed tax rate ranges from 1 to 5% (i.e., 1 ~ 5% of the house price) as the case may be.
4. House evaluation fee: within 0.5% of the house price
If you need to pay deed tax, then you need to prove the house price to determine the taxation base thereof.
At this time, you need to hire a professional agency to evaluate the house at a price usually within 0.5% of the house price.
5. Income tax in the future: 20%
Although you don’t need to pay inheritance tax at inheritance, you need to pay income tax if you sell the estate in the future.
At this time, your income will be the sale income of the estate minus the expenses paid by you at inheritance (such as deed tax).
You need to pay 20% personal income tax for this income.
Of course, this income tax is only payable when you sell the estate in the future.
Therefore, you do not have to pay income tax at inheritance.
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Original Lins: How Much Tax Will I Pay on My Inheritance in China?
Photo by Chris Wong on Unsplash
Contributors: Meng Yu 余萌
