A bargain struck with the nation

When a family inherits something judged pre-eminent — a Gainsborough, a Tudor manuscript, a Capability Brown park — they can defer the inheritance tax that would otherwise fall due. In return, they promise to look after it, keep it in the UK, and let the public see it.

That promise — the access undertaking — is the part that matters to you. It means a startling number of masterpieces hang not in museums but on the walls of working houses, and the law says you may go and look. This is the Conditional Exemption Tax Incentive Scheme, administered by HMRC, and it has quietly populated a public register with 558 exempt entries across the United Kingdom.

The three ways access is given

Every exempt item must be made reasonably accessible by one of three routes, set out in its undertaking:

• Published open days — fixed dates when you can simply turn up. 132 entries on the register specify a set number of access days a year.
• By appointment — you write to the owner or their agent and arrange a time, usually within about four weeks.
• On loan — the item lives at a public gallery or museum, where you see it as you would any other exhibit.

Many undertakings go further, granting the right to view without prior appointment for part of the year — a stronger entitlement than appointment-only access. Around 145 entries carry that right.

What qualifies

Five broad categories can be conditionally exempt: pre-eminent objects and collections (art, furniture, manuscripts, scientific material); land of outstanding scenic, historic or scientific interest; buildings of outstanding historic or architectural interest; land essential to protect such a building; and objects historically associated with such a building. On this site they fall into two families:

The catch, and your protection

The exemption is conditional. If an owner sells the item, takes it abroad, or fails to honour the access undertaking, the deferred tax becomes payable — a charge to Inheritance Tax can arise under sections 31–32 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984. Owners are also required to publicise access, not bury it. In other words, being shown these things is not a favour; it is the system working exactly as designed.

The public helped pay for these things to stay in Britain. In exchange, the public gets to see them.

Ready to begin? Search the register, or read our practical guide to arranging a visit.