Where Data Tells the Story
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An estimated $2 to $3 trillion were inherited globally in 2024, according to consulting firm EY. As EY analysts highlight, the impending inheritance to be passed on from the baby boomer generation will mark the biggest transfer of wealth in modern financial history. Against this backdrop, we're turning our attention to the topic of inheritance and gift tax.
Data compiled by the Tax Foundation (as of 2024) reveals that the approach to inheritance and gift tax varies considerably across Europe. In France, tax rates generally range from 5 percent to 45 percent, depending on the value of the transfer and the degree of kinship, but can climb as high as 60 percent for distant relatives. The range is similar in Germany, where rates vary from 7 percent to 50 percent, depending on the amount and relationship between the parties. Only two other European countries have higher top rates: Belgium (3 percent to 80 percent) and Spain (7.7 percent to 87.6 percent). In the UK, the range is narrower, with rates between 20 percent and 40 percent, while Ireland applies a flat rate of 33 percent.
At the other end of the spectrum, some of the lowest inheritance and gift tax rates in Europe can be found in Bulgaria (0.4 percent to 6.6 percent), Croatia (4 percent), Italy (4 percent to 8 percent), Lithuania (5 percent to 10 percent), Iceland (10 percent), Portugal and Poland (both with 0 percent to 20 percent). Around ten other European countries - including Sweden, Norway, Austria, Estonia and Romania - do not impose any inheritance or gift taxes at all.