UK introduces new regulations to the Trust Registration Service

The UK government brought the Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026 into force on 30 June to amend both the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) and Trust Registration Service (TRS) regimes.

The TRS is an online register of the beneficial ownership of trusts, which was set up in 2017 and updated in October 2020. It requires most UK trusts, even those without a tax liability, to register within 90 days of establishment.

The new regulations introduce a requirement for non-UK express trusts that hold an interest in UK land or property that was acquired before 6 October 2020 to register on the TRS by 1 September 2027. Previously, only non-UK express trusts acquiring UK land on or after 6 October 2020 had been required to register.

The regulations also introduce a new ‘de minimis exemption’ from TRS registration for certain low value, non-taxable trusts that meet all four of the following conditions:

• No UK land interest.
• Assets of appreciable worth (including works of art, antiques, collectables, jewellery and other non-financial assets capable of increasing in value) not exceeding £2,000 in total.
• Cumulative property value since creation not exceeding £10,000.
• Income not exceeding £5,000 per annum.

Existing trusts already registered on the TRS that meet these criteria can now be deregistered. However, a settlor cannot claim the de minimis exclusion across multiple trusts.

The two-year ‘grace period’ for trusts created by will or intestacy to register on the TRS following the death of a settlor is also expanded to:

• Trusts arising from deeds of variation.
• Co-ownership trusts that have lost exemption on the death of the settlor.
• Trusts imposed by an enactment.