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A Full Guide to Receiving an Inheritance from Overseas: Save Every Penny

When receiving money from overseas, there are a number of things you will need to take into consideration, especially if it's inheritance money. Not only will you need to find an appropriate way to transfer the inheritance back to your local bank account without incurring hefty international transfer fees, but you’ll also need to be aware of what tax regulations apply when receiving an inheritance from abroad.

Yasmin Purnell
Author 
Yasmin Purnell
Fact Checker 
Elliot Laybourne
6 minutes
February 19th, 2024
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In this article, we’ll cover the best way to transfer an inheritance from overseas, tax regulations you need to be aware of (which vary depending on where you are located), and what paperwork you may need to file to avoid double taxation.

The best way to receive inheritance money from overseas

Wise
Wise

Wise is the best provider for large inheritance transfers. They offer the mid market rate on currency exchanges, so you'll get exactly what your inheritance is worth when it's exchanged. Fees are also reasonable, and you can calculate them online or in the app before you send any money.

With a large transfer limit of $1.2 million, you might be able to receive your inheritance in one go, rather than splitting it into different chunks and potentially getting charged for each transfer.

Wise frequently receives positive reviews on Trustpilot, Google Play, and the App Store. Most report a good fee structure and efficiency, along with how easy it is to use the service.

OFX
OFX

With no maximum transfer limits, OFX is a good way to receive your inheritance from abroad. They charge no fees on their transfers, and add a small markup to their currency exchange rates. They also service over 170 countries, with more than 50 currencies available.

OFX also lets you monitor the exchange rates available before you make your exchange, so you can change the currency of your inheritance when you'll get a better deal.

The OFX fee structure is more opaque than some other transfer services, with no calculators available for their exchange rates, and customer reviews remain mixed.

Key Currency
Key Currency

Another provider with no limits, KeyCurrency is a good option for receiving your inheritance. They don't charge fees on their transfers, but they only process bank transfers, and they're serviced countries are quite limited.

You'll need to ask the customer service team for a quote rather than calculating fees yourself, and transfers can be slow. But if you need to send a lot of money at once, they may be the provider for you.

Things to consider when receiving your inheritance by international transfer

When transferring a larger sum of money from abroad - regardless of the reason - one of your main concerns will be finding a provider that can send your money internationally for a fair fee and exchange rate not too far from that which you would find on Google (i.e. the mid-market rate).

When looking to transfer your inheritance money back to your home country, here are a few things to factor into your decision:

Transfer fees
Exchange rate
Maximum sending limits

Avoid high fees - compare the providers available

Banks are known for typically charging higher transfer fees and a larger markup on the exchange rate than most money transfer providers, with margins up to 5% added on to the mid-market rate. In the case of receiving an inheritance of, for example, $100,000 from overseas, that could amount to losing $5,000 simply on the exchange rate.

Comparing providers and finding the most competitive fees and closest exchange rate to the mid-market rate is therefore a prudent strategy to avoid losing more of your money to charges than necessary.

Taxes for receiving an overseas inheritance

What is inheritance tax?

An inheritance tax is paid by the person who inherits money, property, or other assets from a person who has died.

The amount that is taxable on an inheritance can vary depending on where you are in the world, so we’ve covered the main tax regulations when receiving an overseas inheritance in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia below.

Inheritance tax laws in the UK

In the UK, whether you need to pay tax on an inheritance from overseas largely depends on whether the individual can be considered domiciled out of the UK. HMRC will recognize a change of domicile when there is clear evidence that the individual in question moved away and planned to live abroad permanently. A few examples of this could include:

  • Working abroad

  • Owning property in a foreign country

  • Sending children to an overseas school

You should note, however, that HMRC may still consider the UK to be the individual’s official place of residence for inheritance tax if they lived in the UK for 17 of the previous 20 years, or if they had a permanent residence in the UK at any point in the last three years of their life.

In the UK, you will not need to pay tax on inheritance if:

  • The estate is valued below £325,000

  • Any inheritance above this threshold is left to a spouse or civil partner

  • Anything above the threshold is left to a charity

Find more information on the UK and inheritance tax from the gov.uk website.

Inheritance tax laws in Canada

In Canada, there is no inheritance tax. Therefore, whether you are receiving an inheritance from a relative who is not a resident of Canada overseas, or from a recognized Canadian citizen, your inheritance is not deemed as taxable income - rather, the estate pays all tax before you receive the inheritance.

With that said, you may be subject to taxation on any future income that may be generated from your overseas inheritance, even if it is not remitted back to Canada. This is because Canadian residents are subject to tax on worldwide income.

Inheritance tax laws in the US

In the US, you will not typically be taxed if you are receiving an inheritance as a US person from a non-US person and the assets inherited are based outside of the US.

The three taxes that could come into play when receiving an inheritance from abroad are:

  • Estate tax

  • Gift tax

Gift tax is only applicable when the inheritance is received by a US national from a US national. Equally, estate tax does not apply provided the individual bequeathing the inheritance to you was not a US national or a foreign national residing in the US. If the estate is located abroad, estate tax will not apply. Rather, taxes are the responsibility of the foreign country in which the inheritance/estate is located.

However, even if your overseas inheritance is not taxable, you will likely still need to report it to remain transparent about your accounts. You will need to declare what you have been paid on your US tax return using Form 706-CE, which is Certification of Payment of Foreign Death Tax.

Completing this form will ensure the IRA knows that tax was paid on the inheritance you have received before it was transferred to you.

Find more information on US estate and gift taxes from the IRS website.

Inheritance tax laws in Australia

An overseas inheritance is not taxable in Australia. The only exception is if the executor of the individual’s estate advises that a part of it is, for example, if a part of the inheritance could continue to earn an income after the individual’s death.

An example of where this might apply is if your inheritance includes items that could earn an income such as interest on a savings account or dividends from stocks. If this applies to you, a tax return would be due on any income that is taxable from the estate until it has been administered in full.

Find out more about inheritance and tax obligations on the Australian government website.

Receiving money - Know the law to avoid being caught out

Even if inheritance tax does not apply in the country you are residing in, it’s important to make sure you are aware of any legal obligations or responsibilities you need to uphold when receiving an inheritance from abroad.

Equally, you’ll want to make sure you are using a suitable broker or transfer provider when receiving your inheritance into your bank account. Verifying that the company in question can transfer the funds without hitting the maximum sending cap and that you are not losing vast amounts of money in fees are two essential considerations - our comparison engine will help you find a service suitable for your needs.

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Contributors

Yasmin Purnell
Yasmin is an accomplished Content Writer and Editor for MoneyTransfers.com, who specializes specializing in personal finance, student life, and business topics. Her reputation as a financial authority is acknowledged by top publications such as BBC Worklife, Cash Matters, Yahoo Finance, and CEO Blog Nation, which have featured her as a trusted source. She is also the founder of The Wallet Moth, a popular blog focusing on money and lifestyle.
Fact Checker
Elliot Laybourne
Elliot Laybourne is a seasoned financial professional with a 20-year tenure in investment banking in the City of London. His career includes pivotal senior roles at prominent institutions like ABN Amro, Societe Generale, Marex Financial, and Natixis Bank. Elliot's expertise is particularly notable in commodity derivatives and options market-making. Throughout his career, he has served an impressive roster of clients, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Schroders Asset Management, and the Pennsylvania State Public School Employees Retirement System.