Trust Registration Service (TRS)

Trust Registration Service · TRS

Table of Contents

TRS registration without the headache.

Most UK trusts must be registered with HMRC and updated every year. Miss it and trustees face penalties of up to £5,000 per trust. We handle TRS registration and annual maintenance for trustees, fixed fee, no fuss.

Book a free 30-min call →See our fees

90-dayRegistration window

AnnualUpdate required

£5,000+Penalty for non-compliance

Fixed feePer trust

Almost every trust now needs to be on the TRS

The Trust Registration Service has been mandatory for “express” trusts since September 2022 – which now means almost every trust except a handful of statutory exemptions. Will trusts wound up within two years of death are exempt; most others are not. Even non-taxable trusts have to register.

We register your trust within the 90-day deadline, set up the annual update reminders, and handle the ongoing maintenance so you never get a “your trust is non-compliant” letter from HMRC. New trustees, address changes, beneficiary changes, settlement amendments – we update the register when they happen.

In your fixed fee

What’s included

Initial trust review and TRS reportability check
Gathering trustee, settlor and beneficiary details
Trust deed review for unique identifying details
HMRC Government Gateway setup for the trust
Submission via the TRS online service
Confirmation of registration to all trustees
Annual update reminders set up
Annual TRS update filed each year
Updates for trustee/settlor/beneficiary changes
Late-registration penalty mitigation if applicable

Why Mercian

Why clients stay

A genuinely modern approach

Cloud accounting, MTD-ready workflows and secure document portals — no shoeboxes of receipts, no surprise emails in March.

Fixed fees, no clock-watching

A clear price agreed up front. Call us as often as you need without worrying about a meter running.

Senior advice, not call-centre answers

Every client has a named accountant who knows your situation — not a ticket queue.

FAQ

Common questions

Does my trust need to register?

Almost certainly yes. The TRS now covers nearly all UK express trusts (created intentionally by a settlor) plus many non-UK trusts with UK assets or trustees. We screen first call.

What if I missed the deadline?

HMRC currently treats first late registration as a one-time learning event with no penalty if remedied within a reasonable period. Subsequent failures attract penalties up to £5,000. Call us before HMRC writes to you.

Do non-taxable trusts need to register?

Yes – the requirement applies to almost all express trusts whether or not they pay tax. Bare trusts for under-18s, will trusts running over 2 years, life-interest trusts, discretionary trusts and many more are all in scope.

How often do I have to update?

Trustees must declare annually that the register is correct, even if nothing has changed. Material changes (new trustees, address changes, beneficiaries) must be updated within 90 days.

Can the registered details be seen publicly?

Limited details are accessible by people with a “legitimate interest” – generally those involved in money laundering investigations or trust beneficiaries. Beneficiaries and settlors of vulnerable trusts have additional protections.

Related services

Need a trust registered or updated?

Book a free 30-minute call. We will tell you straight whether we can help, what it would cost, and what to do next. No sales pitch, no obligation.

Book a free call →Email hello@mercianaccountants.co.uk