Cease a trust or estate

When your trust or estate has been wound up or terminated so that all property has been distributed and there will be no further income, you should ask us to 'cease' the trust or estate. We can then close the account in our system.

Please ensure all taxes have been paid and all tax returns have been filed.

If the trust or estate is no longer earning income yet will still continue to hold assets, we will not be able to cease your account. Instead, you can tell us the trust or estate is non-active so it is not required to file income tax returns. If the trust or estate receives any income in the future, you will need to let us know. Our 'Trusts and tax residency' page has more information about non-active trusts and estates:

Trusts and tax residency

In most cases, a request to cease a trust or estate must be made in writing. You can ask us to cease your trust or estate over the phone if the trust or estate:

• has an IRD number
• is a non-trading trust with no income
• has no income-bearing assets.

An example of a non-trading trust is a family trust that owns only a family home with no other assets.