Items worth £52m gifted to nation

Forty-eight items worth over £52m have been accepted for the nation through Arts Council England’s acceptance in lieu and cultural gifts schemes.

Acceptance in lieu allows taxpayers to pay inheritance tax by transferring important cultural scientific or historic objects and archives to the nation through allocation to public museums archives or libraries. The Cultural Gifts Scheme and Acceptance in Lieu Annual Report 2023 states that in 2022-23 transfers included books and manuscripts of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien two volumes of poems by Robert Burns inscribed by the poet and two sculptures by artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth.

The cultural gifts scheme enables UK taxpayers to donate important works of art and other heritage objects to the nation and in return donors receive a tax reduction based on a set percentage of the value of the item they donate. Highlights...