Elderly sisters go European court over inheritance tax
Will Writing Services - 12/09/2006 17:10:33
Two elderly sisters are taking on the government after being told that they would not be given the same rights as married or same-sex couples if one of them dies.
Joyce and Sybil Burden, aged 88 and 80, say that if one of them dies, the other will be forced to sell their shared home to pay off the hefty inheritance tax.
Their jointly-owned home, which they inherited from their parents, is worth around £875,000 and each sister has made a will leaving all her property to the other.
The pair are now asking the European courts to rule that forcing them to pay the tax is breaching their human rights.
Today, the European court will hold a hearing to establish whether they have a case to put forward and that their exposure to inheritance tax could be a breach.
Their lawyers are expected to argue that as unmarried sisters living together since birth they deserve the same treatment for inheritance tax purposes as married or gay partners.
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