Cannon Trust School Level II Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Study Resource

Charitable trusts are set up to benefit the public or a charitable purpose, and they must operate for that public benefit. Because of this public‑benefit focus, they typically enjoy favorable tax treatment—income and capital gains that are used for charitable purposes are usually exempt or relieved, and donors to charities can receive tax relief. Charities are also subject to regulatory oversight and governance rules to ensure they are managed in the public interest.

Private trusts, on the other hand, are designed to benefit named individuals or a family. They are treated as distinct from charities for tax and regulatory purposes. The trust itself often pays tax on its income at trust rates, and distributions to beneficiaries are typically taxed to those beneficiaries rather than being exempt as for charitable income. They are governed by general trust law and taxation rules rather than charity-specific regimes and do not receive charitable tax reliefs.

So the statement captures the key difference: charitable trusts aim for public benefit and generally enjoy favorable tax treatment, while private trusts benefit individuals and are taxed and regulated in a different way.