Guidance

Green Book supplementary guidance: discounting

Supplementary guidance to the Green Book on intergenerational wealth transfers and social discounting.

• From: HM Treasury
• Published: 21 April 2013
• Last updated: 18 November 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Intergenerational wealth transfers and social discounting

PDF, 159 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital.communications@hmtreasury.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

The Green Book recommends that costs and benefits occurring in the first 30 years of a programme, project or policy be discounted at an annual rate of 3.5%, and recommends a schedule of declining discount rates thereafter.

When assessing proposals where the effects involve the very long term (in excess of 50 years) and involve very substantial and, for all practical purposes, irreversible wealth transfers between generations, this additional guidance is to be followed.

The Green Book and this supplementary guidance is supported by the wider collection of accompanying guidance and materials.

Published 21 April 2013
Last updated 18 November 2022 + show all updates

1. 18 November 2022

   New link to the Green Book and its collection of accompanying guidance and materials collection page to improve signposting.

2. 21 April 2013

   First published.