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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF
REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number:  811-5410

ING Prime Rate Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

CT Corporation System, 101 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 1-800-992-0180

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

The following is a copy of the report transmitted to stockholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.30e-1):

Funds

Semi-Annual Report

August 31, 2012

ING Prime Rate Trust

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This report is submitted for general information to shareholders of the ING Funds. It is not authorized for distribution to prospective shareholders unless accompanied or preceded by a prospectus which includes details regarding the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. This information should be read carefully.

ING Prime Rate Trust

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT

August 31, 2012

Table of Contents

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ING Prime Rate Trust

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' REPORT

Dear Shareholders:

ING Prime Rate Trust (the "Trust") is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide investors with as high a level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. The Trust seeks to achieve this objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in U.S. dollar denominated floating rate secured senior loans.

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

The Trust declared $0.10 of dividends during the second fiscal quarter and $0.20 during the six months ended August 31, 2012. Based on the average month-end net asset value ("NAV") per share of $5.79 for the second fiscal quarter and $5.81 for the six-month period, this resulted in an annualized distribution rate⁽¹⁾ of 7.22% for the second fiscal quarter and 6.90% for the six-month period. The Trust's total return for the second fiscal quarter, based on NAV, was 4.13% versus a total gross return on the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index (the "Index")⁽²⁾ of 3.00% for the same quarter. For the six months ended August 31, 2012, the Trust's total return, based on NAV⁽³⁾, was 5.54%, versus a total gross return on the Index of 3.85%. The total market value return⁽³⁾ for the Trust's common shares during the second fiscal quarter was 10.14% and for the six months ended August 31, 2012 was 12.22%.

MARKET REVIEW

The global senior loan market performed well during the six-month period despite myriad and evolving headwinds and a seemingly ubiquitous sense of uncertainty. The Index return for the period was more than twice the return recorded during the same period in 2011. The primary catalyst to favorable overall performance was market value gains attributable to rising loan prices, as demand for floating rate, secured corporate loans continued to generally outstrip new loan supply.

The economic terrain during the performance period can be best described as mixed bag, and one clouded by a diverse set of factors, including the now impending elections and "fiscal cliff" here in the United States, questions as to the depth and breadth of European economic weakness and the wildest of cards, growing doubt regarding the strength of the Chinese economy. Add to these factors the awkward task of attempting to handicap critical policy action on the part of the U.S. Federal Reserve

⁽¹⁾  The distribution rate is calculated by annualizing dividends and distributions declared during the period using the 30/360 convention and dividing the resulting annualized dividend by the Trust's average net asset value (in the case of NAV) or the average month-end NYSE Composite closing price (in the case of market). The distribution rate is based solely on the actual dividends and distributions, which are made at the discretion of management. The distribution rate may or may not include all investment income and ordinarily will not include capital gains or losses, if any.

⁽²⁾  The Index is an unmanaged total return index that captures accrued interest, repayments, and market value changes. It represents a broad cross section of leveraged loans syndicated in the United States, including dollar-denominated loans to overseas issuers. Standard & Poor's ("S&P") and the Loan Syndications and Trading Association ("LSTA") conceived the Index to establish a performance benchmark for the syndicated leveraged loan industry. The Index is not subject to any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

⁽³⁾  The total return is based on full reinvestment of dividends.

ING Prime Rate Trust

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' REPORT (continued)

and the European Central Bank, and you have an investment landscape that continues to only loosely track the fundamentals, thereby challenging even the most seasoned investor, regardless of the asset class.

Through it all, senior loans remained resilient, benefiting not only from the widespread pursuit of acceptable risk-adjusted yield, but strong underlying demand from investors seeking the traditional downside protections offered by loans: namely, a lien on the issuing company's assets and an adjustable interest coupon that provides a natural hedge against the impact of rising interest rates. That demand has come from a variety of sources, including the formation of new collateralized loan obligation transactions, traditional institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies and to some degree, cross-over buying from high yield bond fund managers. Retail investors also became more active in the senior loan category during the performance period, more fully recognizing that, given relatively high current yields, an actual increase in interest rates is not required to position loans as an attractive investment.

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

The Trust outperformed the Index for the six months ended August 31, attributable largely to favorable credit selection and a strong emphasis on attractive relative value within the loan category. The use of leverage for investment purposes, which has remained within our target range, also had a positive impact on returns during the period. Continuing a trend in place during the first part of the year, lower yielding loans were culled from the portfolio and replaced with those with wider credit spreads and, in virtually all cases, LIBOR⁽¹⁾ floors (i.e., a minimum LIBOR paid by the issuer pursuant to the underlying loan agreements). As a result, the weighted average coupon of the Trust's loan assets increased to 5.72%, from 5.52% at the end of the prior reporting period, and from 4.41% as of August 31 2011. Fundamental credit performance continued to be positive as the Trust experienced no defaults over the period.

Recently, several of the bellwether issuers within the Index have materially outperformed, including Univision Communications, Inc., First Data Corporation, Texas Competitive Electric Holding LLC and Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc. The Trust's strategy of maintaining appropriately-sized positions in each of these companies, with selective overweights, proved successful as the robust technical environment firmly in place since the beginning of the year continued to push secondary loan prices generally higher during the period. The Fund also reduced its exposure to non-U.S. loans, which typically do not carry public ratings by any of the major ratings agencies.

Sector weightings remained fairly constant during the period, with the notable movement coming only in healthcare (8.84% at period-end, from 12.01% at the end of the last fiscal quarter). This

⁽¹⁾  LIBOR stands for London Interbank Offered Rate, an average interest rate that leading commercial banks pay to borrow from other banks. LIBOR is a primary benchmark for short-term interest rates around the world.

ING Prime Rate Trust

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' REPORT (continued)

decrease was due to actively harvesting gains in several of the Trust's healthcare positions along with actively pursuing relative value trades for further yield enhancement. The Trust's top industry exposures, i.e., retailers, business equipment/services, healthcare and electronics, were all accretive to relative returns during the period.

The Trust continues to be well diversified with 244 individual issuers and 33 different industry sectors represented. The average issuer exposure at August 31 stood at 0.41%, while the average industry sector exposure closed the fiscal quarter at just over 3.0%. Both measures were relatively unchanged from the prior reporting period.

Ratings distribution shows the percentage of the Trust's loan commitments (excluding cash and foreign cash) that are rated in each ratings category, based upon the categories provided by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. Ratings distribution is based on Moody's senior secured facility ratings. Moody's ratings classification methodology: Aaa rating denotes the least credit risk; C rating denotes the greatest credit risk. Loans rated below Baa by Moody's are considered to be below investment grade. Ratings can change from time to time, and current ratings may not fully reflect the actual credit condition or risks posed by a loan.

*  Not rated includes loans to non-U.S. borrowers (which are typically unrated) and loans for which the rating has been withdrawn.

OUTLOOK AND CURRENT STRATEGY

We expect the senior loan market over the near term to largely follow the trends established in July/August, barring any major macro event. New loan fund creation and inflows to existing funds are likely to continue in the near future, thereby supporting loan demand and market prices. From the current vantage point, it appears growth in the U.S. economy is not strong enough to create a meaningful amount of new jobs, but sufficient for corporations to continue to improve profits (the Index averaged 12.1% EBITDA growth in the second quarter of 2012) and maintain reasonably healthy balance sheets. Therefore, near-term fundamental credit risk remains manageable in the eyes of most market observers, unless economic activity takes an unexpected and dramatic turn for the worse. All told, we continue to hold to our original estimate for full year 2012 loan returns in excess of the historical average. Of course, for this to occur, the oft-discussed and quite visible near-term headwinds facing the market must remain on the light side.

ING Prime Rate Trust
September 24, 2012

ING Prime Rate Trust

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' REPORT (continued)

The table above illustrates the total return of the Trust against the Indices indicated. An index has no cash in its portfolio, imposes no sales charges and incurs no operating expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

Total returns based on NAV reflect that ING Investments, LLC (the Trust's "Investment Adviser") may have waived or recouped fees and expenses otherwise payable by the Trust.

Performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment in the Trust will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Trust's future performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Please log on to www.inginvestment.com or call (800) 992-0180 to get performance through the most recent month end.

Calculation of total return assumes a hypothetical initial investment at the net asset value (in the case of NAV) or the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") Composite closing price (in the case of Market Value) on the last business day before the first day of the stated period, with all dividends and distributions reinvested at the actual reinvestment price.

Senior loans are subject to credit risks and the potential for non-payment of scheduled principal or interest payments, which may result in a reduction of the Trust's NAV.

This report contains statements that may be "forward-looking" statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the "forward-looking" statements.

The views expressed in this report reflect those of the portfolio managers only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover. The portfolio managers' views are subject to change at any time based on market and other conditions.

INDEX DESCRIPTIONS

The S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index is an unmanaged total return index that captures accrued interest, repayments, and market value changes. It represents a broad cross section of leveraged loans syndicated in the United States, including dollar-denominated loans to overseas issuers. Standard & Poor's and the Loan Syndications & Trading Association ("LSTA") conceived the Index to establish a performance benchmark for the syndicated leveraged loan industry. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Credit-Suisse Leveraged Loan Index is an unmanaged index of below investment grade loans designed to mirror the investable universe of the U.S. dollar-denominated leveraged loan market. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

ING Prime Rate Trust

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS' REPORT (continued)

^(A)  Yield is calculated by dividing the Trust's net investment income per share for the most recent thirty days by the net asset value (in the case of NAV) or the NYSE Composite closing price (in the case of Market) at quarter-end. Yield calculations do not include any commissions or sales charges, and are compounded for six months and annualized for a twelve-month period to derive the Trust's yield consistent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") standardized yield formula.

^(B)  The distribution rate is calculated by annualizing dividends and distributions declared during the period and dividing the resulting annualized dividend by the Trust's average net asset value (in the case of NAV) or the average month-end NYSE Composite closing price (in the case of market). The distribution rate is based solely on the actual dividends and distributions, which are made at the discretion of management. The distribution rate may or may not include all investment income and ordinarily will not include capital gains or losses, if any.

Risk is inherent in all investing. The following are the principal risks associated with investing in the Trust. This is not, and is not intended to be, a description of all risks of investing in the Trust. A more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Trust is contained in the Trust's current prospectus.

Credit Risk: The Trust invests a substantial portion of its assets in below investment grade senior loans and other below investment grade assets. Below investment grade loans involve a greater risk that borrowers may not make timely payment of the interest and principal due on their loans. They also involve a greater risk that the value of such loans could decline significantly. If borrowers do not make timely payments of the interest due on their loans, the yield on the Trust's common shares will decrease. If borrowers do not make timely payment of the principal due on their loans, or if the value of such loans decreases, the value of the Trust's NAV will decrease.

Interest Rate Risk: Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the Trust's common shares. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the Trust's common shares will also fall. To the extent that the credit spreads on loans in the Trust experience a general decline, the yield on the Trust will fall and the value of the Trust's assets may decrease, which will cause the Trust's value to decrease. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on assets in the Trust's portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag.

Leverage Risk: The Trust borrows money for investment purposes. Borrowing increases both investment opportunity and investment risk. In the event of a general market decline in the value of assets such as those in which the Trust invests, the effect of that decline will be magnified in the Trust because of the additional assets purchased with the proceeds of the borrowings. The Trust also faces the risk that it might have to sell assets at relatively less advantageous times if it were forced to de-leverage if a source of leverage becomes unavailable.

ING Prime Rate Trust

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited)

ING Prime Rate Trust

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS for the Six Months Ended August 31, 2012 (Unaudited)

ING Prime Rate Trust

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS (Unaudited)

ING Prime Rate Trust

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS for the Six Months Ended August 31, 2012 (Unaudited)

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED)

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each year or period.

⁽¹⁾  Total investment return calculations are attributable to common shares.

⁽²⁾  Total investment return at net asset value has been calculated assuming a purchase at net asset value at the beginning of each period and a sale at net asset value at the end of each period and assumes reinvestment of dividends, capital gain distributions and return of capital distributions/allocations, if any, in accordance with the provisions of the dividend reinvestment plan.

⁽³⁾  Total investment return at market value has been calculated assuming a purchase at market value at the beginning of each period and a sale at market

value at the end of each period and assumes reinvestment of dividends, capital gain distributions, and return of capital/allocations, if any, in accordance with the provisions of the dividend reinvestment plan.

⁽⁴⁾  There was no impact on total return due to payments by affiliates.

⁽⁵⁾  Includes excise tax fully reimbursed by the Investment Adviser.

⁽⁶⁾  Annualized for periods less than one year.

*  Amount is more than $(0.005).

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout each year or period.

(a)  Asset coverage ratios, for periods prior to fiscal 2009, represented the coverage available for both the borrowings and preferred shares expressed in relation to each $1,000 of borrowings and preferred shares liquidation value outstanding. The Asset coverage ratio per $1,000 of debt for periods subsequent to fiscal 2008, is presented to represent the coverage available to each $1,000 of borrowings before consideration of any preferred shares

liquidation price, while the Asset coverage inclusive of Preferred Shares, presents the coverage available to both borrowings and preferred shares, expressed in relation to the per share liquidation price of the preferred shares.

⁽⁵⁾  Includes excise tax fully reimbursed by the Investment Adviser.

⁽⁶⁾  Annualized for periods less than one year.

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited)

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION

ING Prime Rate Trust (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts business trust, is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as a diversified, closed-end, management investment company. The Trust invests primarily in senior loans, which generally are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and which contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans bear interest (unless otherwise noted) at rates that float periodically at a margin above the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") and other short-term rates.

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of its financial statements. The policies are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for investment companies.

A.  Senior Loan and Other Security Valuation. All Senior loans and other securities are recorded at their estimated fair value, as described below. Senior loans held by the Trust are normally valued at the average of the means of one or more bid and ask quotations obtained from dealers in loans by an independent pricing service or other sources determined by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") to be independent and believed to be reliable. Loans for which reliable market value quotations are not readily available may be valued with reference to another loan or a group of loans for which reliable quotations are readily available and whose characteristics are comparable to the loan being valued. Under this approach, the comparable loan or loans serve as a proxy for changes in value of the loan being valued.

The Trust has engaged independent pricing services to provide market value quotations from dealers in loans and, when such quotations are not readily available, to calculate values under the proxy procedure described above. As of August 31, 2012, 100.0% of total loans were valued based on these procedures. It is expected that most of the loans held by the Trust will continue to be valued with reference to quotations from the independent pricing service or with reference to the proxy procedure described above.

Prices from a pricing source may not be available for all loans and the Investment Adviser or ING Investment Management Co. LLC ("ING IM" or the "Sub-Adviser"), may believe that the price for a loan derived from market quotations or the proxy procedure described above is not reliable or accurate. Among other reasons, this may be the result of information about a particular loan or borrower known to the Investment Adviser or the Sub-Adviser that the Investment Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes may not be known to the pricing service or reflected in a price quote. In this event, the loan is valued at fair value, as defined by the 1940 Act, as determined in good faith under procedures established by the Board and in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. Under these procedures, fair value is determined by the Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser and monitored by the Board through its Compliance Committee.

In fair valuing a loan, consideration is given to several factors, which may include, among others, the following: (i) the characteristics of and fundamental analytical data relating to the loan, including the cost, size, current interest rate, period until the next interest rate reset, maturity and base lending rate of the loan, the terms and conditions of the loan and any related agreements, and the position of the loan in the borrower's debt structure; (ii) the nature, adequacy and value of the collateral, including the Trust's rights, remedies and interests with respect to the collateral; (iii) the creditworthiness of the borrower and the cash flow coverage of outstanding principal and interest, based on an evaluation of its financial condition, financial statements and information about the borrower's business, cash flows, capital structure and future prospects; (iv) information relating to

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

the market for the loan, including price quotations for, and trading in, the loan and interests in similar loans; (v) the reputation and financial condition of the agent for the loan and any intermediate participants in the loan; (vi) the borrower's management; and (vii) the general economic and market conditions affecting the fair value of the loan. Securities for which the primary market is a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sale price. Securities reported by NASDAQ will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on a valuation date are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask price on such exchange. Securities, other than senior loans, for which reliable market value quotations are not readily available, and all other assets, will be valued at their respective fair values as determined in good faith by, and under procedures established by, the Board. Investments in securities of sufficient credit quality maturing in 60 days or less from the date of acquisition are valued at amortized cost which approximates fair value.

Fair value is defined as the price that the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Each investment asset or liability of the Trust is assigned a level at measurement date based on the significance and source of the inputs to its valuation. Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities are classified as "Level 1," inputs other than quoted prices for an asset or liability that are observable are classified as "Level 2" and unobservable inputs, including the sub-adviser's judgment about the assumptions that a market participant would use in pricing an asset or liability are classified as "Level 3." The inputs used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. Short-term securities of sufficient credit quality which are valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, are generally considered to be Level 2 securities under applicable accounting rules. A table summarizing the Trust's investments under these levels of classification is included following the Portfolio of Investments.

For the period ended August 31, 2012, there have been no significant changes to the fair valuation methodologies.

The Board has adopted methods for valuing securities and other assets in circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, and has delegated the responsibility for applying the valuation methods to the "Pricing Committee" as established by the Trust's Administrator. The Pricing Committee considers all facts they deem relevant that are reasonably available, through either public information or information available to the Investment Adviser or sub-adviser, when determining the fair value of the security. In the event that a security or asset cannot be valued pursuant to one of the valuation methods established by the Board, the fair value of the security or asset will be determined in good faith by the Pricing Committee. When the Trust uses these fair valuation methods that use significant unobservable inputs to determine its NAV, securities will be priced by a method that the Pricing Committee believes accurately reflects fair value and are categorized as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The methodologies used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks of investing in those securities valued in good faith at fair value nor can it be assured the Trust can obtain the fair value assigned to a security if they were to sell the security.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of security valuations, the Pricing Committee may compare prior day prices, prices on comparable securities, and traded prices to the prior or current day prices and the Pricing Committee challenges those prices exceeding certain tolerance levels with the third party pricing service or broker source. For those securities valued in good faith at fair value, the Pricing Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of the valuation on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available.

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

For fair valuations using significant unobservable inputs, U.S. GAAP requires a reconciliation of the beginning to ending balances for reported fair values that presents changes attributable to total realized and unrealized gains or losses, purchases and sales, and transfers in or out of the Level 3 category during the period. The end of period timing recognition is used for the transfers between Levels of the Trust's assets and liabilities. A reconciliation of Level 3 investments is presented when the Trust has a significant amount of Level 3.

B.  Security Transactions and Revenue Recognition. Revolver and delayed draw loans are booked on a settlement date basis. Security transactions and senior loans are accounted for on trade date (date the order to buy or sell is executed). Realized gains or losses are reported on the basis of identified cost of securities sold. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis at the then-current interest rate of the loan. The accrual of interest on loans is partially or fully discontinued when, in the opinion of management, there is an indication that the borrower may be unable to meet payments as they become due. If determined to be uncollectable, accrued interest is also written off. Cash collections on non-accrual senior loans are generally applied as a reduction to the recorded investment of the loan. Senior loans are generally returned to accrual status only after all past due amounts have been received and the borrower has demonstrated sustained performance. For all loans, except revolving credit facilities, fees received are treated as discounts and are accreted whereas premiums are amortized. Fees associated with revolving credit facilities are deferred and recognized over the shorter of four years or the actual term of the loan.

C.  Foreign Currency Translation. The books and records of the Trust are maintained in U.S. dollars. Any foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars on the following basis:

(1)  Market value of investment securities, other assets and liabilities — at the exchange rates prevailing at the end of the day.

(2)  Purchases and sales of investment securities, income and expenses — at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

Although the net assets and the market values are presented at the foreign exchange rates at the end of the day, the Trust does not isolate the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments. For securities, which are subject to foreign withholding tax upon disposition, liabilities are recorded on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for the estimated tax withholding based on the securities current market value. Upon disposition, realized gains or losses on such securities are recorded net of foreign withholding tax.

Reported net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Trust's books, and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities at fiscal year end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate. Foreign security and currency transactions may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and the U.S. government. These risks include, but are not limited to, revaluation of currencies and future adverse political and economic developments which could cause securities and their markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies and U.S. government securities.

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

D.  Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. The Trust has entered into forward foreign currency contracts primarily to hedge against foreign currency exchange rate risks on its non-U.S. dollar denominated investment securities. A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a currency at a set price on a future date. The market value of a foreign currency contract fluctuates with changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Forward foreign currency contracts are marked to market daily and the change in value is recorded by the Trust as an unrealized gain or loss and is reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Realized gains or losses equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed are recorded upon delivery or receipt of the currency and are included in the Statement of Operations. These instruments may involve market risk in excess of the amount recognized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. In addition, the Trust could be exposed to risk if the counterparties are unable to meet the terms of the contracts or if the value of the currency changes unfavorably to the U.S. dollar. Open forward foreign currency contracts are presented following the Portfolio of Investments. For the period ended August 31, 2012, the Trust had an average quarterly contract amount on forward foreign currency contracts to sell of $47,041,679.

E.  Federal Income Taxes. It is the policy of the Trust to comply with the requirements of subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code that are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and any net realized capital gains to its shareholders. Therefore, a federal income tax or excise tax provision is not required. Management has considered the sustainability of the Trust's tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years in making this determination. No capital gain distributions shall be made until the capital loss carryforwards have been fully utilized or expire.

F.  Distributions to Common Shareholders. The Trust declares and pays dividends monthly from net investment income. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are declared and paid annually. The Trust may make additional distributions to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The character and amounts of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies. The Trust records distributions to its shareholders on the ex-dividend date.

G.  Dividend Reinvestments. Pursuant to the Trust's Shareholder Investment Program (the "Program"), BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc. ("BNY"), the Program administrator, purchases, from time to time, shares of beneficial interest of the Trust on the open market to satisfy dividend reinvestments. Such shares are purchased on the open market only when the closing sale or bid price plus commission is less than the NAV per share of the Trust's common shares on the valuation date. If the market price plus commissions is equal to or exceeds NAV, new shares are issued by the Trust at the greater of (i) NAV or (ii) the market price of the shares during the pricing period, minus a discount of 5%.

H.  Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

I.  Share Offerings. The Trust issues shares under various shelf registration statements, whereby the net proceeds received by the Trust from share sales may not be less than the greater of (i) the NAV per share or (ii) 94% of the average daily market price over the relevant pricing period.

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 3 — INVESTMENTS

For the period ended August 31, 2012, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from principal repayment and sales of investments, excluding short-term notes, totaled $520,961,702 and $534,950,343, respectively. At August 31, 2012, the Trust held senior loans valued at $1,194,224,388 representing 98.9% of its total investments. The fair value of these assets is established as set forth in Note 2.

The senior loans acquired by the Trust typically take the form of a direct lending relationship with the borrower, and are typically acquired through an assignment of another lender's interest in a loan. The lead lender in a typical corporate loan syndicate administers the loan and monitors the collateral securing the loan.

Common and preferred shares, and stock purchase warrants held in the portfolio were acquired in conjunction with loans held by the Trust. Certain of these stocks and warrants are restricted and may not be publicly sold without registration under the 1933 Act, or without an exemption under the 1933 Act. In some cases, these restrictions expire after a designated period of time after issuance of the shares or warrants.

Dates of acquisition and cost or assigned basis of restricted securities are as follows:

NOTE 4 — MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENTS

The Trust has entered into an investment management agreement ("Investment Advisory Agreement") with the Investment Adviser, an Arizona limited liability company, to provide advisory and management services. The Investment Advisory Agreement compensates the Investment Adviser with a fee, computed daily and payable monthly, at an annual rate of 0.80% of the Trust's Managed Assets. For purposes of the Investment Advisory Agreement, "Managed Assets" shall mean the Trust's average daily gross asset value, minus the sum of the Trust's accrued and unpaid dividends on any outstanding preferred shares and accrued liabilities (other than liabilities for the principal amount of any borrowings incurred, commercial paper or notes issued by the Trust and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares).

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 4 — MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENTS (continued)

The Investment Adviser entered into a Sub-Advisory agreement with ING IM, a Delaware limited liability company. Subject to such policies as the Board or the Investment Adviser may determine, ING IM manages the Trust's assets in accordance with the Trust's investment objectives, policies, and limitations.

The Trust has also entered into an administration agreement with ING Funds Services, LLC (the "Administrator") to provide administrative services and also to furnish facilities. The Administrator is compensated with a fee, computed daily and payable monthly, at an annual rate of 0.25% of the Trust's Managed Assets.

The Investment Adviser, ING IM and the Administrator are indirect, wholly-owned subsidiaries of ING Groep N.V. ("ING Groep"). ING Groep is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance, and retirement services.

ING Groep has adopted a formal restructuring plan that was approved by the European Commission in November 2009 under which the ING life insurance businesses, including the retirement services and investment management businesses, which include the Investment Adviser and its immediate affiliates, would be separated from ING Groep by the end of 2013. To achieve this goal, in a series of announcements beginning November 2010, ING Groep announced that it plans to pursue transactions to restructure certain businesses, including an initial public offering for its U.S. based insurance, retirement services, and investment management operations; and other transactions, which could include an initial public offering or other type of transaction, for its European based insurance and investment management operations and Asian based insurance and investment management operations. There can be no assurance that all or part of the restructuring plan will be carried out.

The restructuring plan and the uncertainty about its implementation, whether implemented through the planned public offerings or through other means, in whole or in part, may be disruptive to the businesses of ING entities, including the ING entities that service the Trust, and may cause, among other things, interruption or reduction of business and services, diversion of management's attention from day-to-day operations, and loss of key employees or customers. A failure to complete the offerings or other means of implementation on favorable terms could have a material adverse impact on the operations of the businesses subject to the restructuring plan. The restructuring plan may result in the Investment Adviser's loss of access to services and resources of ING Groep, which could adversely affect its businesses and profitability. In addition, the divestment of ING businesses, including the Investment Adviser, may potentially be deemed a "change of control" of each entity. A change of control would result in the termination of the Trust's advisory and sub-advisory agreements, which would trigger the necessity for new agreements that would require approval of the Board, and may trigger the need for shareholder approval. Currently, the Investment Adviser does not anticipate that the restructuring will have a material adverse impact on the Trust or its operations and administration.

NOTE 5 — TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES AND RELATED PARTIES

The Trust has adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Plan"), which allows eligible non-affiliated trustees as described in the Plan to defer the receipt of all or a portion of the trustees fees payable. Amounts deferred are treated as though invested in various "notional" funds advised by ING Investments until distribution in accordance with the Plan.

NOTE 6 — COMMITMENTS

The Trust has entered into a $400 million 364-day revolving credit agreement which matures July 22, 2013, collateralized by assets of the Trust. Borrowing rates under this agreement are based

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 6 — COMMITMENTS (continued)

on a fixed spread over LIBOR, and a commitment fee is charged on the unused portion. Prepaid arrangement fees are amortized over the term of the agreement. The amount of borrowings outstanding at August 31, 2012, was $343.6 million. Weighted average interest rate on outstanding borrowings during the period was 1.21%, excluding fees related to the unused portion of the facilities, and other fees. The amount of borrowings represented 27.08% of total assets at August 31, 2012. Average borrowings for the period ended August 31, 2012 were $348,582,065 and the average annualized interest rate was 2.70% excluding other fees related to the unused portion of the facilities, and other fees.

As of August 31, 2012, the Trust had no unfunded loan commitments.

NOTE 7 — RIGHTS AND OTHER OFFERINGS

As of August 31, 2012, outstanding share offerings pursuant to shelf registrations were as follows:

As of August 31, 2012 the Trust had no Preferred Shares outstanding. The Trust may consider issuing Preferred Shares during the current fiscal year or in the future.

NOTE 8 — SUBORDINATED LOANS AND UNSECURED LOANS

The Trust may invest in subordinated loans and in unsecured loans. The primary risk arising from investing in subordinated loans or in unsecured loans is the potential loss in the event of default by the issuer of the loans. The Trust may acquire a subordinated loan only if, at the time of acquisition, it acquires or holds a senior loan from the same borrower. The Trust will acquire unsecured loans only where the Investment Adviser believes, at the time of acquisition, that the Trust would have the right to payment upon default that is not subordinate to any other creditor. Subject to the aggregate 20% limit on other investments, the Trust may invest up to 20% of its total assets in unsecured floating rate loans, notes and other debt instruments and 5% of its total assets in floating rate subordinated loans. As of August 31, 2012, the Trust held no subordinated loans or unsecured loans.

NOTE 9 — CAPITAL SHARES

Transactions in capital shares and dollars were as follows:

ING Prime Rate Trust

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS as of August 31, 2012 (Unaudited) (continued)

NOTE 10 — FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The amount of distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies. These book/tax differences may be either temporary or permanent. Permanent differences are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax-basis treatment; temporary differences are not reclassified. Key differences include the treatment of short-term capital gains, foreign currency transactions, and wash sale deferrals. Distributions in excess of net investment income and/or net realized capital gains for tax purposes are reported as return of capital.

Dividends paid by the Trust from net investment income and distributions of net realized short-term capital gains are, for federal income tax purposes, taxable as ordinary income to shareholders.

The tax composition of dividends and distributions to shareholders was as follows:

The tax-basis components of distributable earnings and the capital loss carryforwards which may be used to offset future realized capital gains for federal income tax purposes as of February 29, 2012 are detailed in the table below. Capital loss carryforwards with no expiration, if any, must be utilized prior to those with expiration dates.

The Trust's major tax jurisdictions are U.S. federal and Arizona. The earliest tax year that remains subject to examination by these jurisdictions is 2007.

As of August 31, 2012, no provision for income tax is required in the Trust's financial statements as a result of tax positions taken on federal and state income tax returns for open tax years. The Trust's federal and state income and federal excise tax returns for tax years for which the applicable statutes of limitations have not expired are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state department of revenue.

NOTE 11 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Subsequent to August 31, 2012, the Trust paid the following dividends from net investment income:

The Trust has evaluated events occurring after the Statement of Assets and Liabilities date (subsequent events) to determine whether any subsequent events necessitated adjustment to or disclosure in the financial statements. Other than the above, no such subsequent events were identified.

  PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS
ING PRIME RATE TRUST   AS OF AUGUST 31, 2012 (UNAUDITED)