Married couples and civil partners are taxed separately for Capital Gains Tax (CGT), meaning each person has their own annual tax position. However, with careful planning, transferring assets between spouses or civil partners can sometimes help reduce their overall tax bill.
Where spouses or civil
If you are selling shares or other investments, you may incur Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any profit, or ‘gain’, you make. You will need to work out your gain to determine if you need to pay tax, which depends on whether your total gains exceed your CGT allowance for the tax year.
You usually pay
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a tax on the profit you make when you sell or dispose of an asset that has increased in value. It is the gain itself that is taxed, not the total amount you receive. For example, if you buy shares for £3,000 and sell them for £8,000, the taxable gain is £5,000.
CGT
UK residents are generally liable to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) when they dispose of overseas property at a gain. A disposal includes selling, gifting, or otherwise transferring ownership of a property located outside the UK.
CGT is chargeable on the profit made on the disposal at 18% for basic rate
Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) applies to the sale of a business, shares in a trading company, or an individual’s interest in a trading partnership. When this relief is available, a reduced 18% rate (2026-27) of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) applies.
To qualify for BADR, certain conditions must
Many homeowners assume that if a property has been their main residence at some point, any gain made on sale will automatically be free from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Whilst in many cases, this is correct there are exceptions. For example, periods spent living away from your home can sometimes reduce
How capital gains are linked with Income Tax is important to understand as your overall income position affects the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rate you pay.
CGT interacts directly with your Income Tax band. Your taxable income is first calculated after deducting your Personal Allowance and any Income
Transfers of assets between spouses or civil partners are usually free from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). When you give or sell an asset to your spouse or civil partner, it is treated as a disposal for CGT purposes, but on a ‘no gain, no loss’ basis.
This means no immediate tax is due, and the receiving
For most capital gains realised in the 2026-27 tax year, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is reported and paid by 31 January 2028 via the self-assessment system. This applies to gains on assets such as shares, investments and commercial property.
However, UK residential property is an important exception.
When a sole trader or partnership transfers a business to a company, a chargeable gain may arise. This is calculated by reference to the market value of the business assets at the date of incorporation (including goodwill), compared with their original base cost. The resulting gain would ordinarily