Capital Gains Tax
Calculator UK 2026

Individual CGT rates are 18% for gains falling within the basic-rate income band and 24% for gains in the higher-rate band — applied uniformly to both residential property (excluding main residence) and other assets like shares, ETFs, and crypto. These rates have applied since the 30 October 2024 Budget; before that, non-property gains were 10%/20%.

Trustees and personal representatives pay a flat 24% on all gains. Annual Exempt Amount (AEA) is £3,000 — down from £6,000 in 2023-24 and £12,300 in 2022-23.

Business Asset Disposal Relief is 18% from 6 April 2026 (it was 14% in 2025-26). Carried interest left the CGT regime on 6 April 2026: it is now taxed as trading profits at Income Tax plus Class 4 NIC rates, with a 72.5% multiplier applied to qualifying carried interest — the 32% CGT rate applied only in 2025-26.

Your taxable gain after AEA is added on top of your taxable income (after Personal Allowance £12,570) for CGT rate purposes. The basic-rate band is £37,700 of taxable income (the band that ends at £50,270 of gross income for someone with the full allowance).

Whatever part of it your taxable income has not used is taxed at 18%; the rest of the gain at 24%. Example: salary £40,000 (taxable income £27,430) leaves £10,270 of basic-rate band remaining.

A £30,000 capital gain after AEA would have £10,270 taxed at 18% (£1,849) and £19,730 at 24% (£4,735): £6,584 in total.

Yes — the Principal Private Residence (PPR) relief in section 222 TCGA 1992 generally exempts your main home from CGT for the periods you lived there as your only or main residence, plus the final 9 months automatically. Conditions: must be your main home, used as residence (not held purely for investment), and grounds typically up to half a hectare.

Letting Relief was severely restricted from April 2020 — now only available where you shared occupation with the tenant. Multiple homes: you can nominate which is your main residence within 2 years of acquiring an additional property.

The Annual Exempt Amount (AEA) is the tax-free CGT allowance per individual per tax year. For 2026-27 it is £3,000, applying to total gains across all assets.

Trusts get half: £1,500. The AEA was £6,000 in 2023-24 and £12,300 in 2022-23 before being reduced.

Married couples and civil partners each get £3,000 — there is benefit in transferring assets between spouses before sale to use both allowances (no CGT on inter-spouse transfers under s.58 TCGA 1992). The AEA cannot be carried forward — use it or lose it each year.

HMRC treats most cryptoassets as 'chargeable assets' for CGT, not currency. Each disposal — selling for fiat, swapping one crypto for another, using crypto to pay for goods/services, or gifting (other than to spouse) — is a CGT event.

Pooling rules apply: same-day rule, 30-day rule, and Section 104 pool for the rest. Mining and staking rewards are typically taxed as miscellaneous income or trading income (then form a CGT cost base).

HMRC's Cryptoassets Manual provides guidance, and exchange data-matching with platforms like Coinbase, Kraken, Binance is widespread. Penalties of 30-100% apply for deliberate non-disclosure.

The 'allowable cost' (cost base) includes: (1) acquisition cost — what you paid plus stamp duty, legal fees, broker commissions, valuation fees. (2) capital expenditure to enhance the asset (improvements, not repairs) that's still reflected in the asset at disposal. (3) costs of establishing or defending title. (4) Disposal costs — agent fees, advertising, legal fees on sale — reduce the proceeds. For shares acquired in tranches, the Section 104 pooling rules average the cost.

For inherited assets, the cost base is the probate value (market value at date of death).

Legitimate strategies (not advice — describes mechanics): (1) Use the £3,000 Annual Exempt Amount each year. (2) Transfer assets to a spouse/civil partner before sale at no-gain-no-loss to use their AEA (s.58 TCGA 1992) — the same inter-spouse principle applies to the Inheritance Tax NRB/RNRB transferable allowances; see /uk/tools/inheritance-tax-calculator for the full IHT picture. (3) Hold investments inside an ISA (£20,000/year contribution cap, all gains tax-free) or pension (gains tax-free until withdrawal, then taxed as income with 25% tax-free lump sum). (4) Realise losses to offset gains — current year first, then carry-forward indefinitely. (5) For business asset disposals, Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief) reduces CGT to 18% on the first £1m of qualifying gains from 6 April 2026 (it was 14% in 2025-26 and 10% before 6 April 2025). (6) Investors' Relief: 10% rate on up to £1m of gains on qualifying unlisted trading companies.

Usually yes. A second home, buy-to-let or inherited property is not covered by Private Residence Relief, so the gain — sale price minus purchase price and allowable buying, selling and improvement costs — is taxable after your £3,000 annual exempt amount, at 18% within your basic-rate band and 24% above it (2026-27).

If the property was once your main home you still get relief for the years you lived there plus the last 9 months you owned it. UK residents must report and pay any CGT due within 60 days of completion.

If you own it jointly, each owner reports the gain on their own share and uses their own allowance.

Two regimes: (1) UK residential property — CGT must be reported AND paid via the Real-Time Capital Gains service (online return) within 60 days of completion (was 30 days pre-27-Oct-2021). (2) Other assets (shares, crypto, business assets) — report on Self Assessment by 31 January following the tax year end (5 April). Tax is paid by 31 January.

Quarterly POAs (Payments on Account) may apply for those already in Self Assessment. Foreign residents disposing of UK property must report within 60 days regardless of whether tax is due.

Failure to report carries automatic £100 penalty plus daily/percentage penalties for longer delays.

BADR (formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief, renamed April 2020) reduces the CGT rate on qualifying business asset disposals. For 2026-27, the rate is 18% — the final step of a two-stage rise from 10% (to 5 April 2025) to 14% (2025-26) to 18% (from 6 April 2026).

Lifetime limit: £1 million of qualifying gains. Qualifying disposals: (1) all or part of a business (sole trader/partnership), (2) shares in personal company where you're an employee/director with 5%+ ordinary shares and voting rights, (3) assets used in such a business at cessation.

Holding period: usually 2 years before disposal. Investors' Relief is a separate £1m lifetime limit at 10% for qualifying unlisted trading company shares held 3+ years.

Non-UK residents are generally only chargeable to UK CGT on UK land and property (residential and commercial since 2019), and indirect interests (e.g. shares in property-rich companies). Non-resident landlords disposing of UK residential property must report and pay within 60 days via the Real-Time CGT service.

The Annual Exempt Amount (£3,000) generally applies. Specific reliefs: 'temporary non-residence' rules can claw back gains for individuals who become non-resident for less than 5 complete tax years and dispose of pre-departure assets.

Tax treaties may provide credit for tax paid in country of residence.