Capital Gains Tax: what you pay it on, rates and allowances
Work out if you need to pay
You need to pay Capital Gains Tax when you sell an asset if your total taxable gains are above your annual Capital Gains Tax allowance.
Work out your total taxable gains
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Work out the gain for each asset (or your share of an asset if it’s jointly owned). Do this for the personal possessions, shares or investments , UK property or business assets you’ve disposed of in the tax year.
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Add together the gains from each asset.
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Deduct any allowable losses.
The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year.
You’ll need to report and pay Capital Gains Tax if your taxable gains are above your allowance.
If your total gains are less than the tax-free allowance
You do not have to pay tax if your total taxable gains are under your Capital Gains Tax allowance.
You still need to report your gains in your tax return if both of the following apply:
• the total amount you sold the assets for was more than £50,000
• you’re registered for Self Assessment
These rules apply from the 2023 to 2024 tax year onwards.
For the tax years before 2023 to 2024, you need to report your gains in your tax return if both of the following apply:
• the total amount you sold the assets for was more than 4 times your allowance
• you’re registered for Self Assessment
There are different rules for reporting a loss.
If you’re non-resident
You need to tell HMRC when you sell property or land even if your gain is below the tax-free allowance or you make a loss. Non-residents do not pay tax on other capital gains.