Capital Gains Tax Planning
Looking to keep more of the proceeds when you sell a UK property or piece of land? Our specialists focus on legally reducing Capital Gains Tax (CGT) through proven, HMRC-compliant strategies. We start with the basics, calculating your likely liability at the current residential rates (up to 24 % for higher-rate taxpayers, potentially 18 % for basic-rate payers) and ensuring you fully use your £3,000 annual exemption.
Next, we explore the reliefs designed to protect homeowners. Private Residence Relief can wipe out CGT on your main home, while the final-period exemption safeguards the last nine months of ownership, even if you’ve already moved out. Where a property has mixed personal and business use, we secure proportional relief to reflect only the taxable element. There are periods of deemed residence where you are away for work or personal reasons which count toward the exemption. This deemed occupation is frequently missed and can potentially save a significant amount of CGT liability.
For landlords and business owners, we unlock further opportunities. Lettings Relief can trim the CGT bill on former rental properties, and Business Property Relief may reduce the charge by up to 100 % where the asset supports a qualifying trade. We also advise on deferral and reinvestment options, from EIS and SEIS shares to roll-over and hold-over reliefs, so you can postpone or even reduce the gain when moving funds into new ventures.
Timing is everything. By assessing your income-tax band, unused allowances and the tax-year calendar, we can often shave thousands off the final payment, splitting disposals across years or completing a sale just after 6 April to gain an extra year before the bill falls due. All advice is delivered by CIOT-qualified professionals, tailored to your circumstances, and documented to keep you firmly on the right side of HMRC.
