UK Capital Gains Tax Calculator
UK CGT for the 2024/25 tax year — with the £3,000 annual exempt amount (down from £6,000) and the new 24% higher-rate property rate (down from 28%). Enter your other income, the type of asset, and the gain — get the exact bill and effective rate.
Your bill
Breakdown
| Portion | Amount | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carried-forward losses used | £0 | — | £0 |
| Annual exempt amount | £0 | 0% | £0 |
| Basic-band portion | £0 | 10% | £0 |
| Higher-band portion | £0 | 20% | £0 |
Enter a gain to see the breakdown.
Three ways to legally shrink a CGT bill
1. Use both partners' allowances
A married couple or civil partners has £6,000 of combined CGT allowance (2 × £3,000). Transferring shares between spouses is not a disposal — no CGT is triggered — so gifting half the position to your partner before the sale doubles the tax-free chunk. This is the single easiest CGT saving most couples miss.
2. Bed & ISA (or Bed & SIPP)
Selling shares to crystallise a gain up to the £3,000 allowance, then immediately buying them back inside an ISA, resets your cost base tax-free. Every tax year of not doing this with your general-account holdings is a year of avoidable future CGT. Watch the 30-day rule for the sell side (the rule applies to buying back in the same wrapper, but ISA buys count as a different account — so Bed & ISA is fine).
3. Time the disposal
The CGT allowance resets on 6 April. Splitting a big sale across two tax years uses two annual exempt amounts — worth £3,000 × marginal rate (up to £720 for higher-rate share sellers, £720 for residential too). If you're a higher-rate taxpayer this year but expect to drop to basic-rate next year (retiring, career break, big pension contribution), deferring the disposal can halve the tax rate.
Related calculators
- UK Dividend Tax — the other big investor tax.
- UK Take-Home Pay — see your basic-band headroom.
- Salary Sacrifice — use pension contributions to shift into a lower CGT band.
- UK Stamp Duty — for the other side of a property transaction.
Frequently asked questions
What actually changed for 2024/25?
Two big changes. The annual exempt amount (the tax-free chunk) fell to £3,000 — down from £6,000 the year before and £12,300 back in 2022/23. And the higher-rate on residential property dropped from 28% to 24% from 6 April 2024. Rates on shares/funds/crypto stayed at 10% (basic-rate) and 20% (higher-rate). Every other allowance/threshold in this calc uses the 2024/25 tax year.
Why are shares and property taxed differently?
Historical policy — the government wanted to discourage buy-to-let while keeping share investment reasonably attractive. Shares/funds/crypto: 10% (basic) or 20% (higher). Residential property (that isn't your only/main home): 18% (basic) or 24% (higher). Commercial property, second homes without residential status, and land use the share rates.
How does the basic-rate band interact with CGT?
Your gain stacks on top of your regular taxable income for band purposes. If your other income doesn't use up the full basic-rate band (£50,270 for 2024/25), the leftover slice of your gain falls in the basic band (10% or 18%). Everything above is at the higher rate (20% or 24%). Example: you earn £30k salary, so you have £20,270 of basic-band headroom. Sell shares for a £25k gain, use your £3k allowance, £22k taxable — £20,270 at 10%, £1,730 at 20%.
Is my main home taxable?
No — your only or main residence is exempt via Private Residence Relief (PRR). This calculator is for second homes, buy-to-let, holiday homes, or homes you didn't live in continuously. If you lived in a property for part of the ownership period, HMRC's PRR rules apply and this simple calc understates your relief. Always check gov.uk or an accountant for mixed-use cases.
What about crypto?
HMRC treats crypto disposals like shares — 10% basic, 20% higher, same £3,000 allowance. This calculator's 'Shares, funds, crypto' setting is correct for that. Note that swapping between cryptocurrencies is itself a disposal (a taxable event), not just cashing out to GBP.
Can I offset losses?
Yes — reported losses from the same tax year come off your gains automatically. Carried-forward losses from earlier tax years (that you already reported to HMRC via Self Assessment) can offset gains too. Enter your total gain minus any losses for the tax year in the 'Total gain' field.
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