Capital gains tax calculator
What is Capital Gains Tax?
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) can be due when you sell something that’s increased in value, or you transfer it outside of your estate, e.g. to another person or into a trust. It can apply when selling or transferring lots of different assets, for example shares or property. It is only any gain that may be subject to tax, not the total value of the asset.
Use our Capital Gains Tax calculator to find out how much you could be due to pay
Important information - This calculator is not personal advice and should not be relied on for settling a tax bill. Calculations are based on tax rules which apply as at 21 March 2025 and based on rates and allowances for individual investors in the 2025/2026 tax year. It assumes no other taxable gains are made, no allowable losses are carried forward from previous years and does not consider reliefs such as Business Asset Disposal Relief. It does not cover capital gains from carried interest. Tax rules can change, and benefits depend on your circumstances.
Ways to reduce your CGT bill
Below are a few options investors can use to potentially reduce their CGT bill. This doesn’t mean they are right for everyone. If you’re unsure if a course of action is right for you, please seek advice. Tax rules can change, and benefits depend on circumstances.
Use your allowances
Consider moving investments into a Stocks and Shares ISA or SIPP, if you have the available allowance, as these don’t pay UK dividend tax or CGT. Please note that you may generate a taxable gain in the tax year investments are moved.
Use your allowances
Consider moving investments into a Stocks and Shares ISA or SIPP, if you have the available allowance, as these don’t pay UK dividend tax or CGT. Please note that you may generate a taxable gain in the tax year investments are moved.
Use your spouse's allowance
If you’re married or in a civil partnership, you could consider transferring the ownership of some investments to your spouse or civil partner. Your spouse can then sell the investments as part of their own tax allowances.
Tweak your pension contributions
The rate of capital gains you pay depends on your income tax bracket. If you can reduce your income, you can pay tax at a lower rate on at least some of the gain. You can usually access money in a pension from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028).
Tweak your pension contributions
The rate of capital gains you pay depends on your income tax bracket. If you can reduce your income, you can pay tax at a lower rate on at least some of the gain. You can usually access money in a pension from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028).
Other ways to reduce your Capital Gains Tax bill
If you make any losses you can use them to reduce any gains made in the same tax year. If you make more losses in a year than gains you should report them, as they can be carried forward to reduce gains in future years. If you have forgotten to report losses, you can claim them up to 4 years after the end of the tax year in which the losses were incurred.
Who pays Capital Gains Tax?
CGT is generally paid by the person selling an asset or transferring it outside their estate. However, tax isn’t normally due when transferring as a gift to your spouse, civil partner or charity. Your spouse or civil partner may have to pay tax on any gain if they later dispose of the asset. Their gain will be calculated on the difference in value between when you first owned the asset and when they disposed of it.
If you own an asset jointly with someone else and you dispose of it, you only pay tax on your share of the gain.
How is Capital Gains Tax calculated?
Each tax year you can make a set amount in capital gains before paying any tax – this is known as the ‘annual exempt amount’, or more simply your ‘CGT allowance’. This tax year (2025/2026) it’s £3,000.
You only pay tax on any gain over your allowance each tax year. For example, if you made a £15,000 gain in the current tax year, you’ll pay tax on a gain of £12,000.
The amount you pay in CGT depends on what you’re selling and the income tax band you fall into.
Capital Gains Tax calculations
| Income tax band | Investments |
|---|---|
| Basic rate | 18% |
| Higher and Additional rate | 24% |
The information above is correct for the 2025/2026 tax year. Scottish taxpayers should use the ‘rest of UK’ tax bands to determine the rate at which they will pay CGT.
If you don’t use your allowance in a tax year, you can’t roll it over to the next tax year.
How moving investments into an ISA or pension could help you to save tax
Investments held within these accounts can grow free from UK Income and Capital Gains Tax. With a pension you could also get tax relief on top, subject to annual limits. Please note that you may generate a taxable gain in the tax year investments are moved.
Find out more about the HL Stocks and Shares ISA
Find out more about the HL Self-Invested Personal Pension
How to move shares to an ISA or Pension
You can usually access money in a pension from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028). Product and tax rules can change, and any benefits will depend on your circumstances.
When do I report and pay Capital Gains Tax?
Where you need to report and pay CGT on gains relating to assets that aren’t residential property, this must be done in the tax year after you sold or disposed of an asset. Gains are normally reported in a self-assessment tax return but, if eligible, you may be able to report them using HMRC’s ‘real time’ Capital Gains Tax service.
Please note that if your gain is related to the sale of residential property, different reporting deadlines apply.
Where can I get help and support with Capital Gains Tax?
To learn more about CGT, download our jargon-free guide.
Financial advice
If you’d like expert advice, our highly qualified financial advisers are on hand to help make sure you’re investing tax-efficiently. We can advise you on how to make use of your tax allowances but if you need complex tax calculations, your adviser may suggest speaking to an accountant to complement their advice.