Capital gains tax calculator UK 2026/27

Capital gains tax rates for 2026/27

• 18% on gains that fit inside what’s left of your basic-rate band (£37,700 of taxable income).
• 24% on gains above that. The same rates apply to shares, crypto, second homes and other assets.
• Annual exempt amount: the first £3,000 of gains each year is tax-free.
• Business Asset Disposal Relief: 18% on up to £1 million of lifetime gains when you sell a business or shares in your own company. The limit falls to £500,000 for sales from 6 April 2027.

Example: a £24,500 gain on £40,000 of income

• Taxable gain: £24,500 less the £3,000 allowance = £21,500.
• Basic-rate band left: £40,000 less the £12,570 personal allowance is £27,430 of taxable income, leaving £10,270 of the £37,700 band.
• Tax: £10,270 at 18% (£1,848.60) plus £11,230 at 24% (£2,695.20) = £4,543.80, about 18.5% of the gain.

Reporting and paying

• UK residential property: report the sale and pay the tax within 60 days of completion, through HMRC’s Capital Gains Tax on UK property service.
• Everything else: report the gain on your Self Assessment return for 2026/27 and pay by 31 January 2028. You can also use HMRC’s real-time capital gains service if you don’t otherwise file a return.
• Losses: report a loss within four years so you can set it against future gains.

Ways to pay less

• Use the £3,000 allowance every year, for example by selling part of a holding each tax year.
• Use ISAs and pensions: gains inside them are tax-free. Moving shares into an ISA (“Bed and ISA”) uses up a sale but shelters future gains.
• Share with a spouse or civil partner: transfers between you are tax-free, so you can use both allowances and both basic-rate bands.
• Your main home is usually exempt through Private Residence Relief.

For income from shares, see the dividend tax calculator, and for key dates, the UK tax dates. This calculator treats one gain at a time, and assumes you’re UK resident with no other gains this year. Scottish taxpayers pay the same capital gains tax rates.