Capital Gains Tax, explained.
Short guides to UK tax on shares and savings, each with the sums shown and checked against our calculator.
All guides
Newest first
What Is Bed and ISA, and Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax on It?
Why the sale in a Bed and ISA is taxed like any other, why the 30-day rule leaves the ISA purchase alone, and how to work out the gain.
Are Premium Bonds Worth It? Who They Suit, and Who They Don't
Worked examples of what Premium Bonds typically win against a savings account after tax, by amount held, tax band, and for children, pensioners and benefit claimants.
Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax When You Sell RSU Shares?
Why a sale on the vesting day leaves a tiny gain or loss, how kept shares are pooled, and how a new vest is matched with a recent sale.
Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax on Shares You Inherit From Your Spouse?
Why inheriting shares from a husband, wife or civil partner is free of CGT, and why your cost is the value at death, not what they paid.
Does Exchange Rate Affect CGT on US Shares?
How HMRC converts the cost and sale proceeds of US shares into pounds on their own dates, and why the gain can differ from the dollar one.
What Happens If You Report Capital Gains Late to HMRC?
What a late Self Assessment return and late payment cost on a share sale, stage by stage, and how to appeal a penalty.
Why You Don't Pay Tax Twice on Reinvested Fund Income
Reinvested fund income is taxed as income when it arrives. Adding it to your cost stops the same money being taxed again as a gain when you sell.
Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax on Shares You Give to Your Children or Charity?
Why a gift of shares to your children can leave you with a CGT bill, why a gift to charity doesn't, and what happens to losses and income tax relief.
Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax on Shares You Give Your Spouse?
Why giving shares to your husband, wife or civil partner is free of CGT while you live together, and how their allowance and rate apply when they sell.
How to Maximise Short-Term Savings with Premium Bonds, Gilts, and Savings Accounts
The pros, cons and tax treatment of gilts, Premium Bonds, cash ISAs, easy-access and fixed-rate savings for money you need soon, with after-tax figures for each tax band.
How to Calculate Excess Reportable Income (ERI)
Which date decides whether you're taxed on excess reportable income, which tax year it counts in, and how to find the figure in the fund's report.
Capital Losses on Shares: How to Claim Them and Carry Them Forward
How losses on shares are set against your gains, why an earlier year's loss can leave some over, and how to claim one before the 4-year deadline.
Budget 2026 Rumours for Share Investors: Who Said What
The Capital Gains Tax rumours with a named source before the 28 October Budget, kept apart from the dividend and ISA changes already confirmed.
Should You Sell Shares Before the Budget? CGT and 28 October 2026
What's confirmed and what's only reported before the 28 October Budget, and what happened when rates changed on Budget day in 2024. Plus how the 30-day rule and Bed and ISA apply.
How to Report Capital Gains on Shares (SA108)
Whether you need to tell HMRC, which boxes to fill in on the SA108 capital gains pages for shares, and the deadlines, with a worked example.
The 30-Day Rule for Shares (Bed and Breakfasting) Explained
What happens if you sell shares and buy them back within 30 days, why it can wipe out the gain you meant to use, and the legal alternatives.
Section 104: How to Work Out the Average Cost of Your Shares
How HMRC pools your shares at an average cost, which fees count, and how to work out the cost of the shares you sell, step by step.
How Capital Gains Tax on Shares Works
What CGT is, the £3,000 allowance, the 18% and 24% rates, HMRC's matching rules and how to report, with simple examples.
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