Selling is the easy part. What follows is the bit nobody mentions at completion: the sale may be taxable, it may need a tax return — and if it was a UK residential property, the clock may already be running on a 60-day deadline.
Your tax-free allowance for the 2026/27 tax year. Tax applies to your net gains — after allowable losses and reliefs — above that figure, and £3,000 is not a high bar for a property or crypto gain.
The rates from 6 April 2026. Gains that fall within whatever remains of your basic-rate band after your income are taxed at 18%; the rest at 24%. Qualifying business disposals can attract the 18% Business Asset Disposal Relief rate.
Sold a UK residential property that isn't fully covered by main-home relief? You must report and pay the capital gains tax within 60 days of completion — not at the January tax return. Miss it and there's interest, and possibly a penalty.
"Disposal" is wider than "sold for cash" — swaps, gifts and part-sales can all count.
A sale doesn't automatically mean a tax return — it may mean a 60-day property report, a Self Assessment return, both, or neither. If your net gains for the year are above the £3,000 allowance, tax is due and the gain needs reporting. Even below that, some sales still have to be reported — a non-resident selling UK property must report regardless of whether tax is due, and if HMRC already requires you to file a return, a sale can still belong on it. The safe move is a quick check before the deadline passes, not after.
Usually no — your main home is normally covered by relief. The exceptions catch people out: relief can be restricted where the home has been let out, part of it used for business, or it's very large. And periods when a property wasn't your main home — a rental, a second home, an inherited house — can leave part of the gain exposed. If any of those sound like your sale, it's worth the five-minute check.
Yes. HMRC treats exchanging one cryptoasset for a different one as a disposal, the same as selling it — as is using crypto to pay for goods or services, or giving it away to anyone other than your spouse, civil partner or a charity. A busy year of trading can mean hundreds of disposals without a single pound leaving the exchange.
If you sell a UK residential property and capital gains tax is due, you must report the gain and pay the tax within 60 days of completion. It doesn't wait for your January tax return. Report late and HMRC charges interest and can add a penalty. This is the deadline people find out about after it has passed — if you're selling, talk to us before completion, not after.
There's normally no tax to pay below the annual allowance. Whether there's still a reporting job depends on your situation — non-residents must report UK property sales even with no tax due, and if you're already in Self Assessment the sale may still need to go on the return. It's a five-minute question for us to answer properly.
Qualifying business disposals can attract Business Asset Disposal Relief, which taxes the gain at 18% rather than 24%. The conditions matter and are best checked before the sale, not after — the structuring that qualifies you has to be in place in advance.
Book a free call and we'll tell you in plain terms whether the sale is taxable, what it needs — a 60-day report, a tax return, or nothing — and what it will cost you either way.
Book a free call →We checked these rather than relying on memory. Every figure and deadline above comes from HMRC directly — go and read them yourself if you'd like to.
Last reviewed 17-08-2026. Tax rules change — if you're reading this long after that date, check the source.
