Upcoming Changes to Capital Gains Tax Allowance
On November 17th, during the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the allowance available to taxpayers liable to Capital Gains Tax would be reduced. Currently, the allowance stands at £12,300, but it will decrease to £6,000 starting in April 2023 and further drop to £3,000 from April 2024.
Capital Gains Tax is a tax paid when you sell or gift specific items, including assets such as land, property (including second homes), or shares held outside of an ISA or PEP. CGT is calculated based on the difference between the original acquisition price and the value of the item when it is sold or gifted. Certain expenses can be deducted from this figure before tax calculation. Previously, the annual allowance enabled couples with jointly owned assets to avoid paying tax on gains up to £24,600. However, starting April 2023, this tax-free sum will reduce to just £12,000.