How to reduce your Capital Gains Tax bill in 2025

A combination of rising rates and panic ahead of the current government’s first Autumn Budget has led to HRMC collecting a record amount in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) towards the end of 2024. 

According to a report in the Telegraph, between July and November 2024, CGT generated more than £1 billion for the government – more than a £200 million increase when compared to the same period in 2023. 

The rise in CGT has been associated with uncertainty in the lead-up to the government’s Autumn Budget. Speculation that tax rates would rise sharply, and tax breaks would be cut, led to some investors, who worried they might face a much larger tax bill if they delayed decisions, selling assets.

As CGT is a tax that’s paid on the profit you make when selling certain assets, this panic increased the amount of CGT collected.

While the Labour government did unveil changes to CGT during the Autumn Budget, including a rise in tax rates, they weren’t as drastic as some investors feared. Following the Budget on 30 October 2024:

  • The basic rate of CGT increased from 10% to 18%.
  • The higher rate of CGT increased from 20% to 24%. 

The increase could mean the amount of CGT collectively paid continues to rise. Indeed, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the changes could increase CGT revenue by around £1 billion by 2029/30. However, it also assigned the figure a “high” uncertainty rating as it can be difficult to judge behavioural responses. 

If you could face a CGT bill in the future, read on to discover some practical steps you might take to reduce your liability. 

1. Consider your overall tax position

Rather than looking at your CGT liability in isolation, reviewing it alongside your overall tax position and wider financial plan could be useful. 

For example, if you’re a basic-rate taxpayer and the profits you make when selling an asset are below the higher-rate Income Tax threshold (£50,271 in 2024/25) when added to your other income, you could pay the lower CGT rate. So, if your other sources of income are flexible, you might wait to sell assets until you’d potentially benefit from the basic rate of CGT. 

If you plan to delay selling assets, keep in mind the value of them could change. 

2. Use your Capital Gains Tax exemption

Each tax year, you can make a certain amount of profit before CGT is due. This is known as the “Annual Exempt Amount”.

In 2024/25, the Annual Exempt Amount is £3,000 for individuals. Crucially, you cannot carry this exemption forward into a new tax year if you don’t use it. 

Spreading asset disposals across multiple tax years to use the Annual Exempt Amount could help you reduce your overall tax bill. 

3. Use tax-efficient wrappers when investing

If you could face a CGT bill when you sell investments, you might want to consider using tax-efficient wrappers, such as ISAs and pensions. 

In 2024/25, you can deposit up to £20,000 into ISAs. If you choose to invest in a Stocks and Shares ISA, the returns you make won’t be liable for CGT. 

If you’re investing for the long term, a pension could also be suitable. Again, returns from investments held in a pension are not liable for CGT. In 2024/25, you can usually add up to £60,000 (your “Annual Allowance”) to your pension before you could face additional tax charges.

However, the amount you can tax-efficiently add to a pension could be as low as £10,000 if you’ve already taken a flexible income from your pension or if your adjusted income is more than £260,000 a year. If you’d like to understand your pension Annual Allowance, please get in touch. 

Remember, you cannot normally access the money held in a pension until you’re 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). So, it’s important to weigh up your reason for investing and your wider financial circumstances before you increase pension contributions. 

Also, your own contributions only receive tax relief as long as they don’t exceed your earnings in the tax year.

4. Pass assets to your spouse or civil partner

You can usually transfer ownership of assets to your spouse or civil partner without facing a tax bill. As many tax allowances and exemptions are individual, passing assets to your partner could be useful.

For instance, if you’ve already used your Annual Exempt Amount in the current tax year, you might transfer ownership of an asset to your partner before you dispose of it to use theirs. You might also do this if your partner would benefit from the lower CGT rate. 

The transfer must be a genuine and outright gift if the taxable person is to change.

5. Offset your losses

Making a loss when selling assets can be disappointing, but it could be used to reduce a CGT bill. 

You can often offset losses against the gains you’ve made, which may lead to a lower CGT bill and potentially mean you pay the lower CGT rate. In some cases, you may also carry losses forward to offset future profits. 

If you plan to offset losses against your gains, it’s important to keep accurate records. You will also need to register losses with HMRC. 

6. Work with a financial planner

Making your CGT liability part of your wider financial plan could help you identify steps you might take to reduce a potential bill in a way that aligns with your long-term goals. Please contact us to arrange a meeting and discover how we may work together. 

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax planning.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.  

Reviews and Ratings for Financial adviser Ray Martin, Kingston-upon-Thames

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Our former financial adviser was retiring and recommended Ray to us. He alleviated the constant worry of where to best invest our savings without too much risk. We’re very pleased with the results over the last 10 years. He explains things in layman's language, which we appreciate, and gives us the confidence we have made the right choices. What more can people expect?

Kathleen

We had pension policies and investments that needed sorting out ready for retirement. We didn't know what to expect from a financial adviser. We assumed that he would simply advise us where to get the best deals. How wrong we were. Ray took us right back to basics. He made us carefully consider what we really wanted to achieve. He has allowed us to start to really enjoy our retirement.

Michael

I needed financial advice about pensions and investments as I approached retirement. My wife was in the same position. Ray Martin worked out a comprehensive plan for putting my pension provision and savings into proper order. He did the same for my wife. He has continued to provide us with advice ever since. Ray is always straightforward, open and proactive.

Laurence

I was approaching retirement and wanting to look into limiting taxation and Inheritance Tax, as well as providing for my wife. Ray provided sound advice to switch from my current arrangement to a Drawdown Pension and ISA investments. I have now retired and have started seeing the benefits of his advice. The returns on my portfolio have increased beyond expectation. Ray performed extremely well.

Demetri

I had sold my house and didn't know how to invest the money. Ray invested very wisely and there has been about a 5% increase every year. He listened to our queries, gave answers that we fully understood and followed any requests. He always had time for us, and never rushed us. We would have been financially at a loss without his help.

Brian

Ray has been advising my wife and me for about 20 years. He is everything one could hope for in a financial adviser: wonderfully enthusiastic, extremely well informed, completely trustworthy and scrupulously observant of the regulatory requirements. He is able to explain complex matters very clearly, and so far, his advice has always been first class.

Oliver

I had money to invest and had no idea how to go about investing it and hopefully making a gain. I have three children and wanted advice about inheritance planning. Ray is very patient, very clear when he explains things, he is very interested in me as a person, totally trustworthy and is an excellent listener. We have never been disappointed! He`s been brilliant.

Rosie

I had just been widowed. Ray sorted out and simplified what was a very complex set of investments into a much less confusing portfolio. I have been extremely happy with everything Ray has advised over the last 12 years. Whilst moving with the times, he has dealt with all aspects of my investments wisely and given me all the guidance and help I have needed.

Pat

As the financial director of a company, I was seeking to get advice on how to plan and invest for retirement. Without a doubt, Ray Martin helped me understand and plan how to fund my retirement. Ray has been with me every step of the way. His advice has been invaluable. I retired and achieved my annual income goal. His continued advice is helping me in the next stage of my life.

Mike

I needed some advice regarding my late mother’s estate. I had also retired and required advice on how to manage my private pension. Ray was extremely helpful, and his advice was very clear and easy to understand. I came away from our initial meeting feeling very relieved and less stressed. We have just had our first yearly review and I was surprised how well my investments had done.

Jane

In the last 10 years, my circumstances have changed with the passage of time. Ray has guided me on how to protect and make my money grow. He listens carefully to my needs and gives clear, concise advice in a professional manner. He and his team are always accessible and patient with my questions and their approach gives me confidence that my finances are securely looked after.

Glenys

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