CGT question
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Discussion

Lagom

Original Poster:

564 posts

86 months

Wednesday 25th January 2023
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Following a compensation claim several years ago I now have a stock portfolio that has to be sold to pay for care costs.

If sold today, this would mean I would pay in the region of £90,143 tax (CGT), which is based on having a full annual CGT allowance.

I guess my question is, is there ever a good time to sell a portfolio? Should I dispose of it all in one go or over a couple of years?

Interested in people's thoughts. I'm a basic rate taxpayer.


TIA

Panamax

8,542 posts

58 months

Wednesday 25th January 2023
quotequote all
You'll find the tax is almost irrelevant and your decision should be driven by investment decisions. Don't let the tax tail wag the investment returns dog.

As a basic rate taxpayer you'll surely want to phase any selling to maximise use of your limited 10% CGT rate. You can't just dump the whole lot at once and expect to get away with 10% on it all.

Peripheral; but this is the last year of £12,300 tax free gains CGT allowance. Next year it drops to £6,000 and the following year to £3,000

Yes, CGT is now a pure wealth tax - i.e. a tax on inflation. You make nothing but pay tax on it!

Lagom

Original Poster:

564 posts

86 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
Panamax said:
As a basic rate taxpayer you'll surely want to phase any selling to maximise use of your limited 10% CGT rate. You can't just dump the whole lot at once and expect to get away with 10% on it all.
Thanks, that's definitely something I'll need to consider.

supersport

4,568 posts

251 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
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Isn't the CGT limit changing next year?

It would at least make sense to sell it either side of the end of tax year if needs to be done in one hit.

Eric Mc

124,994 posts

289 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
See above regarding the CGT Personal Allowance.

Whoozit

3,865 posts

293 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
Panamax said:
You'll find the tax is almost irrelevant and your decision should be driven by investment decisions. Don't let the tax tail wag the investment returns dog.

As a basic rate taxpayer you'll surely want to phase any selling to maximise use of your limited 10% CGT rate. You can't just dump the whole lot at once and expect to get away with 10% on it all.

Peripheral; but this is the last year of £12,300 tax free gains CGT allowance. Next year it drops to £6,000 and the following year to £3,000

Yes, CGT is now a pure wealth tax - i.e. a tax on inflation. You make nothing but pay tax on it!
Jeepers, I wasn't aware. Glad I have a bunch of accumulated losses in that case rolleyes

Simpo Two

91,622 posts

289 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
supersport said:
It would at least make sense to sell it either side of the end of tax year if needs to be done in one hit.
Yes, subject to investment performance. The last time I planned to take a gain there wasn't any!

Whoozit said:
Jeepers, I wasn't aware. Glad I have a bunch of accumulated losses in that case rolleyes
My understanding is that capital losses can't be carried forward to future years.

trevalvole

1,947 posts

57 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Whoozit said:
Jeepers, I wasn't aware. Glad I have a bunch of accumulated losses in that case rolleyes
My understanding is that capital losses can't be carried forward to future years.
This seems to say otherwise:

"If your total taxable gain is still above the tax-free allowance, you can deduct unused losses from previous tax years. If they reduce your gain to the tax-free allowance, you can carry forward the remaining losses to a future tax year."

https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/losses

Simpo Two

91,622 posts

289 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
quotequote all
trevalvole said:
This seems to say otherwise:

"If your total taxable gain is still above the tax-free allowance, you can deduct unused losses from previous tax years. If they reduce your gain to the tax-free allowance, you can carry forward the remaining losses to a future tax year."

https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/losses
Ah yes, thanks. It's carrying them back that you can't do. This is why I leave stuff like this to other people!