We provide lots of information for anyone looking to pay less capital gains tax. A selection of our latest CGT articles are listed below.

If you're interested in reducing CGT on property investments you may find our Property Investment articles of interest.

New - Free Capital Gains Tax Planning! Members can access our new Capital Gains Tax Consultancy Section. This includes detailed scenario based tax planning Q&A's. New Q&A's are to be added to this daily.

Free CGT Guide For Members Offshore CGT Planning in 2009 This tax guide looks in detail at moving overseas to avoid UK capital gains tax ('CGT') as well how offshore companies could be used by UK residents to avoid UK CGT. Some of the key topics covered include: Which assets are and aren't free of CGT for non residents How the 5 year anti avoidance rule works and how to avoid it The importance of timing When HMRC may challenge your CGT exemption Which overseas countries can be used to avoid CGT completely How offshore companies can be used if you're still UK resident to avoid CGT . . . keep reading Tax Guides are unique to WealthProtectionReport.co.uk All tax guides have been written by a tax specialist (Chartered Accountant & Chartered Tax Adviser).

The new CGT rules that apply from April 2008 are of concern for many investors. We've produced lots of articles and Q&A's that address the 2008 changes as well as more general capital gains tax planning articles.

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Pay Less Capital Gains Tax Discretionary trust v flexible gift trust Question: A widow in his 60's has assets of around £300k, including a 2nd home, rented out(£6k per annum) worth about £120k and acquired 10 years ago for £30k.He wants to ring fence this property by putting it in trust for his son. What are the respective advantages /disadvantages of using a non-settlor interested discretionary trust as against a flexible gift trust, in relation to 1.capital gains tax on the transfer to the trust 2income tax on the rent 3.iht (he is not too concerned about this as he does not expect his estate to exceed the nrb threshhold thank you . . . keep reading Offshore Foundations and the remittance basis for CGT purposes 19/02/2010 Offshore foundations are of interest to many of our members, particularly non doms who can benefit from the remittance basis of tax. In this article we look at exactly how offshore foundations and their UK members/founders are taxed on capital gains . . . keep reading Should you make the foreign capital loss election - weighing up the pro's and con's 10/02/2010 This is a once and for all election and therefore it's very important to get it right. Following a forum post we've recapped on the pro's and con's of non doms making the foreign capital loss election. . . . keep reading New non dom guidance on transfers of forex between overseas foreign currency accounts 05/02/2010 There's been a lot of changes in the HMRC guidance relating to forex for non doms over the last 6 months or so. In this article we look at the impact of the latest guidance on capital gains and transfers between overseas foreign currency accounts . . . keep reading New rules to prevent capital losses on forex for non doms 27/01/2010 HMRC have announced details of the new provisions to be introduced to prevent capital losses being crystallised on foreign currency conversions in certain limited circumstances. In this article we look at the nature and impact of the changes . . . keep reading Top CGT free countries 20/01/2010 If you want to sell shares in your UK company or UK land and property free of capital gains tax, moving overseas and establishing non UK residence is one of the most effective tax planning options. In this list below we've looked at some of the top international destinations that don't levy CGT. . . . keep reading Making a negligible value claim to crystallise capital losses 18/01/2010 If you have assets standing at a loss you would usually need to actually sell them to crystallise the capital loss. However, if the asset has become worthless you can make a negligible value claim to utilise the loss. In this article we look at how the negligible value claim operates and how to make the most from it . . . keep reading Everything you need to know about the new capital loss regime for non doms 13/01/2010 We've had a number of requests from members asking for further detail on how the new foreign capital loss election applies for non UK domiciliaries. In this article we summarise the new capital loss rules for non doms . . . keep reading Qualifying for rollover relief on capital gains on investment properties that are compulsory purchased 28/12/2009 It's well known there's a rollover relief that allows capital gains on business assets to be deferred when you spend the proceeds on other business assets. However, what's less well known is that there are provisions allowing capital gains on investment properties that are compulsory purchased to be deferred. This article looks in detail at this special form of rollover relief and how to ensure you meet the qualifying conditions . . . keep reading New HMRC guidance for non doms using the remittance basis and exchange rate gains 21/12/2009 HMRC have published some guidance on the tax treatment of non doms in relation to exchange rate gains and losses. This is an issue that has caused concern for some members as any non doms claiming the remittance basis will lose the benefit of the annual exemption. This could give rise to small numerous gains on exchange rate movements. In this article we look at the impact of the new guidance. . . . keep reading The new furnished holiday letting rules after the 2009 PBR 16/12/2009 In the 2009 Budget the Chancellor announced that the furnished holiday letting ('FHL') rules were to be repealed as from April 2010. However, there was no guidance provided as to how existing FHL's were to be treated for 2010/2011 particularly in terms of capital allowances and any pre 2010 losses. The 2009 Pre Budget Report has filled in a lot of the blanks and in this article we summarise the rules and look at the new tax treatment of FHL's after April 2010. . . . keep reading The new offshore fund regulations have been published - what effect will they have on you? 11/12/2009 The new regulations governing the UK tax treatment of offshore funds were published in November 2009. In this article we look at exactly what effect these new regulations will have on anyone holding interests in an offshore fund. . . . keep reading Using offshore companies and protected cell companies to avoid the remittance rules 04/12/2009 If you're looking to avoid CGT, using an offshore company can be attractive, particularly as a non dom. In this article we look at how offshore companies can be used to avoid CGT and the remittance rules. In addition we consider how protected cell companies can be used to avoid CGT . . . keep reading Offsetting losses on a main residence 16/11/2009 With the substantial drop in property prices, and with some areas not forecast to return to 2007 price levels until 2018 many people may be selling properties at a loss. Making full use of that loss will be crucial, particularly given the current low property levels also present many opportunities for investors to realise large capital gains. In this article we look at capital losses on property disposals and in particular how this is affected if you've previously occupied the property. . . . keep reading Should you sell UK property as a non resident or after you return to the UK? 11/05/2009 If you're non UK resident and considering a return to the UK at some point in the future you may be evaluating whether you should sell UK property before or after a return to the UK. In this article we look at the tax rules for a disposal both before and after a return to the UK and assess when you should sell to minimise tax . . . keep reading The 'round the world' CGT planning scheme 14/10/2009 The 'round the world' CGT planning scheme has been considered in a recent court decision and in this article we look at the approach the courts and Revenue have taken in relation to this scheme. . . . keep reading Striking off, capital gains tax and bona vacantia 23/09/2009 We've looked at the tax benefits of winding up a company, and in particular at how you can extract cash as capital distributions with very favourable tax consequences. In this article we look in detail at the requirements for a striking off and at some of the practical issues surrounding a striking off, including the 'bona vacantia' provisions and its impact on share capital. . . . keep reading Maximising private lettings relief to reduce CGT 04/09/2009 Lettings relief is not as well known as principal private residence relief, however where it applies it can be very effective in further reducing your capital gains tax charge. This article looks at how lettings relief operates as well as how to maximise the amount of lettings relief to reduce your capital gains tax . . . keep reading Tax planning when your kids turn 18 31/08/2009 When your kids turn 18 it may be worthwhile considering how their newly acquired adult status can be used to reduce your families tax liabilities. This article looks at some of the possibilities for using adult children to reduce UK taxes. . . . keep reading When HMRC can challenge disposals after you've left the UK 21/08/2009 If you're planning to leave the UK to avoid CGT ensuring that you correctly time any disposal is crucial. The benefit of course is that individuals who are non UK resident and non UK ordinarily resident are usually exempt from UK CGT. In this article we look at the importance of timing and the main occasions when HMRC can argue there is still a UK CGT charge even though you sold as a non UK resident . . . keep reading How MP's avoid CGT on their second homes The newspapers have been full of the shenanigans of MP's over the last few weeks. One of the related stories that did emerge was how one senior MP avoid capital gains tax of £13,000 on a second home. In this article we look at how MP's avoid CGT on their second homes . . . keep reading How to sell free of CGT and avoid the 5 year non residence requirement 01/08/2009 Establishing non UK residence and then selling free of CGT is one of the most straightforward options for avoiding CGT. However, most people would now need to remain non resident for at least 5 complete tax years to avoid the gain being charged in the tax year of their return. This article looks at when you don't need to be non resident for 5 tax years to be exempt from CGT . . . keep reading Structuring disposals free of capital gains tax whilst UK resident 31/07/2009 Individuals are subject to an 18% rate of capital gains tax when they sell assets. If they're selling a business or an interest in a business they can reduce the effective rate of CGT to 10%. But what about completely avoiding CGT? In this article we look at one strategy using a company and the substantial shareholding exemption to completely avoid capital gains tax . . . keep reading Using offshore trusts for CGT avoidance 29/07/2009 If you're interested in using offshore trusts for CGT avoidance the main problems you'll face are the anti avoidance rules that can attribute capital gains of offshore trusts back to UK settlors and beneficiaries. This article looks at how carefully (and legally!) sidestepping the rules you can arrange for disposals by an offshore trust free of CGT . . . keep reading Tax on the migration of trusts 20/07/2009 Following a request from one of our members we've looked in detail in this article at the UK tax implications of trusts migrating overseas. Trust migration essentially means that a UK resident trust becomes non UK resident. . . . keep reading Using a bare trust to reduce CGT 29/06/2009 There are different types of trusts. Bare trusts are completely different for tax purposes from discretionary trusts. In this article we look at exactly how bare trusts operate and most importantly how you can use them to reduce CGT . . . keep reading Tax structuring for international professional services - case study 22/06/2009 Many members are interested in the various options for structuring an international professional services business. In this article we look at the income tax, corporation tax and capital gains tax implications of the various structuring options, including using a UK or offshore company. . . . keep reading Investing in commercial property tax efficiently 19/06/2009 Investing in commercial property is still popular, even given the current economic climate. In this article we look at the income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax implications of investing in commercial property . . . keep reading Splitting a company's activities to reduce tax 15/06/2009 Companies frequently generate more than one source of income. You may have started a trade of X and then later gradually moved into new and completely separate areas whilst still retaining the original trade. You may also use the company to purchase investment assets (eg property or shares). In this article we look at tax planning options to separate the diffent trading/investment elements in the company . . . keep reading Capital gains tax and offshore foundations 08/06/2009 The tax treatment of capital gains which arise to offshore foundations is a complex and uncertain area. It's made more complex by the fact that there is no definitive guidance on exactly how a foundation is treated for UK tax purposes. Strictly speaking it is treated as a corporate vehicle but it displays some of the characteristics of a trust. This has led to a certain degree of overlapping in the provisions. In this article we look at how the capital gains tax anti avoidance rules could apply to offshore foundations. . . . keep reading More

Capital Gains Tax Questions

If you require specific guidance on capital gains tax, you can submit a question via our Capital Gains Tax Questions section. For a brief overview of capital gains tax follow this link CGT overview

Capital Gains Tax articles