CGT rates have been significantly reduced from April 2016.
The rates at which capital gains are taxed depend on where they would fall to be taxed for Income Tax purposes if they were added to income. This would determine whether the gains would fall to be taxed at basic or higher rates, or part and part.
- If at basic rates, gains will now be taxed at 10% instead of £18%
- If at higher rates, gains will now be taxed at 20% instead of 28%.
These reductions will not apply to residential property sales of second homes or buy-to-let properties – the 2015-16 rates of 18% and 28% will continue to apply.
There is also a surprising change to Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER). It is being extended to afford relief to investors in non-quoted companies. The revisions will introduce the following change to legislation:
“The extension to ER, introducing investors’ relief, will apply to gains accruing on the disposal of certain qualifying shares by individuals (other than employees and officers of the company). In order to qualify for relief, a share must:
- be newly issued, having been acquired by the person making the disposal on subscription for new consideration
- be in an unlisted trading company, or unlisted holding company of trading group
- have been issued by the company on or after 17 March 2016 and have been held for a period of three years from 6 April 2016
- have been held continually for a period of three years before disposal
The rate of CGT charged on the qualifying gain will be 10%, with the total amount of gains eligible for investors’ relief subject to a lifetime cap of £10 million per individual. Rules will ensure that this limit applies to beneficiaries of trusts.
Because the relief is designed to attract new capital into companies, avoidance rules set out in the legislation will ensure that shares must be subscribed for by individuals for genuine commercial purposes and not for tax avoidance purposes.
This is a welcome change, and one that should stimulate interest from investors in smaller concerns that would otherwise struggle to attract inward investment.
