Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are answers to common questions taxpayers have about the 60-day Capital Gains Tax return for UK property sales:

Q1: Do I need to file a 60-day CGT return if I sell my main home?

In most cases, no, you do not need to file if it truly was your main home for the entire period you owned it (or all except perhaps the final 9 months) because it should qualify for full Private Residence Relief. When a property sale is fully covered by this relief, there’s no CGT to pay and no requirement to submit the 60-day return.

However, be cautious: if you ever used the home for reasons that might limit relief (such as renting it out for a while, or it was partly business premises), then part of the gain might be taxable. If any portion of the gain is taxable, you would need to file a return for that portion. But for a straightforward sale of your only/main residence with no taxable gain, you can safely skip the 60-day CGT return. (You may still report it on your Self Assessment for record-keeping, but no separate CGT on property filing is required.)

Q2: I sold a property but made a loss (or the gain was below the tax-free allowance). Do I still have to report it within 60 days?

If you’re a UK resident and the sale results in no CGT to pay – either because you incurred a loss or because the gain is within your annual CGT allowance – then you do NOT need to file the 60-day return.

HMRC’s rule is that the 60-day report is only required when there is a CGT liability. For example, if you sold a buy-to-let property at a loss, you won’t owe tax, so you can skip the special return (you might want to note the loss for future use, which can be done on your next Self Assessment).

However, if you are not a UK resident, you must report the sale even if there’s no tax due. Non-residents have to file a return for any UK property disposal, profit or loss, as a matter of compliance. So the answer: UK residents – no report needed for no-gain/no-tax sales; Non-residents – still must file the return (the return would show zero tax due, but it’s required). Unfortunately we cannot act for non-UK residents.

Q3: Does the 60-day rule apply to foreign properties or other assets (like shares)?

No. The 60-day reporting rule is specific to disposals of UK property or land (and primarily aimed at UK residential property for UK residents). If you sell a holiday home abroad or any overseas property, that is not reported through this 60-day UK property service.

Instead, you would handle any CGT on a foreign property sale through your normal Self Assessment tax return by 31 January following the tax year (and foreign tax credits if applicable). Likewise, gains on other assets like stocks, bonds, crypto, etc., are not reported in 60 days; they go on your annual tax return if you have any taxable gains. Only UK real estate falls under this regime. (Non-UK residents only use it for UK located properties, of course, not for their home country assets.)

Q4: If I jointly own a property with my spouse and we sell it, do we need to file two separate 60-day returns?

Yes. Each owner must file their own CGT return for their share of the gain​. There isn’t a joint filing even for married couples. In practice, you’ll each create an account (or use your existing HMRC login) and submit the information relevant to your portion. Typically, the gain is split according to ownership share (e.g., 50/50).

You can use the same total sale and cost figures, just divided appropriately. Both of you also need to pay your respective CGT by the deadline. It’s a good idea to coordinate so one person doesn’t miss the memo – often one spouse might handle the finances, but remember to do both returns. The same applies to any joint owners (siblings, friends, etc., who co-owned a property).

Q5: I’m on Self Assessment already. Do I still need this 60-day report? Can’t I just put the gain in my end-of-year tax return?

If the property sale was on or after 6 April 2020 and CGT is due, you must do both: file the 60-day return and include it on your Self Assessment. The 60-day return is a payment on account of the CGT, required by law in addition to your normal tax return​.

The only exception is if you somehow filed your Self Assessment very quickly (before the 60-day deadline) and reported the disposal there – then a separate report isn’t needed. But realistically, that situation is rare. So yes, even if you always do a Self Assessment, a property gain can’t wait until the next January – it needs reporting within 60 days. You will declare it again on the Self Assessment for completeness and any adjustments. Think of the 60-day return as an interim filing to get the tax in early, which is later reconciled in your annual return.

Q6: What if I don’t have all the information or the exact figures within 60 days?

HMRC expects you to make the best estimate you can and file on time, rather than delay the filing. The online return allows you to indicate if figures are provisional or estimated. For example, you might not know your exact income for the year (needed to compute the CGT rate) within 60 days if the sale was early in the tax year. In such cases, use a reasonable estimate of your income and check the box that it’s an estimate.

Similarly, if you’re unsure about an allowable cost and can’t get the document in time, you might estimate it. Later, when you have the final information, you can amend the return or adjust it in your Self Assessment. HMRC has stated that as long as a reasonable estimate was used initially and you flag it, they will not charge interest on any additional tax that comes due once the figures are finalized (provided you correct it by the time the Self Assessment is due)​.

So, don’t let missing info be an excuse to miss the deadline – file with best estimates and correct the record later if needed.

Q7: How can I correct a mistake on my CGT return after I’ve submitted it?

If you discover an error (maybe you forgot to include a cost, or you entered a wrong number), you have a couple of options to fix it:

• Amend the return online: If you filed through the HMRC CGT on property online service (which most do), you can log back into that account and there is a facility to view or amend a submitted return. You can make changes and re-submit the corrected figures. There may be a time limit for online amendments (HMRC’s guidance suggests you can amend within 12 months of 31 January following the tax year of the disposal, similar to Self Assessment amendment windows).

• Via Self Assessment: Any corrections can also be handled in your year-end Self Assessment tax return. When you fill out the capital gains section there, you would put the correct figures. If that results in, say, more tax due than you paid on the 60-day return, you’ll pay the difference in your SA bill. If it results in less tax (you overpaid initially), you can claim a refund or HMRC will offset it. In fact, one official method of amending after the tax year is to just let the Self Assessment calculation supersede the provisional one.

• Contact HMRC if needed: In some cases (especially if you filed by paper or if the online system doesn’t allow a certain correction after a window), you might need to call HMRC or write to them to explain the mistake and correct it.

The key point: mistakes can be corrected. It’s important to rectify errors – don’t ignore them. HMRC would rather you amend and pay the right tax (or get a refund) than leave a wrong return on file. There is no separate penalty for genuine mistakes that are corrected, unless they believe you were careless or dishonest and you don’t fix it.

Q8: What counts as the completion date for the 60-day deadline?

The completion date is the day when the sale transaction is finalized and ownership is transferred – in other words, when money and keys change hands. This is the date listed on your completion statement from the solicitor. It’s not the date you exchanged contracts (which is usually earlier).

The 60 days start ticking from the day after completion. For instance, if your completion date was 10 July, day 1 is 11 July and your deadline would be 8 September (if our math is right). Always use the completion date, as that’s what HMRC bases the deadline on​. (If a sale falls through after exchange, then no disposal occurred, hence no return needed at all.)

Q9: I’m a non-UK resident selling UK property – are there differences I should know?

As a non-resident, you have to report any UK property sale within 60 days regardless of gain or loss. A few other points for non-residents:

• You must use the same online system to report. If you don’t already have an HMRC login, you’ll need to create one (non-residents can still register – you might need a Government Gateway account just for this).

• Non-residents are liable to UK CGT on both residential and commercial UK property (and also certain indirect disposals like shares in “property-rich” companies). So the 60-day rule covers all those for you.

• If you are selling your only UK home which was your main residence, you can claim PRR, but note that after 2015 the rules for non-residents are a bit complex (generally you needed to meet a day count in UK each year to claim full PRR). Nonetheless, file the return and claim any reliefs available.

• The same penalties for late filing apply equally to non-residents. In the early days (when it was a 30-day rule) HMRC showed some leniency to late filers who weren’t aware, but now it’s expected that everyone, including those abroad, know to comply.

• If you have no UK tax identification (like no National Insurance number or UTR), the system will ask for personal details and possibly you might have to fill in a paper form in some cases. The gov.uk guidance for non-residents​

Q10: Are there any plans to change this 60-day requirement in the future?

As of now, the 60-day reporting regime is an established part of the tax law. It was extended from 30 to 60 days in late 2021 to give taxpayers more breathing room, and there have not been announcements of further changes. The annual CGT allowance was significantly reduced in 2023 and again in 2024, which means more people will find themselves with taxable gains (where previously the allowance might have covered small gains). This could make the 60-day return requirement catch more individuals going forward (for example, someone who made a £10k gain in 2022-23 didn’t have to pay tax due to the £12,300 allowance, but in 2023-24 the allowance is only £6,000, so that same gain now triggers a return and tax). It’s always wise to stay updated via HMRC’s official channels or consult a tax professional each tax year when selling property, just in case rules or thresholds change. But at present, expect that any UK residential property sale that isn’t fully exempt will indeed require a 60-day CGT return.