Budget 2026

Budget 2026 (28 October): What's Confirmed for Your Capital Gains Tax, and What to Check After

Written by James Whitfield · Last checked 20 October 2026 Checked against GOV.UK, HMRC and legislation.gov.uk
Quick answer

The Budget is on Wednesday 28 October 2026.1 Until then, the Capital Gains Tax rules for 2026/27 are already set: 18% and 24% for individuals, a £3,000 annual exempt amount,2 and 18% for gains qualifying for Business Asset Disposal Relief or Investors' Relief.3 No change to CGT has been announced. We will update this page and our calculator on Budget day, as soon as the Budget documents are published.

Confirmed before the Budget
  • Budget date: 28 October 2026, with the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast published the same day.1
  • CGT rates for 2026/27: 18% on gains within your basic-rate band, 24% above it; trustees and personal representatives pay 24%.2
  • Annual exempt amount for 2026/27: £3,000 for individuals and personal representatives, £1,500 for most trustees.2
  • Business Asset Disposal Relief and Investors' Relief: 18% from 6 April 2026, up from 14% in 2025/26 and 10% before that.3
  • The Personal Allowance (£12,570) and basic rate limit (£37,700) are fixed up to and including 2030/31, so the band that decides 18% or 24% is set until April 2031 under current law.46
  • Inheritance Tax: the £325,000 nil-rate band and £175,000 residence nil-rate band are fixed until 5 April 2031, and most unused pension funds count towards the estate for deaths on or after 6 April 2027.45

What is already confirmed for CGT in 2026/27?

CGT for 2026/27, as published on GOV.UK
Main rates for individuals18% within the basic-rate band, 24% above it2
Trustees and personal representatives24%2
Annual exempt amount£3,000 (individuals and personal representatives); £1,500 (most trustees)2
Business Asset Disposal Relief and Investors' Relief18% for disposals from 6 April 20263
Employee Ownership Trust reliefRestricted to 50% of the gain for disposals to the trustees from 26 November 20254

These are the figures our CGT calculator uses today. See CGT rates for 2026/27 and what changed in 2026/27 for the detail.

What else from the last Budget is already law?

Several measures announced at Budget 2025 were legislated in the Finance Act 2026.6 The ones that matter alongside CGT:

  • Income Tax thresholds. The Personal Allowance stays at £12,570 and the basic rate limit at £37,700 for 2028/29, 2029/30 and 2030/31.46 Your basic-rate band decides how much of a gain is taxed at 18% rather than 24%.
  • Pensions and Inheritance Tax. Most unused pension funds and death benefits come into the value of an estate for deaths on or after 6 April 2027. Personal representatives report and pay the tax; death-in-service benefits are out of scope.56
  • Inheritance Tax thresholds. The nil-rate band (£325,000), residence nil-rate band (£175,000) and the £1 million allowance for 100% agricultural and business property relief stay fixed until 5 April 2031.4

Can a Budget change CGT straight away?

Yes. The main rates rose to 18% and 24% from 30 October 2024, the day of that Budget.2 Other changes start later, often on the next 6 April, and the BADR rises came with rules for contracts signed before and completed after the change. Each Budget measure states its own start date, so that is the first thing we check. For most sales, the date of disposal is the date contracts are exchanged and become unconditional, not completion.

What to check after the Budget

On 28 October, check these against the Budget documents on GOV.UK, or come back here: we will have done it for you.

  1. The rates for individuals, trustees and personal representatives, and the date any change starts.
  2. The annual exempt amount for 2026/27 and later years.
  3. Business Asset Disposal Relief and Investors' Relief: the rate and any lifetime limit.
  4. Transition rules for sales already exchanged or completing around Budget day.
  5. Income Tax bands, because they decide the 18%/24% split.
  6. Reporting dates: the 60-day UK property return and the Self Assessment deadline of 31 January 2028 for 2026/27 gains.

What we will update on Budget day

If the Budget changes anything for CGT, we will update this page, the calculator and our rates pages on 28 October, with the start date of each change and a link to the official document. If nothing changes, we will say so here. Our Survival Pack carries the same promise: if the Budget changes anything in it, the download link serves the updated edition free.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 Budget?

Wednesday 28 October 2026. The Chancellor confirmed the date in a letter to the Treasury Committee on 31 July 2026, and the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast is published the same day.

Has a change to capital gains tax been announced for the Budget?

No. Nothing about the 28 October Budget has been announced. The rules that apply now are the 2026/27 rules on this page: 18% and 24% for individuals, a £3,000 annual exempt amount and 18% for Business Asset Disposal Relief.

Can a Budget change CGT from Budget day itself?

Yes, it has happened before. The main rates rose to 18% and 24% from 30 October 2024, the day of that Budget. Other changes start from a later date, often the next 6 April. The Budget documents give the start date for each measure.

Does exchange or completion decide which rules apply to my sale?

For most sales the date of disposal is the date contracts are exchanged and become unconditional, not completion. A new rule can come with its own transition rules, as the BADR rate rises did, so check the Budget documents if you exchange close to 28 October.

When will this page and the calculator be updated?

On Budget day, 28 October 2026, once the Budget documents are published on GOV.UK. If nothing changes for CGT, we will say so here and keep the calculator as it is.

This page lists only rules that have been published or legislated. It does not predict what the Budget will contain. It is general information, not tax advice.

Sources & references

The rates, allowances and rules in this guide are drawn from the official HMRC and GOV.UK sources below, checked for the 2026/27 tax year. Each link opens the relevant government page in a new tab.

  1. HM Treasury: Chancellor letter to the Treasury Select Committee, Budget 2026 date (31 July 2026) www.gov.uk/government/publications/chancellor-letter-to-the-treasury-select-committee-tsc-budget-2026-date
  2. Capital Gains Tax rates and allowances (HMRC) www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-capital-gains-tax
  3. Business Asset Disposal Relief www.gov.uk/business-asset-disposal-relief
  4. Budget 2025: Overview of tax legislation and rates (OOTLAR) www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2025-overview-of-tax-legislation-and-rates-ootlar/budget-2025-overview-of-tax-legislation-and-rates-ootlar
  5. Policy paper: Inheritance Tax, unused pension funds and death benefits www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits
  6. Finance Act 2026 (c. 11), legislation.gov.uk www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/11/contents
Verified against published HMRC and GOV.UK guidance.

Written and reviewed by James Whitfield and the UKCapitalGainsTaxCalculator editorial team.

Every figure is checked against current HMRC and GOV.UK guidance and reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. We explain how the tax works in plain English with worked examples, not just numbers. Editorial standards · Sources · About us