When Is Capital Gains Tax Paid? Payment Dates and Payments on Account
For shares, funds, crypto and most other assets you pay Capital Gains Tax by 31 January after the end of the tax year of the sale: 31 January 2028 for anything sold between 6 April 2026 and 5 April 2027.1 A UK residential property with tax to pay is different: you pay within 60 days of completion.2 CGT is not part of your Self Assessment payments on account; it is paid with the January balancing payment.45
- Self Assessment: the gain goes on your return and the tax is paid by 31 January after the tax year.1
- Real-time Capital Gains Tax service (UK residents, not UK residential property): report by 31 December after the tax year, pay by 31 January.1
- UK residential property with tax to pay: report and pay within 60 days of completion, using a payment reference that starts with X.23
- The money paid on a UK property return counts as a payment on account of that year's CGT; your tax return settles the final figure.6
- Late payment interest runs from the due date.7
When is the tax due on my sale?
Two dates matter, and they are not always the same. The tax year a gain falls in is set by the date of disposal, which for a sale under a contract is normally the date of exchange. The payment deadline for UK residential property runs from completion. The table shows how our report engine dates five sales, each a £40,000 gain for a seller with £35,000 of other income.
| Sale | Tax year | Pay by |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold 12 May 2026 | 2026/27 | 31 January 2028 |
| Shares sold 5 April 2027 | 2026/27 | 31 January 2028 |
| Shares sold 6 April 2027 | 2027/28 | 31 January 2029 |
| Buy-to-let: exchanged 20 Nov 2026, completed 18 Dec 2026 | 2026/27 | 16 February 2027 |
| Buy-to-let: exchanged 26 Mar 2027, completed 23 Apr 2027 | 2026/27 | 22 June 2027 |
Each sale has £7,963.80 of CGT on these figures. The last row is the one people get wrong: contracts were exchanged in March 2027, so the gain belongs to 2026/27, but the 60 days run from completion in April, so the payment is due in June 2027.2
Moving a share sale by a single day changes the deadline by a year. A sale on 5 April 2027 is paid by 31 January 2028; one on 6 April 2027 not until 31 January 2029. The rates and £3,000 allowance are the same in both years,8 so the bill is the same; only the date and which year's allowance it uses differ.
Is CGT included in payments on account?
No. Payments on account are advance payments towards next year's Self Assessment bill, due by 31 January and 31 July, each usually half of the previous year's tax.4 GOV.UK says the balancing payment "will also include anything you owe for capital gains",4 and HMRC's Self Assessment manual says Capital Gains Tax is left out when payments on account are worked out.5
Example: a seller with £35,000 of income who made a £30,000 gain in 2025/26 owes £5,563.80 of CGT on it (our engine, 2025/26 rates). That is paid on 31 January 2027 as part of the balancing payment. The payments on account for 2026/27, due 31 January 2027 and 31 July 2027, are worked out without it, so a one-off gain does not make next year's instalments bigger.
The reverse is also true: if you expect a gain this year, your payments on account will not cover it. Set the tax aside yourself until the January after the tax year ends.
How much should I set aside?
| Gain | Income £35,000 | Income £55,000 |
|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £3,163.80 | £4,080 |
| £50,000 | £10,363.80 | £11,280 |
| £100,000 | £22,363.80 | £23,280 |
After the £3,000 annual exempt amount, at 18% within the basic-rate band left by your income and 24% above it.8 Each gain links to a page explaining the options at that size; use the calculator for your own figures.
How do you actually pay?
- UK property return: pay using the 14-character Capital Gains payment reference starting with X that you get when you file. You can schedule an online bank payment for any date before it is due.3
- Real-time service: pay online through HMRC's services, for example by debit or credit card.3
- Self Assessment: the CGT is part of your Self Assessment bill, so you pay it with the rest of that bill, using your Self Assessment reference.3
If you have already paid on a 60-day return and then file Self Assessment, put the tax you paid in box 10 of the capital gains summary; HMRC credits it against the year's CGT. Our guide to putting a 60-day return on your tax return walks through the boxes.
What if I pay late?
HMRC charges interest on tax paid after the due date, at a rate it publishes and changes with the Bank of England base rate.7 Penalties can follow too, and they are different for a late 60-day property return and a late Self Assessment payment; our page on late CGT penalties sets them out. If you cannot pay in full, contact HMRC before the deadline rather than after it. For the reporting side of each deadline, see CGT reporting deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
When do I pay capital gains tax on shares sold in 2026/27?
By 31 January 2028, for any sale between 6 April 2026 and 5 April 2027. You can report it on your 2026/27 tax return, or through HMRC's real-time service by 31 December 2027 if you are UK resident and not in Self Assessment.
When is capital gains tax payable on a property?
For UK residential property with tax to pay, within 60 days of completion, through a UK property return. The gain belongs to the tax year of exchange, so a March exchange and April completion is taxed in the earlier year but paid 60 days after the April completion.
Do payments on account include capital gains tax?
No. GOV.UK says the January balancing payment includes anything you owe for capital gains, and HMRC's Self Assessment manual says CGT is left out when payments on account are worked out. A one-off gain does not increase next year's payments on account.
Can I pay capital gains tax early?
Yes. You can pay before the deadline; for a UK property return you can also schedule an online bank payment for a date before it is due. Interest only applies to tax paid after the due date.
What payment reference do I use for CGT on a property?
The 14-character Capital Gains payment reference starting with X that you get for the UK property return. CGT reported on a Self Assessment return is paid as part of your Self Assessment bill instead.
General information, not tax advice. Dates are for UK residents; non-residents report every UK property or land sale within 60 days, see CGT for non-residents.
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.
- Report and pay CGT: if you have other capital gains to report www.gov.uk/report-and-pay-your-capital-gains-tax/if-you-have-other-capital-gains-to-report
- Report and pay CGT: if you sold a UK property on or after 6 April 2020 www.gov.uk/report-and-pay-your-capital-gains-tax/if-you-sold-a-property-in-the-uk-on-or-after-6-april-2020
- Report and pay CGT: ways to pay www.gov.uk/report-and-pay-your-capital-gains-tax/ways-to-pay
- Understand your Self Assessment tax bill: payments on account www.gov.uk/understand-self-assessment-bill/payments-on-account
- HMRC Self Assessment Legal Framework SALF303: payments on account www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/self-assessment-legal-framework/salf303
- Finance Act 2019, Schedule 2, paragraph 6: payment on account of CGT on a property return www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/1/schedule/2/paragraph/6
- HMRC interest rates for late and early payments www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-hmrc-interest-rates-for-late-and-early-payments/rates-and-allowances-hmrc-interest-rates
- Capital Gains Tax: rates www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/rates