Residential property owners will need to be on the ball from 6 April 2020, when new rules come in for the reporting of Capital Gains and payment of Capital Gains Tax.

New Capital Gains Tax legislation has been passed affecting Individuals and Trusts which will have a major impact on their filing and tax payment obligations when they sell UK residential property from 6 April 2020. The legislation applies to capital gains tax (CGT) only and does not apply to companies.

The April 2020 changes are an extension of the current rules which have applied to the disposal of UK property by non-resident persons from 6 April 2015.

Disposals before 6 April 2020 (UK resident individuals and trusts)

Before 6 April 2020, a UK resident individual or trust disposing of UK property that resulted in a taxable gain was required to report that gain on their annual UK self-assessment tax return or by using the HMRC ‘Real Time’ capital gains tax service. The deadline for reporting the gain and paying the tax due was either the 31^st of December or the 31^st  of January following the year of the disposal, depending on which option was used.

Disposals from 6 April 2020 onwards (UK resident individuals and trusts)

From 6 April 2020, a UK resident individual or trust disposing of UK residential property will be required to file a ‘UK land return’ within 30 days of the completion date of the disposal. Where properties are held jointly or in partnership, each owner is required to submit a UK Land return (and pay the tax) in respect of their share of the disposal. Penalties will apply if the return is filed late.

The seller will also be required to pay an estimate of the CGT 30 days from the completion date. This will be treated as a “payment on account” against their total income tax and CGT liability for that year when the annual self-assessment tax return is submitted.

The individual or trust will, therefore, be required to estimate how much tax is payable. This will depend on several factors which could result in a refund/additional liability being due when the annual self-assessment return is submitted. If additional tax is due when the annual return is filed, then interest will be payable at the standard rates set by HMRC.

Exceptions

Some common examples of where a UK land return will not be required are:

• Where the gain is fully covered by principal private residence relief (‘PPR’) throughout the duration of the taxpayer’s ownership. 
• If a loss arises on the sale of the property
• The gain is sheltered by capital losses crystallised before the sale takes place
• The gain is small enough to be covered by the individual’s annual exemption for the year of disposal.

In practice, a UK land return will be required for let properties, second/holiday homes and homes with extensive grounds and gardens not fully covered by PPR, in so far as such disposals give rise to a CGT liability.

The return and payment on account will not be required where the property disposed of is not residential property or where the property is situated outside the UK.

The above list is not exhaustive and, if you have any doubt over whether a return will need to be submitted, please contact one of our team to discuss.

From a practical perspective, the taxpayer will need to rapidly determine whether (or to what extent) their gain is sheltered through PPR relief and, if it is not fully sheltered, what the gain will be and to what extent it will be sheltered by crystallised capital losses or their annual exemption. These calculations can be complex and in some cases even require valuations be obtained. Taxpayers should contact their tax advisers as soon as they decide to put their UK residential property on the market. 

Non-UK residents

Non-UK residents have already been required to file returns within 30 days when they have disposed of UK property, both residential and non-residential, since 6 April 2015 and 6 April 2019 respectively. There are no changes for disposals by non-UK resident individuals or trusts from 6 April 2020.  Fewer exceptions exist for Non-Resident CGT returns, which are still required even where there is no NRCGT payable.

Non-resident companies were within NRCGT for disposals of UK residential property before 6 April 2019, but are now within corporation tax and no longer subject to the reporting obligations described herein.

Filing Procedures

Currently the NRCGT returns must be submitted through the HMRC website. HMRC has stated that it is developing a new process for the UK land returns; it is expected to be similarly accessed through the HMRC website.

Penalties

Penalties for filing the UK land return start at £100 immediately.  If the return is more than 6 months late a penalty equal to the higher of £300 or 5% of the tax due is payable.  If more than 12 months late, a further penalty of either £300 or 5% of the tax will again be due.  £10 daily penalties may also be levied for up to 90 days (between 3 months and 6 months of filing date), but by concession HMRC has stated that it will not usually charge these. For larger transactions, the 10% penalty could be quite significant.

As with other penalties, a taxpayer may be able to appeal on the basis of having a reasonable excuse, but, as has been seen with Non-resident CGT returns, HMRC can be resistant and taking appeals to the tax tribunals can be a lottery. 

Action after 5 April 2020

The application of this legislation to UK residents will be a ‘game-changer’ in the sense that the tax filing and payment obligations need to be considered immediately on completion of the sale rather than left until after the end of the tax year.

It will be common for individuals not to know exactly what their CGT liability will be at the time of the sale and a lot of the relevant information may not be known until after the end of the tax year. For example, this could be the case where the tax liability depends on other disposals or other income in the same tax year. You should contact your tax adviser much sooner (ideally when the property is first put on the market) when making residential property disposals in order to submit the returns on time and to determine an appropriate estimate of the CGT liability.

FAQ’s

Q: Do I have to make a return if there is no gain?

A: No, a return is also not required if the gain is covered by your capital gains tax allowance for the year (£12,000 tax free for the 19/20 tax year).

Q: Can I offset capital losses when calculating the gain arising

A: Capital losses can be offset but only if they arose prior to the gain.  Losses arising in the same year but after the property disposal can only be taken into account on your annual tax return.

Potentially this means paying a capital gains tax bill within 30 days and then having to reclaim the overpaid tax many months later in your self-assessment tax return.

Q: What if I don’t have all of the information to calculate the capital gain?

A:  You can make reasonable estimates and assumptions when preparing the return.  However, if tax is subsequently found to be underpaid when the self-assessment tax return is submitted, interest will run on the amount underpaid to the date of final payment.

Q: Can I amend the return after submission?

A: The return can be amended with actual figures any time up to the filing of the annual self-assessment tax return.  It cannot however be amended for events that occur after the return date.

Q: What happens if I miss the 30 day deadline?

A: HMRC will charge an automatic £100 penalty for a late return; if 6 months late, the higher of £300 or 5% of the tax due; if 12 months late, a further penalty of the £300 or 5%.  In addition, HMRC have the discretion to levy daily penalties of £10 for the 90 days between 3 and 6 months late.

Q:  If I make more than one disposal can I make just one return?

A: No, if there is more than one completion date then a return is required for each disposal.  Property sales with the same completion date must however go on one return.

Q:  I’m selling a shop with a flat above; how do I deal with this?

A: Any gain arising on the entire disposal will need to be apportioned between the shop and the residential property i.e. the flat.  The gain arising on the flat only will need to be reported within 30 days.  The calculation in such cases can be complex and it is important that your accountant is informed as soon as possible and preferably before the sale. 

Disclaimer
This document is intended as an information source only. The comments and references to legislation and other sources in this publication do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek advice from a professional adviser regarding the application of any of the comments in this document to your fact scenario. Information in this publication does not take into account any person’s personal objectives, needs or financial situations. Accordingly, you should consider the appropriateness of any information, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs and seek professional advice before acting on it. CST Tax Advisors exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to your reliance in this publication

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Overview

The new UK Chancellor, Philip Hammond, gave his first Autumn Statement on 23 November 2016. As expected, the government confirmed that the reforms to the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals and UK residential property will go ahead from 6 April 2017.

Details

The key points are as follows:

• From April 2017, non-domiciled individuals will be deemed UK-domiciled for tax purposes if they have been UK resident for 15 out of the past 20 years, or if they were born in the UK with a UK domicile of origin. As such, an individual who is “deemed domicile” in the UK will be subject to tax on their worldwide income and liable to UK inheritance tax on their global estate.
• Draft legislation will be published on 5 December 2016 and therefore this leaves a very short time frame for impacted individuals to take action to mitigate the impact of the new rules.
• As previously announced, the government has reiterated that non-domiciled individuals who have a non-resident trust established before they are deemed domiciled (under the 15/20 year rule) should not be taxed on income and gains arising outside the UK and retained in the trust. Therefore, settlors of non-resident trusts should urgently review existing structures before 5 December 2016.
• Non-domiciled individuals who own UK residential property through an offshore structure should also seek urgent advice and restructure prior to April 2017 to reduce any inheritance tax exposure. Unfortunately, no relief from CGT or stamp duty for non-doms who “deenvelope” their UK property will be available.
• The government will change the rules for the Business Investment Relief scheme from April 2017 to make it easier for non-domiciled individuals to bring money into the UK to invest in UK businesses. Non-domiciled individuals who may be affected by the proposed reforms should seek tax advice as soon as possible to ensure they have sufficient time to plan before the changes take effect in April 2017.

Please visit our page for more.

^{_{Disclaimer
This document is intended as an information source only. The comments and references to legislation and other sources in this publication do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek advice from a professional adviser regarding the application of any of the comments in this document to your fact scenario. Information in this publication does not take into account any person’s personal objectives, needs or financial situations. Accordingly, you should consider the appropriateness of any information, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs and seek professional advice before acting on it. CST Tax Advisors exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to your reliance in this publication}}

The pound’s value has dropped dramatically in recent times, and many foreign investors and expats in the UK are scurrying to buy UK property at unprecedented discounts.

If you, too, are looking to buy UK property, here are five tax and broader commercial, UK and overseas, considerations.

Remember, this article does not take into account your personal circumstances, and it’s important to speak to your tax advisor for specific advice.

1. Secure Property Financing As Soon As Possible To Avoid Later Frustrations

If you’re a non-UK resident, it may be more difficult to obtain financing as many UK banks are under increasing regulatory obligations.

Several UK and overseas banks, however, are still lending to overseas investors, and the right relationships are essential to securing finance and determining a suitable lending structure.

2. Should I Buy The Property As An Individual Or Through A Company?

Whether it is best to purchase the property as an individual or a company structure will depend largely on two factors:

1. Whether you intend to live in the property, or rent it out
2. Your profile as an investor (such as your income, asset base, etc.)

Whether you acquire the property as an individual, or through a company, non-resident capital gains tax (‘NRCGT’) will apply to the sale of a UK property if you’re a non-resident.

However, the rate of CGT due will vary depending on whether you use to property to live in yourself (‘owner-occupied’), or to rent (‘buy-to-let’) and if the property is acquired by you individually or through a company. NRCGT will apply to all residential property, however, irrespective of whether it is rented or owner-occupied.

It should also be considered whether Principal Private Residence Relief (‘PPR Relief’) may be available to exempt or reduce any capital gain on sale.

Finally, your choice of structure will also impact the rental income tax paid.

3. Stamp Duty Has Increased For Owners Of More Than One Residential Property

Stamp Duty Land Tax (‘SDLT’) is a compulsory tax payable on acquisition of a UK property, ranging between 0% and 12% of the total purchase price, if it is your first residential property.

If, however, you already own another residential property, new rules were introduced in April 2016 whereby a ‘higher’ rate of SDLT will apply:

PROPERTY PURCHASE PRICE BAND	“STANDARD” SDLT RATE	“HIGHER” SDLT RATE
£0 – £125,000	0	3%
£125,001 – £250,000	2%	5%
£250,001 – £925,000	5%	8%
£925,001 – £1,500,000	10%	13%
£1,500,001 and over	12%	15%

Applies to properties purchased under individual structures.

There are difference SDLT rates for property purchased via a company, and there are also instances where tax relief may apply for properties held in certain structures – speak to your personal tax advisor to discuss your individual circumstances.

4. Don’t Let Inheritance Tax Take More Than Your Life Away

When the owner of a UK property (over a certain value) passes away, the value of the property may be subject to up to 40% tax. This applies whether the owner of the property was based in the UK or overseas.

Furthermore, from 6 April 2017, UK residential property owned indirectly through a company or trust will also be subject to UK inheritance tax.

There are ways to potentially mitigate the impact of inheritance tax, including loans, life insurance and efficient estate planning.

5. You May Also Be Subject To Tax From Your Home Country

The tax implications from your home country (for example, Australia, United States, Singapore etc.) will need to be considered when structuring the property acquisition.

For example, an Australian resident will be subject to tax on their worldwide income and assets. Compare this to a Hong Kong resident who will generally only be subject to income sourced within Hong Kong.

_{^{Disclaimer
This document is intended as an information source only. The comments and references to legislation and other sources in this publication do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek advice from a professional adviser regarding the application of any of the comments in this document to your fact scenario. Information in this publication does not take into account any person’s personal objectives, needs or financial situations. Accordingly, you should consider the appropriateness of any information, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs and seek professional advice before acting on it. CST Tax Advisors exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to your reliance in this publication}}