NEWS
Over the past few years, one of the quietest but most significant shifts in personal taxation has been the steady tightening of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowances. What was once a generous £12,300 annual exemption has been reduced to just £3,000 for the 2024/25 tax year – and there’s every chance that future Budgets or the forthcoming Autumn Statement could push rates higher still.
Financial markets were primed for sharp, immediate tax rises. Commentators warned of fiscal tightening. Yet when the Chancellor delivered the measures, the initial reaction was muted. Markets barely moved. The plaster came off—and it didn’t hurt.
In the weeks leading up to the UK Budget, the industry has struggled to read the signs from the Treasury as to what was most likely to happen in the Autumn Statement and what new taxes were to be introduced – we just knew that tax would rise.
If you watch or read the news at the moment, it’s easy to think the world is falling apart. Political tensions, elections, and talk of global conflict seem to dominate every headline. It can all feel a bit bleak – and when you’re also hearing that some professional investors are ‘turning cautious,’ it’s natural to wonder whether it’s time to be worried. Yet, strangely, the investment markets don’t appear to agree with the headlines.
Over the past few years, one of the quietest but most significant shifts in personal taxation has been the steady tightening of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowances. What was once a generous £12,300 annual exemption has been reduced to just £3,000 for the 2024/25 tax year – and there’s every chance that future Budgets or the forthcoming Autumn Statement could push rates higher still.