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New Aug 2026

Capital Gains Tax Scotland Calculator (2026/27)

Capital Gains Tax is the same in Scotland as in the rest of the UK: 18% and 24% for 2026/27, with a £3,000 annual exempt amount. The rate split is tested against the UK-wide £50,270 threshold, not the Scottish income tax bands - so a Scottish higher-rate income taxpayer can still have part of a gain taxed at 18%. This calculator shows the split, and what being a Scottish taxpayer actually changes.

1. Where you live & your income
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2. Your gain
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Everything is calculated in your browser. We never store or send your figures.

Does Scotland change your Capital Gains Tax?

No - and the reason is worth understanding, because it decides which rate you pay. Income tax bands are devolved to the Scottish Parliament; Capital Gains Tax is not. When HMRC works out whether your gain falls in the 18% or 24% band, the law tells them to ignore your Someone whose main home is in Scotland for the tax year, as defined by HMRC. Scottish income tax rates apply to their wages, profits and pensions - but not to their savings, dividends or capital gains. status entirely: under HMRC CG21204 and TCGA 1992 s1J(6), the available basic-rate band is worked out as if you were not a Scottish or Welsh taxpayer at all.

That single sentence resolves a genuinely confused search result. Some sites claim a Scottish taxpayer on £45,000 pays 24% CGT while an English taxpayer on the same salary pays 18%. That is wrong. Both use the same UK-wide test, and this page computes it.

A Scottish taxpayer on 45,000 pounds pays higher-rate income tax but keeps unused UK basic-rate band for CGTTwo bars for the same person. Income tax row: Scottish bands tax 1,338 pounds of a 45,000 pound salary at the 42 percent higher rate, which starts above 43,662 pounds. CGT band test row: the same 45,000 pounds sits below the UK 50,270 pound threshold, leaving 5,270 pounds of unused basic-rate band, so that slice of a gain is taxed at 18 percent before 24 percent applies.Same £45,000 income: Scottish higher rate - still UK basic rate for CGTthe CGT band test ignores Scottish bands (TCGA 1992 s1J(6))Income tax - Scottish bands: 42% higher rate starts above £43,662salary up to £43,662CGT band test - UK bands: same £45,000 sits below £50,270income £45,000£5,270£1,338 at 42%gain at 18%incomeSame person, two band tests: higher-rate for income tax, basic-rate for CGT.£43,662 - Scottish higher-rate start£50,270UK basic-rate limitSource: gov.uk · HMRC CG21204 · CGT bands UK-wideukfinancetools.co.uk
The same £45,000 income sits above the Scottish higher-rate threshold (£43,662) but below the UK basic-rate limit (£50,270) - so £1,338 of salary is taxed at 42% for income tax while £5,270 of unused UK band still taxes that slice of a gain at 18%.

The £50,270 test - which threshold actually applies

For CGT, "basic-rate taxpayer" is decided by whether you have unused UK basic-rate band: the £37,700 band that sits above the £12,570 The amount of income you can earn each year before income tax. It is £12,570 for 2026/27, tapering away by £1 for every £2 of income over £100,000. (together, the familiar £50,270 higher-rate threshold). Your taxable gain - what is left after the £3,000 The Capital Gains Tax allowance: the slice of gains you can realise each tax year before any CGT is due. It is £3,000 for 2026/27 and cannot be carried forward if unused. - stacks on top of your taxable income. The slice that fits inside the unused band is taxed at 18%; anything above is taxed at 24%. One gain can be split across both rates, and the calculator shows the split explicitly.

The Scottish higher-rate threshold of £43,662 plays no part in this test. It exists for your income tax only - which is exactly why a Scot paying 42% on part of their salary can still see part of a gain taxed at 18%. Between £43,662 and £50,270 you are a higher-rate taxpayer for one tax and a basic-rate taxpayer for the other.

Which of your incomes counts - and under whose bands

Scottish rates apply only to non-savings, non-dividend income: wages, profits, pensions, rental income. A Scottish taxpayer's savings interest and dividends are already taxed under the UK bands - GOV.UK Income Tax in Scotland states this directly. For the CGT band test, your total taxable income counts against the UK limit, whatever mix of Scottish-taxed and UK-taxed income it contains. So "but I pay 42%" is true for your salary and irrelevant to your CGT.

Worked example: Fiona in Dundee, Emma in Leeds

Fiona and Emma each earn £45,000 and sell shares for a £20,000 gain in 2026/27. After the £3,000 allowance, £17,000 is taxable. Each has taxable income of £32,430 (£45,000 minus the Personal Allowance), leaving £5,270 of unused UK basic-rate band. So for both of them: £5,270 × 18% = £948.60, plus £11,730 × 24% = £2,815.20 - CGT of £3,763.80 each, identical to the penny.

Their income tax is a different story: Fiona pays £6,882.05 under the Scottish bands, Emma £6,486.00 under the UK bands - £396.05 apart. Moving between Scotland and the rest of the UK changes your income tax, not your CGT.

What this calculator does not do

It handles one disposal at a straightforward gain. For share disposals with multiple purchases, HMRC's matching rules and the Section 104 pool, use the shares CGT calculator - it imports broker CSVs and produces a Self Assessment-ready summary. For a rental or second-home sale with purchase costs, improvements and reliefs, use the property CGT calculator. Business Asset Disposal Relief and other reliefs are out of scope here.

One Scottish property difference is real but is not CGT: buying property in Scotland attracts Land and Buildings Transaction Tax rather than Stamp Duty Land Tax. That is a purchase tax - it does not change the CGT when you sell. And if you sell a residential property that is not your main home and CGT is due, the 60-day report-and-pay deadline applies UK-wide - see our 60-day reporting guide.

This is an estimate for a single disposal, not tax advice. Figures use the 2026/27 rates and thresholds.

Source: GOV.UK CGT rates, HMRC CG21204 & GOV.UK Income Tax in Scotland.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Capital Gains Tax different in Scotland?

No. CGT rates, the 3,000 pound annual exempt amount and the band test are identical across the UK. CGT is not devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and TCGA 1992 s1J(6) requires the basic-rate band test to be applied as if you were not a Scottish taxpayer.

Do I pay CGT at 42% as a Scottish higher-rate taxpayer?

No. The Scottish 42% rate applies to income only. Capital gains are taxed at 18% and 24% for 2026/27, split against the UK-wide 50,270 pound threshold - the 42% band never touches a capital gain.

I pay Scottish higher-rate income tax - can part of my gain still be taxed at 18%?

Yes. Scottish higher-rate income tax starts above 43,662 pounds, but the CGT test uses the UK 50,270 pound threshold. With income between the two, you have unused UK basic-rate band, and gains fill it at 18% before 24% applies.

Does the 60-day property reporting deadline apply in Scotland?

Yes. When you sell a UK residential property that is not your main home, any CGT due must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion, wherever in the UK you live. Share gains instead usually go on your Self Assessment return, or through HMRC's real-time CGT service.

Can pension contributions or Gift Aid increase the amount taxed at 18%?

Yes. Gift Aid donations and pension contributions paid with relief at source extend your basic-rate band (HMRC CG21204), so more of your gain can fall in the 18% band. This calculator uses the standard band without extensions.