Don’t want to pay Capital Gains Tax, legally? You can – in some circumstances.

With CGT up to 24% from 20% and the Annual Exempt Amount reducing to a paltry £3,000 from £12,300 here are five ways to sell assets without Capital Gains Tax.

1. Anything with a useful life of under 50 years is exempt from CGT. So things like high-end watches, handbags, and (most) wines and spirits are exempt from CGT. This rule is why champion racehorses can be sold at huge gains without CGT.
2. Chattels sold for under £6,000 are exempt. For example, you can buy a gold bar, some jewellery or a piece of art for £2,000, then sell it for £5,500 and you’ll pay no Capital Gains Tax.
3. All gains on cars are exempt. (But this isn’t the Treasury being generous. Almost everyone makes a loss on their cars, and they don’t want you offsetting these losses against your gains.)
4. Spread betting is not taxable. If you bought Tesco Plc shares for £100,000 and sold for £150,000 you would pay tax on the £50,000 gain. Instead, if you spread bet the Tesco Plc shares 1:1 when you ‘sell’ in the above example you’d pay no tax at all. You also wouldn’t pay Stamp Duty on the initial ‘purchase’, as you’re not technically buying the shares.
5. UK Gilts (treasury stock) are exempt. For example, you can buy a 1/8% Treasury Gilt 2026 today for £95.55. When it matures on 30 January 2026, you will receive the face value of £100 back. The ‘gain’ of £4.45 per bond is free from CGT.