UK Capital Gains Tax implications when selling property 5 years after divorce - property still on joint deeds

12 Thanks for this info! In our case, we didn't change the ownership percentages - we've both remained as 50/50 owners on paper throughout, but agreed privately that I'd get 40% of proceeds whenever we sold. Does that affect the CGT situation? Also, does it matter that I've been contributing to the mortgage still, even though it's been a reduced amount?

9 Since you've maintained 50/50 legal ownership throughout with a private agreement about the proceeds split, HMRC would typically view your ownership as 50% for CGT purposes. Your continued mortgage contributions, even reduced ones, help establish that you maintained a financial interest in the property. For the CGT calculation, you would need to determine what portion of your gain is covered by Private Residence Relief. You'd get full relief for the time you lived there plus the final 9 months. The remaining period (roughly 4 years and 3 months by my calculation) would potentially be subject to CGT. However, you should definitely consult with a tax professional as there might be other reliefs or considerations specific to your situation, especially regarding the divorce agreement.

14 I've been looking at different options for getting tax advice. Does taxr.ai handle complex situations like shared ownership properties? And how quickly did they turn around the analysis for you? I'm a bit pressed for time as we've got a buyer lined up already.

17 I've heard mixed things about online tax services for complicated situations like property sales after divorce. Did they actually give you specific advice or just generic information? I'm wondering if it's worth the money compared to just talking to an accountant.

5 They absolutely handle shared ownership properties - my situation involved a property that was still jointly owned with my ex for several years after our split. Their property tax specialists have specific expertise in post-divorce scenarios. I got my initial report within 48 hours, which broke down exactly how my gain would be calculated and what reliefs applied. They're actually quite affordable compared to traditional accountants, especially for a one-off property sale question. They provided specific calculations based on my documentation, not just generic advice.

11 Wait, so this service somehow gets you through to HMRC faster? How does that even work? I've tried calling them multiple times about my own property sale and just gave up after being on hold forever.

10 This sounds too good to be true. HMRC phone lines are notoriously impossible to get through on. Are you sure they're not just connecting you to some third-party advisor pretending to be HMRC?

7 It's actually a legitimate service that uses a system to navigate HMRC's phone queues for you. They call you back once they've reached an agent, so you don't waste time on hold. It's the actual HMRC helpline - I verified this by checking the phone number and the information they provided matched official HMRC guidance. The service just handles the frustrating waiting part. I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for weeks to get through. The agent I spoke with accessed my tax records and gave me specific advice about my property situation that aligned with my accountant's advice.

3 This is such an important point. When I sold post-divorce, my accountant didn't initially factor in the £27k kitchen renovation we'd done, which would have significantly increased my CGT bill. Do things like a new bathroom count as "improvements" or just "maintenance"?

8 Great question about bathrooms. The distinction between "improvements" and "maintenance" is important for CGT. A completely new bathroom would typically count as an improvement and can be added to your base cost. However, just replacing existing fixtures with similar ones is usually considered maintenance and isn't allowable. The rule of thumb is whether you've enhanced the property's value or just maintained its condition. Extensions, loft conversions, new kitchens or bathrooms, adding central heating where none existed before - these count as improvements. Repainting, fixing a leaky roof, or replacing worn carpets are maintenance and can't be added to your base cost.

19 You should be fine as long as you sell the shared property before or on the same day you complete on the new purchase. If there's going to be a gap where you technically own parts of two properties, then yes, you could be hit with the higher rate. Timing is everything!