Tax when selling personal possessions

There are certain circumstances when you will pay Capital Gains Tax when selling personal possessions.

You may have to pay Capital Gains Tax if you make a profit (‘gain’) when you sell (or ‘dispose of’) a personal possession for £6,000 or more.

For example, you may need to pay tax on sale of personally owned jewellery, paintings, antiques, coins and stamps, or sets of things, e.g., matching vases or chessmen.

You will need to work out your gain to find out whether you need to pay tax.

In most cases, you do not need to pay tax on gifts to your husband, wife, civil partner or a charity.

Also, you do not pay Capital Gains Tax when you sell your car – unless you have used it for business, or anything with a limited lifespan, e.g., clocks – unless used for business purposes.

You are also exempt from paying tax on the first £6,000 of your share if you own a possession with other people.