How many shares can I sell without incurring capital gains tax?

Biggles

elwy wrote: »

The trade date is 1st April but the settlement date is 7th April... I'm hoping it's the trade date that counts?

I hold a certificate for the shares if that makes any difference so I guess I'll have to send it off.

Like jimjames said, it's the trade/sale date that counts. Your contract note will have that date on it.

I would make sure I sent it first class ;-)

meanbean

This might not be allowed, I'm not an accountant or versed in finance legalities, but could the OP bed the current allowance in an ISA (£11600 or whatever the limit is) and then sell them in a few weeks?

So she could sell the £11k this tax year, bed £11k of the shares in an ISA (tonight though, it may already be too late for this year), sell £11.1k next week in the new financial year, and a further £15,600 in a new ISA? And then sell the ISAs in the next few weeks? That would dispose of the some of the shares.

Eco_Miser

meanbean wrote: »

This might not be allowed, I'm not an accountant or versed in finance legalities, but could the OP bed the current allowance in an ISA (£11600 or whatever the limit is) and then sell them in a few weeks?

No, to get the shares into an ISA, the OP would have to sell them, incurring potential CGT, then buy back within the ISA.

elwy

Yep I'm considering transferring the shares to my ISA provider where I can Bed & ISA them each year, but I won't gain any extra break on capital gains by doing so.

Biggles

elwy wrote: »

Yep I'm considering transferring the shares to my ISA provider where I can Bed & ISA them each year, but I won't gain any extra break on capital gains by doing so.

No, if the plan is still to unload them, putting them in an ISA (by whatever means) won't do any good, as the gains have to be realised to do so.

Vortigern

elwy wrote: »

My husband bought £15,000 worth of shares through a company scheme over several years.

If your husband is buying shares through a sharesave scheme, (where he saves for 3/5 years then buys shares at a pre-agreed price), he should put them in an ISA within 90 days of exercising his option to buy. This protects him from all CGT on these shares.

If he buys through a Share Incentive Plan from pre-tax pay they should remain free from CGT unless he takes them out of the plan and continues to hold them.