# A landlord client is selling a let property: the 60-day Capital Gains Tax deadline from completion, and the 18% and 24% sums worked

> A landlord who completes a sale on 15 December 2026 has until 13 February 2027 to report and pay. A £60,000 gain on £30,000 of other income is £13,218 of tax.

- Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/landlord-sells-rental-capital-gains-tax-60-days-completion-18-24-percent-worked/
- Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/)
- Section: Letting agents, Deposits, rent and fees
- Published 9 October 2026
- Key fact: A landlord with £30,000 of other taxable income completes the sale of a let flat on 15 December 2026 with a gain of £60,000. The 60 days end on 13 February 2027. After the £3,000 annual exempt amount the taxable gain is £57,000: £7,700 of basic rate band is left (£37,700 less £30,000), so £7,700 at 18% is £1,386 and £49,300 at 24% is £11,832, a total of £13,218. Exchanging in November changes nothing; the clock runs from completion.
- Sources: GOV.UK, Report and pay your Capital Gains Tax: if you sold a property in the UK on or after 6 April 2020 (report and pay within 60 days of completing the sale; include it in Self Assessment if registered; interest and a penalty if late); GOV.UK, Capital Gains Tax rates (from 6 April 2026: 18% within the basic rate band and 24% above it; annual exempt amount £3,000; basic rate band £37,700 for 2026 to 2027). Read 9 October 2026.

A landlord rings the office. The flat has been let for nine years, the tenants are leaving, and a buyer is lined up. Their next question to the agent is rarely about the sale price. It is whether there is any tax and when it has to go in. An agent does not give tax advice, but knowing the date lets the agent say it clearly and point the landlord to an accountant before the day passes.

## The deadline

GOV.UK's page on selling UK property says a UK resident must report and pay Capital Gains Tax **within 60 days of completing the sale**. The clock runs from completion, not exchange of contracts. A landlord who is already registered for Self Assessment must also include the sale in their return, and the page warns that interest and a penalty may follow if reporting and paying are late. The same page says UK residents do not need to report online if their total gains are below the tax-free allowance.

Count the days from the completion date on the statement:

- Completion on 15 December 2026: 16 days left in December, 31 in January, so 47 by 31 January; 13 more takes the clock to **13 February 2027**.
- A tenancy ending or a sale slipping by a week moves the deadline by a week.

## The rates and the allowance

GOV.UK's rates page, for gains from 6 April 2026, gives 18% on gains within the basic rate band and 24% above it, with higher and additional rate taxpayers on 24%. The annual exempt amount is **£3,000** for 2026 to 2027, and the basic rate band is £37,700. The page did not give a separate rate for residential property, so the sums below use these.

## One landlord worked

A let flat is sold for a gain of £60,000 after the purchase price and allowable costs. The landlord's other taxable income is £30,000.

1. Gain less the annual exempt amount: £60,000 − £3,000 = **£57,000**.
2. Basic rate band left: £37,700 − £30,000 = £7,700.
3. £7,700 × 18% = £1,386.
4. The rest: £57,000 − £7,700 = £49,300 × 24% = £11,832.
5. Total: **£13,218**, due with the report by 13 February 2027.

The gain itself needs the purchase price, the costs of buying, selling and improving, and any relief the landlord claims. That is the accountant's work. The agent's part is the date and the paperwork list: the completion statement, the original purchase figures and the invoices for improvements, which GOV.UK also lists among the details needed.

## What the agent can do in the sale month

- Record the completion date once it is known and diary the 60-day date for the landlord and their accountant.
- Pass on the tenancy end date, the rent received and any repair invoices from the managed period; the landlord will need them.
- Tell the landlord the tax is separate from the rent statement. Deposit money still has to be returned or protected as set out in our guide on [deposit protection](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/deposit-protection-30-calendar-days-or-working-days-letting-agents/).
- If the sale follows a notice to leave, keep the dates straight with the [Ground 1 and 1A earliest-date guide](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/ground-1-ground-1a-notice-earliest-date-12-month-rule-landlord-sale-or-move-in/).
- Landlords staying on should see how the new [quarterly updates](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/making-tax-digital-landlord-statements-quarterly-updates-letting-agents/) affect the statements the agent sends.

Overlyft ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/ours-badge.png) builds AI staff who join a letting office and diary the 60-day date from each sale completion, assemble the landlord's records pack from the file and send it to the property manager to check before it goes to the landlord's accountant.

This is general information, not tax advice. Check GOV.UK and the landlord's own figures with their accountant.

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General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.