The 60-Day CGT Reporting Rule on UK Property: A Guide for Non-Residents
Non-residents selling UK property must file a return and pay CGT within 60 days of completion. Our guide covers deadlines, reliefs, penalties and the US side.
Selling UK property as a non-resident: why 60 days matters
If you live outside the UK and sell UK land or property, HMRC expects a dedicated UK Property return and payment of any Capital Gains Tax within a strict 60-day window from completion. The deadline runs well ahead of the normal Self Assessment cycle, and it applies even where no tax is ultimately due — a point that catches many non-resident owners out.
This guide explains who the rule covers, how the 60-day clock works, the reliefs that can reduce the charge, the penalties for missing the window, and how the UK position interacts with US reporting for American owners. It is general guidance rather than advice on your specific position; see the note at the end on next steps.
1. Who has to report — and on what
Non-UK residents must report every disposal of UK land or property to HMRC, whether the sale produces a gain, a loss, or no tax at all, and whether or not they are already in Self Assessment. Reporting is mandatory in its own right — it does not depend on there being tax to pay.
The rules cover direct disposals of UK residential and non-residential property, and in some cases indirect disposals — for example, selling shares in a company that derives at least 75% of its value from UK land, where you hold an interest of 25% or more. Residential and commercial property are both within scope for non-residents.
Residence is judged for the tax year of the disposal under the Statutory Residence Test, so anyone who has recently left the UK should confirm their status before assuming the non-resident rules apply.
2. How the 60-day clock works
For completions on or after 27 October 2021, the UK Property return must be filed and any Capital Gains Tax paid within 60 days of the completion date (the earlier 30-day rule applied to completions between 6 April 2020 and 26 October 2021). The clock runs from completion, not exchange of contracts.
The return is submitted through HMRC's UK Property Disposal service, which sits separately from the main Self Assessment return. Even if you already file Self Assessment, the 60-day return is an additional, earlier obligation — the two do not replace each other.
Where a disposal is also reported on a later Self Assessment return, the tax already paid via the UK Property return is credited, so it is not taxed twice — but the 60-day filing and payment still have to be made on time.
3. Reliefs and allowances that can reduce the charge
Individuals keep access to the annual Capital Gains Tax exempt amount for the year of disposal, which is deducted before tax is calculated. Where the property was genuinely your only or main home for part of the ownership period, Private Residence Relief may reduce or remove the charge for that period, subject to the day-count and occupation conditions.
Non-residents can generally choose how to compute the gain — commonly by rebasing to the property's market value at 5 April 2015 for residential property (or 5 April 2019 for non-residential), rather than using the original cost. Choosing the right basis can make a substantial difference to the gain, so the calculation is worth getting right first time.
Non-resident companies do not use the 60-day service in the same way; they are generally within the scope of Corporation Tax on UK property gains and report through the Corporation Tax return instead.
4. Penalties and interest for missing the window
Filing late triggers HMRC's standard late-filing penalties, and unpaid tax attracts interest from the due date until it is paid. Because reporting is required even when the eventual liability is nil, it is entirely possible to face a penalty for a late return on a sale that produced no tax — a trap for owners who assume no tax means no filing.
Given how short the 60-day window is, the practical answer is to line up the figures — sale price, original cost or rebased value, allowable costs and available reliefs — before completion, so the return can be filed promptly rather than assembled under time pressure afterwards.
Don't forget the US side of the picture
US citizens and green card holders are taxed by the IRS on worldwide gains regardless of where they live, so a gain on the sale of UK property will usually also need to be reported in the US. The US-UK income tax treaty and the US foreign tax credit are designed to relieve double taxation, but the mechanics rarely line up neatly: the two countries compute the gain differently, and their tax years and deadlines do not match.
Timing differences matter in particular — UK tax paid within 60 days may fall in a different US tax year from the US reporting of the same gain, which can complicate foreign tax credit claims. Currency movements between purchase and sale can also create a US gain even where the UK sees little or none. Cross-border sales are best planned with UK and US advisers working from the same facts before completion.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 60-day clock start at exchange or completion?
Do I need to report if the sale made a loss or no tax is due?
I'm already in Self Assessment — do I still file the 60-day return?
How is the gain calculated for a non-resident?
If I pay UK CGT, will I avoid US tax on the same gain?
Selling UK property from overseas?
Our chartered tax advisers handle the 60-day UK Property return end to end — computing the gain, applying reliefs, and coordinating with your US filing so nothing slips through the gap.
Speak to a property tax specialist