Consent to Lease residential what are the tax implications?

Consent to Lease residential what are the tax implications?

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W4NTED

Original Poster:

718 posts

220 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
I have been granted permission by my current mortgage provider for consent to lease. I am an IT consultant and will be moving to Scotland for 2 years and didn't want to sell.

This is my only property - I will be renting in Scotland - what are the tax implications of this?

Would I be liable to Capital Gains Tax whenever I come to sell the home? What about tax on the rental during these 2 years?

My accountant is not being too helpful with info and any help from fellow PH'ers would be much appreciated.

smile

Eric Mc

122,688 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
Youn will need to sign up for Self Assessment (if you don't already complete a Self Assessment tax return) so that you can provide HMRC with the details of your rental income and expenditure. I would do this even if you are making rantal losses as you may be able to offset the rental losses against any future rental profits.

Once you start renting out a property, it is no longer your main residence so, in theory, could be liable to CGT. However, any gains on the disposal of the property are time apportioned between the period you lived there and the period you didn't - plus you get an additional three years "grace" period added onto the period you lived there. If you rented it out for two years and then moved back in or sold it, those two years when it wasn't your main residence would escape CGT because it is less than the three year "grace" period.

Obviously, if you stay away from the house for more than three years, then an element of the gain will start becoming chargeable to CGT. Don't forget however, that you have a personal CGT allowance of £10,100. If the property is jointly owned, the gain is split between the owners and they each get their personal £10,100 allowance.

It's actually quite hard to pay CGT if you take certain steps.

scotal

8,751 posts

285 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
W4NTED said:
My accountant is not being too helpful with info
Eric Mc said:
Useful Stuff
May I suggest you think about changing your accountant W4NTED, Eric has in a few paragraphs encapsulated it for you and your accountant seems not to value your custom too highly.

W4NTED

Original Poster:

718 posts

220 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
Many thanks Eric useful and prompt as always smile

Scotal I agree - he seems to want to charge me for anything and everything I ask him ! furious

Eric Mc

122,688 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
W4NTED said:
Many thanks Eric useful and prompt as always smile

Scotal I agree - he seems to want to charge me for anything and everything I ask him ! furious
Aha - that's where I'm going wrong?

W4NTED

Original Poster:

718 posts

220 months

Tuesday 9th November 2010
quotequote all
Reputation and respect earnt is more important than money earnt (to sum smile )