Capital Gains Tax (CGT) receipts surged to nearly £17bn in January 2026, up 69% year-on-year. Between April 2025 and January 2026, HMRC collected £18.8bn, compared with £11.9bn in the same period last year.
The spike follows changes introduced in October 2024, when CGT rates increased from 10% and 20% to 18% and 24%, alongside the reduction of the annual exempt allowance to just £3,000 and continued frozen thresholds.
According to HM Revenue & Customs, January also saw record self-assessment income tax receipts of £29.4bn — suggesting many higher-rate taxpayers crystallised gains during the 2024/25 tax year.
