CG64130 - Entrepreneurs’ Relief: calculation of the relief - examples


Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 1

K runs a confectioner/tobacconist business for several years. He then sells it and makes a gain of £38,000 (“relevant gains”) on the goodwill, but a loss of £8,000 (“relevant losses”) on the premises. Assuming he qualifies for Entrepreneurs’ Relief it will be applied to the net gains of £30,000.

The £30,000 will then be reduced 4/9th to £16666. This will be the “chargeable gain” and is subject to reduction by other allowable losses and the AEA.

The loss of £8,000 on the premises is not otherwise allowable.

Example 2

D ran a pharmacy for over 20 years until March 2009. He sold the whole business as going concern realising a gain £1,250,000.

D had not previously claimed any Entrepreneurs’ Relief. The gain qualifies for relief as a disposal of whole or part of a business – see CG64015 – and he makes a claim within the relevant time limit.

D has the maximum relief of £1,000,000 qualifying gains available, so he is entitled to the whole of his lifetime limit and will have that amount of his gains reduced by 4/9th. The balance of the gain of £250,000 will be charged at the rate of CGT (18% for 2008/9). Assuming that D had no other gains or allowable losses during the year the annual exempt amount (£9,600 for 2008/9) will be available.


Total qualifying gain£1,250,000
Gains reduced by maximum Entrepreneurs’ Relief£1,000,000£1,000,000
Less reduction of 4/9th £444,445£555,555
‘Chargeable gain’
Balance of gain not reduced£250,000 £250,000
Total chargeable gains£805,555
Less Annual Exempt Amount £9,600
Gain chargeable at 18%£795,955

Example 3

The facts are as example 2 above except that D only realised a gain on the disposal of the pharmacy of £750,000 all of which qualified for Entrepreneurs’ Relief. In 2010 he started another business as a travel agent which he sold in 2015 realising a gain of £500,000. D makes a second claim for Entrepreneurs’ Relief on this second gain. It qualifies for relief but only £250,000 of the gains will be eligible for reduction as this then uses up the remaining £1,000,000 of D’s lifetime limit.


Lifetime limit of entrepreneurs’ relief£1,000,000
Gain 1 2008/9 qualifying gain£750,000
Relief remaining £250,000
Gain 2 2015/16 qualifying gain£500,000
Gains reduced by available entrepreneurs’ relief £250,000
Less reduction of 4/9th £111,111£138,889
‘Chargeable gain’ - Gain 2
Balance of gain not reduced £250,000
Total chargeable gains – Gain 2£388,889

2015/16 total chargeable gain subject to any available allowable losses and AEA.