CG64955 - Private residence relief: extended ownership period: transfer between husband and wife or between civil partners


Mr J and Miss S each owned a house when they married in 1952. After they married they used both houses as residences but, because Mrs J's house was worth more, they nominated that house as the main residence (a married couple who are living together can only have one main residence between them, TCGA92/S222 (6), see CG64520). Mrs J died on 1 February 1989 and her house was transferred to Mr J at a probate value of £200,000. After his wife's death Mr J moved out of the couple's main residence and began to live only in the other residence he owned. The former main residence remained empty until it was sold on 1 January 1993 for £220,000.

Mr J made a loss on the disposal of the house which is computed as follows.


   £
 Disposal proceeds 220,000
lessCost 200,000
 Unindexed gain 20,000
lessIndexation200,000 x 0.23346,600
 Net Loss Emphasis (26,600)


Because of private residence relief only part of the net loss will be an allowable loss, see  CG65080+. The result of Section 222(7)(a) is that Mr J would take over his wife's period of  ownership of the property, see CG64950. But the effect of Section 223(7) is that the  period of ownership for the purpose of computing relief cannot begin before 31 March  1982, see CG64940-64943.


  • Period of ownership 31.3.82 to 1.1.93 = 129 months
  • Period of only or main residence 31.3.82 to 1.2.89 = 82 months
  • Final period allowed by Section 223(2) = 36 months

The relief is82 + 36x £(26,600) =£(24,331)
129

The effect of the relief is to reduce the allowable loss to £2,269.

NOTE. If a taxpayer is within the charge to Capital Gains Tax, neither indexation allowance nor taper relief apply to disposals of assets on or after 6 April 2008. Previously indexation allowance had been frozen at April 1998. For indexation allowance see CG17207+ and for taper relief see CG17895+.