Nigel owned an industrial unit in Wolverhampton he’d bought back in 2018 for £280,000. By early 2025, he wanted out. The property sat empty after he’d relocated his manufacturing business to bigger premises. An estate agent valued it at £465,000, which sounded promising until Nigel started thinking about the tax bill.
He’d spent £32,000 improving the place—new loading bays, upgraded electrics. Purchase costs back then were about £9,500. Selling costs would hit maybe £11,000. That meant a capital gain somewhere around £132,000 after deducting everything. At the new Capital Gains Tax rates—24% for higher rate taxpayers since October 2024—he was looking at over £30,000 going to HMRC. Unless Business Asset Disposal Relief applied, which might drop it to £18,000. Maybe. His tax adviser couldn’t say for certain without knowing the final sale price.
And that was the problem. Eight months of estate agent marketing dragged on. One offer at £420,000 collapsed. Another at £440,000 got bogged down in surveys and negotiations. Nigel still didn’t know what he’d actually receive. He couldn’t calculate his exact tax bill. His accountant couldn’t plan properly. The 60-day HMRC reporting deadline would start ticking from some unknown future completion date. Nigel lost sleep worrying about it all whilst paying £8,000 in empty property costs he couldn’t afford.
Let me show you what tax you actually pay when selling commercial property — and more importantly, how certainty about your sale price enables proper tax planning instead of months of anxiety and guesswork.
Quick note: We’re not tax advisers. Tax rules are complex and your circumstances are unique. Always consult qualified professionals for your specific situation. What we can do is explain the landscape and show you why knowing your exact sale proceeds immediately changes everything about tax planning.
Capital Gains Tax rates jumped substantially on 30 October 2024, catching thousands of commercial property sellers completely off guard. Basic rate taxpayers previously paid 10%—that leapt to 18%. An 80% increase overnight. Higher rate taxpayers went from 20% to 24%.
A £100,000 gain that used to cost you £20,000 now costs £24,000. Same property. Same profit. Four thousand pounds more going to HMRC purely because the government changed rates whilst you were contemplating whether to sell.
Business Asset Disposal Relief—the reduced rate for qualifying business properties—is climbing too. The longstanding 10% rate hit 14% in April 2025. It rises again to 18% in April 2026. The direction is clear. Rates are going up, not down.
These increases have lit a fire under commercial property owners who’d been thinking “someday” about selling. That someday needs to be soon, before rates climb higher. The problem is that estate agent timelines of 6-18 months mean you’re gambling on what rates will be when you finally complete. More uncertainty layered onto already stressful decisions.
Capital Gains Tax applies to the profit you make selling commercial property. Not the sale price—the gain between what you paid and what you received, after deducting allowable costs.
From 30 October 2024, the rates are 18% if you’re a basic rate taxpayer and 24% if you’re a higher rate taxpayer. Which rate applies depends on your total income plus gains for the tax year. Most commercial property owners with substantial assets fall into the higher 24% bracket.
Business Asset Disposal Relief offers 14% (from April 2025) on qualifying business property sales up to a lifetime limit of £1 million in gains. The key word is “qualifying”—you must have owned the property as a business asset for at least two years and used it actively in your trade. Investment properties don’t qualify. If you let commercial property to tenants, that’s investment activity, not trade. Business owners who occupy their own premises typically qualify if other conditions are met.
The annual exemption gives you £3,000 of gains tax-free for 2024/25. Below that threshold, you owe nothing. Above it, you pay CGT on the excess.
Here’s what catches people out: you must report to HMRC within 60 days of completion and pay any tax due within that same window. Not 60 days to report then more time to pay. Both obligations within 60 days. Miss it and you’re facing penalties and interest charges.
The formula itself is straightforward. What makes it complicated is uncertainty about the numbers going into that formula when you’re marketing through estate agents for months.
Sale price minus total costs equals capital gain. Capital gain minus £3,000 exemption equals taxable gain. Taxable gain times your rate equals tax due.
Your total costs include what you paid originally plus purchase costs (solicitor fees, stamp duty, surveys) plus improvement costs (extensions, conversions, capital works—not repairs) plus selling costs (estate agent commission, legal fees, EPC).
Here’s a worked example:
You bought a warehouse for £300,000. Purchase costs hit £8,000. You added a £40,000 extension. You’re selling for £500,000. Selling costs total £12,000.
That £32,880 must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion. If you’re still marketing with estate agents, you don’t know that final sale price yet. Could be £500,000. Could be £470,000. Could be £490,000. Your CGT bill moves around depending on negotiations, survey deductions, market changes. Your tax adviser can’t plan properly with moving targets.
HMRC allows deducting specific costs from your gain. Understanding what counts and what doesn’t makes a substantial difference to your tax bill.
The distinction between improvements (allowable) and repairs (not allowable) causes endless confusion. Improvements enhance property value permanently—adding an extension, converting space, installing new systems. Repairs restore existing features to how they were—fixing broken windows, replacing damaged roof tiles with identical ones, repairing plumbing.
Keep every invoice, receipt, and professional fee statement for potentially allowable costs. HMRC may request evidence. Missing documentation means disallowed costs, higher taxable gains, and bigger CGT bills.
There is no easier way to sell a house today.
Business Asset Disposal Relief offers 14% from April 2025 compared to the standard 24%—a 10 percentage point saving that translates to serious money on substantial gains. The lifetime limit is £1 million of gains across all your qualifying disposals ever.
A £100,000 qualifying gain costs £14,000 with BADR versus £24,000 without. Ten thousand pounds saved. On gains approaching the £1 million lifetime limit, you’re saving £100,000 in CGT.
But the qualifying conditions are strict:
Investment properties don’t qualify regardless of how long you’ve owned them. Business owners occupying their own workshops, offices, or shops they operate from typically qualify. Property you let to tenants—even if the tenants are businesses—doesn’t qualify because you’re conducting investment activity, not trade.
The rate increases scheduled for April 2026 (rising to 18%) create timing pressure for qualifying sellers. Sell before then at 14% or face 18% thereafter. Professional tax advice is essential both for confirming eligibility and timing disposals optimally.
Remember Nigel from Wolverhampton? Eight months of estate agent marketing. One collapsed offer. One dragging negotiation with survey deductions being demanded. He still didn’t know what he’d actually receive.
His tax adviser had prepared provisional calculations but stressed everything would change once the actual sale price was known. Nigel worried constantly about the 60-day reporting deadline starting from an unknown future completion date. What if it completed whilst he was away? What if the final price shifted substantially affecting his calculations? What if his Business Asset Disposal Relief claim got rejected?
By November 2025, Nigel was exhausted. He’d spent £8,000 in void costs during marketing—business rates, insurance, security, maintenance on an empty building. He’d lost sleep over tax uncertainty.
Someone mentioned us. Nigel called. We viewed within two days, assessed the property realistically considering condition, location, and current industrial property markets. We offered £325,500—70% of the realistic £465,000 value.
Nigel knew immediately exactly what he’d receive. He calculated his precise CGT liability:
His gain fell below the annual exemption. Zero Capital Gains Tax. No BADR claim needed. No complex calculations. No 60-day deadline panic. No uncertainty about whether his planning was correct.
He consulted his tax adviser with these certain figures. Confirmation came back within days — the calculation was correct, the exemption applied, simple reporting required. Nigel accepted our offer. We completed three weeks later. He received exactly £325,500 as agreed. He owed zero CGT. He filed his reporting within 60 days without stress because he’d known exact figures from day one.
Yes, Nigel received £139,500 less than the estate agent’s original valuation. But he’d already spent £8,000 in void costs during failed marketing. The estate agent route offered uncertain net proceeds around £420,000-£440,000 eventually — if it didn’t collapse like the first offer—after agent commission (£11,000) and months more void costs. Plus substantial CGT on the higher proceeds.
Our route provided £325,500 certain proceeds with zero CGT, completing within three weeks. Nigel gained certainty enabling effective planning, avoided months more draining costs, eliminated deadline anxiety, and received funds immediately for his business instead of maintaining empty property indefinitely.
HMRC’s 60-day reporting and payment requirement causes genuine panic for sellers whose final proceeds remain uncertain through lengthy marketing.
You must report using the online Capital Gains Tax on UK Property Account within 60 days of completion. You must also pay any CGT due within the same window. Both obligations. Same deadline. Miss it and penalties apply—minimum £100 for late reporting, more if tax remains unpaid, interest charges mounting daily.
The reporting requires exact figures: completion date, sale proceeds, all costs and deductions, calculated gain, CGT liability. If you’re still marketing through estate agents, you don’t know these numbers. Completion might happen in six months. Might happen in twelve. When it finally arrives, you have 60 days to calculate everything, consult advisers, arrange payment of potentially tens of thousands, and submit to HMRC.
This compressed timeline creates enormous stress. Many commercial property sellers find themselves scrambling with rushed calculations during deadline panic they could have avoided with certainty from day one.
We eliminate this entirely. Our 70% offers provide exact sale proceeds immediately. You know what you’ll receive before accepting. You calculate precise CGT before committing. Your tax adviser works with facts, not estimates. You plan payment arrangements calmly. When we complete, you’re fully prepared because you’ve known the figures for weeks.
Even facing tax anxiety and seeking quick exits, fifteen minutes on Companies House protects you from fraudsters exploiting your deadline pressures.
Search the exact company name on Companies House. Every UK-registered company must appear. No registration means stop immediately—they’re not legitimate.
Examine their filing history. Late filings and missed deadlines signal financial chaos creating completion risks you can’t afford.
Study their charges register carefully. Multiple charges prove they operate on borrowed money, not genuine cash reserves. Liar cash buyers show strings of charges because they scramble for funding between transactions. Completion depends on securing financing they may not obtain. Legitimate buyers show minimal charges.
Assess company age. Recently formed companies lack track records. Established companies with years of accounts demonstrate stability.
This takes fifteen minutes but prevents scenarios where operators waste months with false promises, your CGT deadlines pass, and you discover too late they never intended completing. We are true commercial property buyers giving you certainty and speed.
| Method of sale | Value achieved | Fees | Timeframe | Is sale guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agents | 90–95% | 1–5% | 3–6 months | No – one in three sales collapse |
| Auctioneers | 70–80% | 2% plus | 2–3 months | No – half of properties don’t sell |
| Property Saviour | 70–80% | £0 | 10–28 days | Yes – 99% success rate |
Commercial property owners face questions with no answers through estate agent marketing. “What will I actually owe?” “Can I afford the tax bill?” “Will my relief claim work?” “What if the price changes affecting calculations?” “How do I plan payment when I don’t know the amount or timing?”
The October 2024 rate increases amplified this anxiety substantially. Property owners who’d estimated modest CGT bills now face much higher liabilities. Business Asset Disposal Relief rising further in April 2026 creates timing pressure—sell before rates increase or accept higher bills.
Many simply delay, avoiding decisions, watching properties deteriorate and costs mount whilst anxiety grows. Others sell rashly to the first interested party regardless of whether better options exist, just to end uncertainty.
You deserve better. Our 70% offers within 48 hours provide exact sale proceeds immediately. You calculate precise CGT before committing. Your tax adviser works with facts. You plan payment calmly. You make informed decisions based on certain tax consequences rather than gambling on unknowns.
Look at what each approach means for your ability to plan effectively:
| What You Need | Estate Agent | Auction | Us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Know exact sale proceeds | After completion (6-18 months away) | After auction (uncertain if sells) | Immediately |
| Calculate precise CGT | After completion only | After auction only | Day one |
| Consult tax adviser effectively | After completion (too late for planning) | After auction (rushed) | Before accepting offer |
| Plan CGT payment | Rushed after completion | Rushed after auction | Calmly weeks before |
| Timeline to certainty | 6-18 months | 6-8 weeks maybe | 48 hours |
| Commission reducing proceeds | £3,000-£15,000+ | £5,000-£10,000+ | £0 |
| 60-day deadline pressure | Extreme panic | High stress | None—fully prepared |
| Void costs awaiting certainty | £12,000-£144,000 (months of rates, insurance, security) | £4,000-£16,000 | £500-£1,000 only |
We offer 70% of realistic current market value. That pricing provides something estate agents and auctions cannot—immediate certainty enabling professional tax planning with actual figures instead of estimates and panic.
You know within 48 hours exactly what you’ll receive. Not “approximately £450,000 depending on negotiations.” Exactly £325,500 guaranteed. This precision enables accurate CGT calculations immediately. Your tax adviser works with certain proceeds, not volatile estimates.
You calculate exact capital gain using our offer. Determine whether you’ll qualify for annual exemption. Assess Business Asset Disposal Relief eligibility with precise numbers. Consult professionals about specific liability before accepting our offer. Make informed decisions based on certain tax consequences.
No estate agent commission consuming proceeds. No 6-18 month uncertainty whilst anxiety mounts. No void costs draining thousands monthly. No rushed deadline panic after uncertain completion. Just immediate certainty, calm planning with professional advisers, and guaranteed completion within 14-21 days.
The 70% headline is offset by eliminated commission (£4,500-£13,500), avoided void costs (£12,000-£144,000 during lengthy marketing), and often substantially lower CGT bills from lower proceeds. When you properly account for all costs and tax savings, net proceeds often exceed estate agent routes whilst providing certainty they cannot match.
Most importantly, you gain peace of mind. Tax planning with known figures. Professional advice based on facts. Calm preparation instead of deadline panic. That certainty has value beyond any calculation.
Every day marketing through estate agents, you’re living with tax uncertainty preventing effective planning. You don’t know what you’ll receive. Cannot calculate CGT precisely. Your tax adviser cannot help optimally. The 60-day deadline will start at some unknown future date.
You deserve certainty enabling confident decisions. Our 70% offers provide exactly that. Within 48 hours of viewing, you’ll know exactly what you’ll receive. You can calculate precise CGT immediately. Your tax adviser can plan thoroughly with certain figures. You’ll make informed decisions based on facts.
No commission consuming proceeds. No months of uncertainty whilst anxiety mounts. No void costs draining thousands monthly. No rushed deadline panic. Just immediate certainty, calm planning, and guaranteed completion within 14-21 days on your date.
We buy commercial property in any condition, location, or size. Retail, offices, industrial, warehouses, mixed-use. Tenanted or vacant. Freehold or leasehold. Properties where you’ll face substantial CGT or properties where exemptions apply.
You’ll work with your own solicitor. You’ll receive our minimum £1,500 contribution towards legal fees. You’ll complete with absolute certainty at the price we agreed. No last-minute reductions. No manufactured problems. No delays whilst deadlines approach.
Your tax uncertainty ends when you know exact sale proceeds. Your tax adviser can help effectively when working with certain figures. Your CGT planning becomes possible when you control the timeline and know the numbers.
Call us now or complete our online contact form for an immediate callback. Our commercial property specialists respond within two hours. Receive your 70% realistic value offer within 48 hours of viewing. Calculate your precise CGT liability immediately. Consult your tax adviser with certain figures. Plan payment arrangements calmly.
Complete within 14-21 days. End your tax uncertainty today. Gain the certainty enabling effective professional tax planning. We provide exact sale proceeds—your tax adviser provides expert counsel. Together, that’s confidence. Contact us right now.
Remember: we provide certainty about sale proceeds — the essential foundation for tax planning. Your qualified tax professional provides the expert advice on your specific CGT liability, applicable reliefs, and compliance obligations. That combination delivers confident decisions.
Whether you’re facing a tricky sale, navigating probate, or simply looking to sell fast without hassle, you’re in the right place. Our blog is packed with practical advice, expert insights, and real-life tips to help homeowners, landlords, and executors across England, Scotland and Wales make informed decisions — whatever the condition of their property.
