The 60-day CGT reporting requirement is clear in its structure: you must file the UK Property return and pay the tax within 60 days of the completion date. But what that means in practice — and what counts as day one — is something many sellers get wrong, leaving themselves with far less time than they expect.
The completion date is day zero (or day one?)
HMRC counts the 60 days from the day after the completion date. Completion is day zero; the first of the 60 days is the following day.
This is consistent with standard UK time-counting rules for statutory deadlines: the day of the event does not count. If completion is on 1 June, day one is 2 June and the deadline is 31 July.
In practice, the difference between "from completion" and "from the day after completion" is minor — one day. The key point is that the clock starts immediately. There is no grace period, no waiting for paperwork to arrive, and no extension for being on holiday.
What is the completion date?
Completion is the date on which legal ownership of the property transfers to the buyer. It is the day the buyer pays the balance of the purchase price and receives the keys. Your solicitor will confirm this date on the completion statement.
It is not:
- The date of exchange of contracts (which may be weeks or months earlier)
- The date funds cleared into your bank account
- The date your solicitor sent you the completion report
- The date you physically moved out
- The date the Land Registry updated the title
It is the date that appears on the Transfer deed (TR1) as the date of transfer, and which your solicitor records in the completion statement.
How to find the completion date
The completion date will be on:
- Your solicitor's completion statement (showing final financial settlement)
- The TR1 form (the Land Registry transfer document)
- Your solicitor's completion letter or email
If you have sold through a solicitor, they will have sent you a completion statement on or shortly after the completion date. Check the date on that document.
What if you used a conveyancer who has since closed down?
If you sold some time ago and cannot contact the original conveyancer, you can find the completion date from the Land Registry. A search against the property title (which became public record on registration) will show the date of the registered transfer. HMRC also has records if the transaction was previously reported.
Counting the 60 days
Count 60 calendar days from the day after completion. There is no extension for weekends or bank holidays — the deadline falls whenever it falls, including on a Sunday or a bank holiday.
60 days from a 1 June completion: day one is 2 June, day 60 is 31 July. The filing and payment must be made on or before 31 July.
The HMRC online UK Property Reporting Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can file and pay at midnight on the deadline day if necessary — but this is not advisable. Technical issues, ID verification delays, and HMRC account setup can all slow you down.
How much of that 60 days is actually usable?
In reality, some of the 60 days is consumed before meaningful action is possible:
- You need to receive the completion statement and final figures from your solicitor (typically within a week of completion)
- You need to calculate the gain and gather supporting documents
- If you are not already registered for the UK Property Reporting Service, you must set up a Government Gateway account (allow a few days for activation codes to arrive by post)
By the time these steps are complete, you may have 40-45 days remaining. This is still enough time, but people who wait until week six are leaving themselves unnecessarily exposed to the risk of technical delays.
Day 61 and beyond
Filing one day late triggers a £100 automatic penalty. From three months after the due date, a £10 daily penalty applies for up to 90 days (maximum £900). At six months (180 days late), HMRC adds a surcharge of 5% of the tax due (or £300, whichever is higher); at twelve months, another 5% (or £300) is added. Interest on unpaid tax runs from day 61.
There is no minimum tax amount below which penalties are waived. The £100 penalty applies even if your eventual tax bill is smaller than £100.
If you are concerned about meeting the 60-day deadline — whether because you received late completion documents, were overseas, or simply did not know about the requirement — a Chartered Accountant/Chartered Tax Advisor can file the return quickly and deal with any late filing penalty mitigation if needed.