Entrepreneurs' relief applies to the sale of a business, shares in a trading company or an individual’s interest in a trading partnership. Where this relief is available Capital Gains Tax (CGT) of 10% is payable in place of the standard rate. CGT on the disposal of chargeable assets is usually chargeable at 20%. There are a number of qualifying conditions that must be met in order to qualify for Entrepreneurs' relief.

There is a lifetime limit that means individuals can qualify for the relief more than once, subject to an overriding total limit of £10m of qualifying capital gains. The relief is available to individuals as well as some trustees of settlements. To qualify the individual should be either an officer or employee of the company and own at least 5% of the company and have at least 5% of the voting rights. There are also some other qualifying conditions that must be met in order to qualify for the relief.

Planning note

The minimum period during which certain conditions must be met in order to qualify for Entrepreneurs' relief increased from one to two years from 6 April 2019. There are special provisions if the business ceased operating before 29 October 2018. This measure means that taxpayers looking to claim ER will be required to have a longer-term interest in their business. There had been suggestions that the relief could have been abolished in its entirety so for most entrepreneurs this is a manageable change.