Fellwalker

Thank you for a very helpful reply. Just two further questions. Firstly, can I pay the CGT due on selling a second home through my HMRC Government Gateway log-in, so that the payment is secure. Secondly, do I still have to complete a tax return form at the end of the year, even though the CGT payment has been made? Thanks again.

So just to be sure, on a second home jointly owned by a husband and wife, to make the capital gains tax calculations you would need to divide everything by two - including the cost of the property, its selling price and all the associated costs involved in the transaction. Only by halving all those costs can an accurate calculation be arrived at and entered separately for each person?