Capital gains tax (CGT) for carers

Updated on 5 April 2023

Disabled people and carers

When a person sells or disposes of their only or main residence, they may get relief from capital gains tax on any resulting gain – private residence relief (PRR). However, if part of the residence has been used for business purposes, relief is restricted on that part. We explain below what this means for carers.

Illustration of the words capital gains

Do I have to pay CGT on the sale of my home because I’ve been a carer?

Not necessarily.

Originally, both foster carers and shared lives (adult placement) carers were denied PRR on the proportion of their residence that was set aside for the use of the children or adults in their care, because they were regarded for tax purposes as running a business. This has been changed and both foster and shared lives (adult placement) carers can claim capital gains tax PRR on any gain accruing to them from the disposal of their private residence, even where part of the house has been used for fostering or supporting a shared lives service user.

Accordingly, both foster carers and shared lives carers may now qualify for full PRR when they come to sell their residences in which they have looked after the children or adults in their care, provided that they satisfy the other conditions for the relief.

Where can I find more information?

You can find out more about selling your home and PRR on our website.

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