Buyer's guide
Best UK Capital Gains Tax software: how to choose
There is no single “best” tool for everyone. The right UK CGT software depends on what you hold, shares, funds, crypto, or all three, and whether you need your pools to persist year to year. This guide sets out the criteria that matter for 2026/27, then the trade-offs between the main categories of tool.
What good CGT software has to do
The HMRC rules, in the right order
Same-day matching first, then the 30-day bed-and-breakfast rule, then the Section 104 pool. Average-cost or FIFO trackers get this wrong and quietly misstate your gain.
Shares, funds and crypto in one pool set
If you hold more than one asset class, a single engine that pools all of them under the same rules beats stitching two tools together at filing time.
Pools that persist across tax years
A Section 104 pool is cumulative. Software that forgets last year cannot get this year’s carry-forward or cost basis right.
Fees, stamp duty and the annual exempt amount
Purchase costs add to allowable cost, disposal fees net off proceeds, and the annual exempt amount (£3,000 for 2026/27) is applied before tax.
A visible audit trail
For every disposal you want to see which rule matched, which lots were consumed, and the pool before and after, so you can check the figure rather than trust a black box.
Privacy and no guessed prices
Your holdings are sensitive. Prefer tools that keep data private and flag a missing valuation instead of silently inventing a price.
The categories, and where each stops
Rather than rank named products, it is more useful to compare the categories, because each is built for a different job. Most tools sit in one column; the gap is a single engine that does all of it under a correct UK method that persists.
| Capability | Portfolio trackers | Crypto-only tax tools | Free calculators | Pooled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct HMRC same-day / 30-day / Section 104 | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shares, funds AND crypto in one pool set | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Persists across tax years (carry-forward) | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| ISA allowance tracking | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Self Assessment forecast layer | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Rule-by-rule audit trail | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Categories, not specific products, so this stays a comment on what each type of tool is built to do, not on any named tool.
Choosing, in one line
- Only shares and funds, one-off sum: a correct Section 104 calculator may be all you need.
- Only crypto: a dedicated crypto tax tool can work, but check it applies the UK pooling rules, see the UK crypto tax guide.
- Both, or you want it to persist: a single engine that pools shares, funds and crypto together and remembers them year to year. That is what Pooled is built for, and it is the successor a lot of TimeToTrade users have been looking for.
Questions
Is there free UK CGT software?
There are free Section 104 calculators for one-off sums (Pooled has one), and Pooled’s current tax year with one account is free with no card. Free tools generally do not persist your pools across years or unify shares with crypto, which is where paid engines earn their place.
Does HMRC provide CGT software?
No. HMRC provides the rules and the Self Assessment forms (SA108 for capital gains) but not software to compute your pools. You either do the share matching by hand or use a tool that implements the rules.
What is the best crypto tax software in the UK?
For crypto only, a dedicated crypto tax tool may suffice. But if you also hold shares or funds, HMRC pools some assets together and treats crypto per token under the same rules, so a single engine that covers both avoids gaps and double-work. See the UK crypto tax guide for how the rules apply.
Do I actually need CGT software?
If your disposals are simple and below the annual exempt amount, a calculator or spreadsheet may be enough. Software earns its place once you have multiple accounts, buy-backs within 30 days, crypto, or several years of history to carry forward.
Is this financial or tax advice?
No. This is an informational guide, and Pooled is informational tax software. Every figure is an estimate to check against HMRC guidance or a qualified accountant before filing.
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