Mark McLaughlin warns of difficulties potentially faced by individuals seeking capital gains tax private residence relief with little or no evidence that the property was occupied as their only or main residence.
Most individuals who own a house assume (or at least hope) that principal private residence (PPR) relief from capital gains tax will be available when they dispose of the property.
Basic requirements
PPR relief is subject to certain conditions. First and foremost, the dwelling must have been occupied as the individual’s only or main residence at some point during their period of ownership. This requirement might seem straightforward. However, it can sometimes be difficult to convince HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that the property was occupied as the individual’s only or main residence.
It is not enough for someone merely to assert that
