Client Login 
Retirement assessment 
Book a call 
0117 990 2602 
Exit Readiness Check
Five questions on your shares, your role and your timing. See where you are in a sale, and what matters most at that stage
Where are you on the road to a sale?
Five quick questions, no figures to look up. See your stage and what matters most now.
5 quick questions
Your result
Answer the five questions to see your stage and what matters most now.
,
- ,
,
,
What matters most now
Information, not personal advice. Based on your answers and the rules in England for 2026/27.
The four stages of a business sale.
Your result points to one of these. Each opens that stage of our guide.
What this check looks at, and why
Most of the money in a business sale is made or lost before the deal, not at the negotiating table. The relief on the gain has conditions that must be in place for two years. That is why timing comes first.
The check asks about your shares, your role in the company and whether your spouse or civil partner holds shares. Those are the facts that decide whether Business Asset Disposal Relief can apply. It then points you to the right stage of our guide to selling your business.
It does not value your company or work out your tax. For that, try the Business Asset Disposal Relief calculator, and ask your accountant to confirm the figures for your own sale.
Frazer James is an independent, FCA-regulated firm of Certified Financial Planners based in Bristol. The first meeting is free.
Written for owners of UK trading companies. Figures checked against gov.uk on 23 September 2026. Information, not personal advice.
Key figures, 2026/27
The numbers that decide what you keep.
Sources: gov.uk capital gains rates, HMRC helpsheets HS275 and HS277, and gov.uk Business Relief guidance, checked 23 September 2026. Every calculator on this site runs on the same figures, so the answers agree with each other.
Before you start
Three things worth knowing.
Timing comes first
Every condition for the relief must be met for the two years before the sale completes. A sale that comes too soon can lose it.
Your spouse may have their own limit
Each qualifying shareholder has a separate lifetime limit: £1 million, or £500,000 for sales from 6 April 2027. Your spouse only qualifies if they meet the same conditions themselves.
Your stage, not a score
The result shows where you are, the things that matter most at that point, and the part of our guide to read next.
Go further
A calculator for each stage.
Each one opens on this page and shows the workings behind the figures.
Stage 1 · More than two years outBusiness valuation calculatorA rough value from profit and a multiple, then the tax on the sale and what you keep.Open the calculator
Stage 2 · One to two years outBusiness Asset Disposal ReliefThe tax on your sale at 18%, whether you qualify, and what a second shareholder saves.Open the calculator
Stage 4 · The day afterWhat the money producesHow long a pot lasts at the income you want, year by year.Open the calculatorSince working together, I feel more organised, more secure and more positive about the future. The advice has been exceptionally valuable, financially, professionally and personally.
Questions about getting ready to sell
What is Business Asset Disposal Relief?
It is a relief from capital gains tax when you sell all or part of a business. Qualifying gains are taxed at 18%, up to a lifetime limit of £1 million per person, or £500,000 for sales from 6 April 2027. Gains above the limit are taxed at the normal rates, which is 24% for a higher rate taxpayer.
Who qualifies for Business Asset Disposal Relief on a share sale?
You normally need at least 5% of the ordinary shares and voting rights, plus a 5% economic interest. You must also be a director or employee. Each condition must be met for the two years before the sale. HMRC helpsheet HS275 sets out the detail.
Can my spouse claim the relief as well?
Yes, if they qualify in their own right. Each person has their own lifetime limit: £1 million, or £500,000 for sales from 6 April 2027. Your spouse needs the same 5% holding and must be a director or employee for the two years before the sale.
When should I start planning a sale?
Ideally at least two years before you sell, because that is how long the relief conditions must be in place. It also leaves time to plan what the money has to do for you afterwards.
Is this check financial advice?
No. It gives information based on your answers and the rules for 2026/27. It is not a personal recommendation. Your accountant should confirm the tax on your own sale.
Before you go further
Who our advice is not for.
We would rather say so now than waste your time.
- You want the tax number and nothing else.That is your accountant's work, and they should do it.
- You are looking for a quick win rather than a plan that holds for twenty years.
- You want to be told what to invest in, without first agreeing what the money is for.
Important information. This page gives information, not personal advice. Tax rules and reliefs can change, and how they apply depends on your circumstances and the terms of your sale.
Tax on a business sale is work for your accountant, and the legal terms are work for your solicitor. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest.
If you want a recommendation for your own position, that is what our financial planning for business owners is for.
Reviewed by
BSc, MLIBF, PETR, Chartered ALIBF · Co-Founder and Chartered Associate
Chris has spent over a decade in financial planning and specialises in research and technical analysis. He checks every figure and calculation on this page before it is published.
PLANNING AN EXIT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
Bring your answers to a free first conversation. We will talk through what they mean for your sale and for the years after it.