UK tax if you're trading full-time as an individual

October 15th, 2023, 09:26 AM

I'm currently trading full-time using my own (small) company's funds. The tax treatment for company profits is straightforward.

I'd like to know if you trade futures full time in the UK as an individual, are your gains treated as CGT or income tax? If the former then great, lower rates and no NI. If the latter, I should carry on trading as a company as that's more tax efficient.

I could ask my accountants who deal with my company's accounts but they are clueless about trading profits. They can manage the company's accounts just fine because it's just investment gain and it's the same tax rate as with sales. I don't think I'd get the right advice from them as an individual trader.

I've searched the Internet extensively and there are conflicting opinions (even among accountants). I have even read through HMRC's fun "guidance" notes, but I'd like to hear from someone who has actually filed all their futures trading gains as CGT without any objections from the HMRC.

October 15th, 2023, 10:03 PM

highly suggest getting an accountant for your individual taxes then who knows that end of the game. the reason i say this is because even if you got your answer, that still might not be the best way for YOU. even if you just had them do your taxes for 1 year and then had your corporate guy look over them to do it the following years, there are probably far better ways to do things that will also depend on how your company is structured. don't come here for tax questions... you really got to source some guy out that knows what he is doing...

October 19th, 2023, 10:16 AM

I've wondered too as when you look online there is a lot of conflicting answers.

I am currently doing a prop firm challenge (FTMO) so once I hopefully pass and get payouts, I wouldn't know either how it would get taxed in the UK. I did hear someone say somewhere online that prop firm payouts would be regarded as income tax (due to us being paid out as contractors I assume). This is again for the FX market or if you trade futures but execute on the spot market (I analyse Crude Oil on futures market then execute on the spot market instead of trading futures directly at the moment).

October 20th, 2023, 12:43 AM

Gimmy

I've wondered too as when you look online there is a lot of conflicting answers.

I am currently doing a prop firm challenge (FTMO) so once I hopefully pass and get payouts, I wouldn't know either how it would get taxed in the UK. I did hear someone say somewhere online that prop firm payouts would be regarded as income tax (due to us being paid out as contractors I assume). This is again for the FX market or if you trade futures but execute on the spot market (I analyse Crude Oil on futures market then execute on the spot market instead of trading futures directly at the moment).

Yeah, you don't want to remain in the income tax regime for long. Assuming you'll move into the higher rate pretty soon if you haven't already, HMRC will take most of your hard-earned money. It's brutal.

Please do update us on what you end up doing. Your situation is more pressing than mine. Depending on how much I make, my company will pay between 19% and 25% corporation tax.

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UK tax if you're trading full-time as an individual

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UK tax if you're trading full-time as an individual