Married couple with separate houses looking to move - advice please

[Adventurekreacher]

Been married to my husband for 5 years and we're living in my house which is still in my name only from before we were together. He has a house which he has owned since before me again in his name only (he's currently renting it out to cover mortgage). What we're looking to do is sell both and move elsewhere with the money from both but someone told me that we will need to pay capital gains on one now that we are married which I find insane as we both had our houses beforehand so completely circumstantial but seems unfair that one of us will need to pay this. Any advice? Should I be speaking to a financial adviser or an accountant about this?

AFAIK you can only have ONE primary residence for CGT purposes. So if you sell any property where you were not resident then CGT will apply to the profit.

That's my understanding of it anyway, and I am open to correction.

You are only taxed on the part of the gain that you made while you were not living in it, and you can also still deduct the last 9 months I believe.

Taxes are ‘circumstantial’. That’s kind of how tax works. It’s based on circumstances.

I do understand your point. Had you sold prior to marriage or living together you could have both reaped the benefit of selling your prime residence and not paid any CGT but you didn’t so there we go. It’s the same as ‘if you had gifted your estate away in your lifetime then your estate wouldn’t be liable for IHT’.
it is what it is

but as others have said CGT is only due on the portion of gain in the time since he vacated his house