Tax lot redaction is the removal of personal data from a capital gains cost-basis schedule. The arithmetic on that schedule comes straight from the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992: s.38 defines the expenditure allowable against a disposal, s.104 creates the pooled section 104 holding of shares of the same class, and s.106A sets the identification order — same-day acquisitions first, then acquisitions within the following 30 days, then the pool. Taxes Management Act 1970 s.12B requires the underlying records to be kept to support the return. anonym.plus marks each identifier on your device, so the lots stay while the holder goes.
When this applies
A cost-basis schedule ties an owner's identity to acquisition dates, pooled cost and realised gains. A tax adviser, a reconciliation exercise or a software migration needs the lot arithmetic, not the taxpayer. You trim the identity before it is handed off, and the underlying records stay for the s.12B retention period.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the schedule in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads scanned broker and contract-note pages.
- The tool flags name, NI number and account numbers.
- Keep the acquisition dates, pooled cost, proceeds and gain columns.
- Swap or black out the marked items.
- Save the clean copy locally.
What you need to provide
- The cost-basis schedule (PDF, CSV, or scan).
- An operator (Replace keeps the columns readable).
- Optional allow-list for ticker symbols and ISINs.
PII & financial identifiers detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | owner R. Devon → [HOLDER] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 60 22 44 A → [NINO] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | acct 7782 → [ACCOUNT] |
| Money | MONEY | gain £14,200 → [GAIN] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | lot date 03/2021 → [DATE] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | r.devon@example.co.uk → [EMAIL] |
Compliance achieved
- The columns exist because of TCGA 1992 s.38 (allowable expenditure) and s.104 (the pooled section 104 holding of shares of the same class) — arithmetic a reviewer needs in full, unlike the taxpayer's name.
- TCGA 1992 s.106A sets the identification order for disposals: same-day acquisitions first, then acquisitions in the following 30 days, then the pool. The dates therefore have to survive redaction intact.
- TMA 1970 s.12B requires the records supporting a return to be kept, and self-assessment returns are due by 31 January after the tax year; a redacted copy is a working document, not a replacement record.
- Supports data minimisation under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(c) — an adviser checking pooling arithmetic does not need a National Insurance number to do it.
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Limitations & cautions
A rare lot in a thinly traded holding hints at one owner even with the name gone, and a CSV export often repeats an account number in a hidden column. The tool flags named items, not unique positions, and it does not compute or check the gain. Review the schedule before you hand it off.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the cost-basis columns?
Yes, and you should. Section 104 pooling and the s.106A identification order both depend on the acquisition dates and pooled cost, so allow-list the tickers and keep the dates, cost and gain columns. Only personal identifiers are marked.
Does it read a CSV export?
Yes. Structured exports and scanned contract notes both work, and local OCR handles any image pages inside the schedule. Check hidden or trailing columns in a CSV before you share it.
Is the schedule uploaded?
No. The application is fully offline, so cost-basis and gain data stays on your machine.