Crypto Tax UK 2026/27: Capital Gains Tax Rates, Allowance and Examples

HMRC does not consider cryptoassets to be currency. For most individuals they are investments, and selling or swapping them falls under Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Rewards from staking, mining or employment are usually treated as income instead. Here is how it works for the 2026/27 tax year, which runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.

Key figures for 2026/27

The 18% and 24% rates have applied to crypto since 30 October 2024. The annual exempt amount has been £3,000 since April 2024.

What counts as a disposal

You make a disposal — and potentially a chargeable gain — when you:

• Sell crypto for pounds or any other currency
• Exchange one cryptoasset for another
• Use crypto to pay for goods or services
• Give crypto away (except to a spouse or civil partner)

Moving tokens between your own wallets is not a disposal.

How CGT is calculated

1. Work out each gain: disposal proceeds minus allowable costs (purchase price, transaction fees).
2. Add up gains and subtract losses for the tax year.
3. Deduct the £3,000 annual exempt amount.
4. Work out how much of your unused basic-rate band remains after your taxable income.
5. Tax the part of the gain that fits inside the remaining band at 18%, and the rest at 24%.

Worked example

Amira earns a £40,000 salary and realizes a £20,000 crypto gain in 2026/27.

• Taxable income: £40,000 − £12,570 = £27,430
• Remaining basic-rate band: £37,700 − £27,430 = £10,270
• Taxable gain: £20,000 − £3,000 = £17,000
• £10,270 at 18% = £1,848.60
• £6,730 at 24% = £1,615.20
• Total CGT: £3,463.80

A higher-rate taxpayer with the same gain would pay 24% on all £17,000: £4,080.

Share pooling and matching rules

HMRC requires a specific method for working out the cost of tokens you dispose of. For each type of token:

1. Same-day rule: disposals are first matched with tokens of the same type bought on the same day.
2. Bed and breakfast rule: next, they are matched with tokens bought in the following 30 days.
3. Section 104 pool: anything left is matched against your pool, which holds all remaining tokens at their average cost.

The 30-day rule stops you from selling at a loss and immediately buying back to crystallize the loss while keeping your position. See crypto tax-loss harvesting.

Losses

Capital losses reduce gains in the same year and can be carried forward indefinitely, but only if you report them to HMRC within four years of the end of the tax year in which they arose. If a token becomes worthless, you may be able to make a negligible value claim.

Income from crypto

Staking rewards, mining rewards and airdrops received in return for doing something are generally taxed as income at their pound value when received. Later disposals of those tokens are subject to CGT, with the income value as their cost.

Reporting and deadlines

You generally need to report through Self Assessment if your total gains exceed the £3,000 allowance, or if your total disposal proceeds exceed £50,000 even when gains are below the allowance. The Self Assessment return includes a dedicated section for cryptoasset disposals. The online filing and payment deadline is 31 January after the end of the tax year — 31 January 2028 for 2026/27.

Estimate your UK crypto tax

Choose "United Kingdom" in the crypto tax calculator, enter your cost, proceeds and salary, and see your CGT bill with the allowance applied. For full calculations across many trades, HMRC's Cryptoassets Manual and a qualified accountant are the authoritative sources.

CryptoMathly provides educational estimates only and is not financial, investment or tax advice. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose money. Always verify figures with a qualified professional.