Crypto Tax Calculator

Cryptocurrency is treated as property by HMRC, not as currency or money. This means that when you dispose of cryptoassets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other token, you may be liable for capital gains tax (CGT) on any profit. A disposal includes selling crypto for GBP or another fiat currency, exchanging one cryptocurrency for another, using crypto to pay for goods or services, and gifting crypto to someone other than your spouse or civil partner. For the 2026-27 tax year, cryptocurrency gains are taxed at 10% for basic rate taxpayers and 20% for higher and additional rate taxpayers. The annual exempt amount is GBP 3,000, which applies to all your capital gains combined, not just crypto. Given the reduced exempt amount (down from GBP 12,300 a few years ago), many more crypto holders now have a tax liability they need to report. This calculator helps UK taxpayers estimate their capital gains tax liability on cryptocurrency disposals. It uses the simplified pooling approach where you enter your total proceeds and total cost basis, calculates the gain, applies the annual exempt amount, and determines the CGT due based on your tax band.

How to Use This Calculator

To calculate your crypto tax: 1. Enter your total disposal proceeds. This is the total GBP value you received from selling or disposing of cryptocurrency during the tax year. If you swapped crypto to crypto, use the GBP market value at the time of each swap. 2. Enter your total cost basis. This is the pooled acquisition cost of the crypto you disposed of. Under HMRC section 104 pooling rules, all acquisitions of the same token are averaged. Same-day and 30-day matching rules take priority over pooling. 3. Enter any other capital gains. If you had gains from selling shares, property, or other assets in the same tax year, enter them here. The annual exempt amount is shared across all capital gains. 4. Select your tax band. Basic rate taxpayers pay 10% CGT on crypto gains. Higher and additional rate taxpayers pay 20%. If your total income plus gains pushes you from basic to higher rate, the excess is taxed at the higher rate. 5. Review the results. The calculator shows your crypto gain, the annual exempt amount used, the taxable gain, the CGT liability, and the effective tax rate. The pie chart breaks down how your gain is allocated between the exempt amount, tax at 10%, tax at 20%, and net gain after tax.

How It Works

UK crypto tax is calculated as follows: Step 1: Calculate the crypto gain. This is the total disposal proceeds minus the total cost basis. For example, if you sold Bitcoin for GBP 20,000 and the pooled cost basis was GBP 8,000, your gain is GBP 12,000. Step 2: Add other capital gains. If you also had GBP 2,000 in share gains, your total gains are GBP 14,000. Step 3: Deduct the annual exempt amount. For 2026-27, this is GBP 3,000. Taxable gain = GBP 14,000 - GBP 3,000 = GBP 11,000. Step 4: Apply CGT rates. For a basic rate taxpayer, gains are taxed at 10% up to the remaining basic rate band (GBP 37,700), then 20% on the excess. For GBP 11,000 at basic rate: GBP 11,000 x 10% = GBP 1,100. For a higher rate taxpayer, all gains are at 20%: GBP 11,000 x 20% = GBP 2,200. If your total gains result in a loss (proceeds less than cost basis), there is no tax to pay. You should still report the loss to HMRC as it can be carried forward to offset future gains.

HMRC's cryptoassets guidance (CRYPTO) provides detailed rules for how different types of transactions are treated. Key disposal events include selling crypto for GBP or any fiat currency, exchanging crypto for another crypto (including stablecoin swaps), using crypto to purchase goods or services, and gifting crypto (except to a spouse or civil partner). The section 104 pooling rules require you to calculate an average cost basis for each type of token. When you acquire Bitcoin at different prices over time, all acquisitions are pooled together at their weighted average cost. When you dispose of some Bitcoin, the cost basis used is this average pooled cost per unit. Same-day matching takes priority over pooling. If you buy and sell the same token on the same day, those transactions are matched first. The 30-day bed and breakfasting rule then applies: if you sell a token and rebuy within 30 days, the acquisition is matched against the disposal rather than going into the pool. This prevents tax loss harvesting by selling and immediately rebuying. DeFi transactions create additional complexity. Providing liquidity to a decentralised exchange pool, yield farming, and lending protocols may trigger disposals when tokens are swapped or converted. Wrapping ETH to WETH and similar wrapping transactions may also be treated as disposals, though HMRC guidance in this area continues to evolve. Staking rewards and mining income are generally treated as miscellaneous income (or trading income if conducted as a business), subject to income tax rather than CGT. The market value at the time of receipt becomes the cost basis for future CGT calculations when you eventually dispose of those tokens. Airdrops are treated differently depending on whether you did anything to receive them. Airdrops received in return for a service are income. Airdrops received without providing anything in return are not income at the point of receipt but have a zero cost basis for CGT purposes. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) follow the same CGT rules as fungible tokens but cannot be pooled since each NFT is unique. The cost basis is the individual acquisition cost plus any gas fees or marketplace fees paid. You must report crypto disposals to HMRC via Self Assessment if your total gains exceed four times the annual exempt amount (GBP 12,000 for 2026-27) or your total disposal proceeds exceed GBP 50,000, even if no tax is due. Crypto losses should also be reported within 4 years to be available for offset against future gains.