Crypto tax, explained properly.
Plain-English guides on UK and US crypto tax, written by specialists and kept current with HMRC and IRS rules. Pick a topic to start.
HMRC and compliance
Nudge letters, CARF, penalties, deadlines and what the exchanges report about you.
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Reducing your tax
Loss harvesting, allowances, gifting and giving, and the legal ways to pay less.
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DeFi, staking and earning
Staking, mining, liquidity, lending, airdrops and how each is actually taxed.
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Moving and transferring
Wallet transfers, wrapping, bridging and moving abroad, without triggering phantom gains.
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Income, business and NFTs
Getting paid in crypto, founder tokens, NFTs and running crypto through a company.
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Gifts, estate and life events
Inheritance tax, divorce and passing crypto on, handled with the right planning.
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US crypto tax
Form 1099-DA, IRS reporting and the rules for US filers and dual obligations.
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Tools and record keeping
Which crypto tax software to trust, and the records HMRC expects you to keep.
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Capital gains tax in Scotland uses UK bands
CGT never devolved. The 18 to 24 percent split uses the UK £50,270 threshold, not Scottish bands, and some Scottish taxpayers pay less than they assume. -

Capital gains tax on shares and the 30 day trap
Share matching rules define your cost, the 30 day rule rewrites rebuys, and accumulation funds hide base cost. What share investors actually need to know. -

Unclaimed capital losses expire after four years
A loss HMRC has never been told about is worth nothing, and the claim window closes four years after the tax year ends. How to claim and what a banked loss is worth. -

How to report capital gains on your Self Assessment
Gains go on the SA108, property runs on its own 60 day track, and proceeds over £50,000 mean reporting even with no tax due. How the reporting actually works. -

How to register for Self Assessment
The deadline is 5 October after the tax year ends, and registering is not filing. Who needs to register, how the UTR works, and what happens if you are late. -

Your capital gains tax allowance for 2026 to 2027
£3,000 per person, resets each April, never carries forward. How the annual exempt amount works, the spouse doubling, and the £50,000 reporting trap. -

The badges of trade decide if HMRC calls you a trader
Nine tests decide whether you pay capital gains tax or income tax on your profits. What they are, and why crypto day traders almost never count as traders. -

How HMRC’s Digital Disclosure Service actually works
Notify, then 90 days to disclose and pay. How the DDS works, how far back you go by behaviour, and why unprompted beats prompted on every line of the penalty table. -

The HMRC savings tax warning is about your bank interest
Banks report interest automatically and rising rates pushed ordinary savers over the £1,000 allowance. What the letters and tax code changes mean and what to check. -

Can HMRC take money out of your bank account
Direct Recovery of Debts lets HMRC take established debts over £1,000 from bank accounts and cash ISAs, after a face to face visit and with £5,000 always left. Who is actually at risk. -

How to tell a real HMRC letter from a scam
HMRC never threatens arrest and never asks for bank details to pay a refund. The thirty second sorting method, and where to forward the fakes. -
Banks report your interest automatically, platforms and exchanges report activity, and Schedule 36 notices can demand statements. What HMRC sees, what it can demand, and what triggers a look. -

A letter from HMRC is rarely as bad as it looks
Most HMRC letters are routine and a few are not. How to tell tax codes and calculations apart from nudge letters and compliance checks, and what to do in the first week. -

Crypto ETFs and ETNs are not taxed the same way
Bitcoin ETF taxes work nothing like holding coins. Grantor trusts, staking funds, UK crypto ETNs and the ISA window: the wrapper decides what you keep. -

How HMRC taxes Polymarket and Kalshi winnings
Prediction markets did $44.8bn in June 2026, but Polymarket and Kalshi taxes remain unsettled. The four US positions, the UK betting question, and what to do. -

Bitcoin on the balance sheet is taxed before you sell
Nearly 200 listed companies hold 1.27m bitcoin. How treasury companies are actually taxed: US CAMT and fair value rules, and the UK corporation tax position. -

Your founder tokens create a tax bill on the day they unlock
Token vesting tax hits founders before the tokens can be sold. How the UK and US tax vested tokens, the 83(b) election, and the trap UK founders can’t escape. -

Who pays the tax when a bot does your crypto trading
Every trade your bot makes is your taxable event. How HMRC and the IRS treat automated crypto trading, AI agents, and thousands of machine-made disposals. -

Your first Form 1099-DA is probably wrong
The first Forms 1099-DA landed in February 2026 with proceeds but no cost basis. Why your form looks wrong, what the IRS actually sees, and what to do next. -

What happens during an HMRC crypto enquiry
HMRC crypto enquiry explained: how it differs from a nudge letter, section 9A, discovery assessments, COP8 and COP9, timelines and penalties. -

Crypto Tax for Limited Companies and Businesses UK
Crypto tax for UK limited companies: corporation tax not CGT, no annual exempt amount, trading vs investment, and incorporating as a disposal. -

How to report stolen crypto on a UK or US tax return
Scammed or hacked? How to report stolen cryptocurrency in the UK and US: what HMRC refuses to allow, the IRS memo that helps scam victims, and what to claim. -

Does Revolut Report to HMRC? Crypto on Revolut Explained
Does Revolut report to HMRC? What Revolut shares, what CARF changes from 2026, and why your crypto disposals on Revolut are still taxable. -

What HMRC expects you to keep after every crypto trade
Crypto record-keeping UK: exactly what records HMRC expects you to keep, for how long, and why dead exchanges are the biggest gap in your data. -

Why crypto tax software gets UK returns wrong
Koinly, CoinTracker and CoinLedger compared for UK tax, and where each one gets HMRC rules wrong. What the best crypto tax software can and cannot do for you. -

Donating crypto to charity is not always the cheaper route
Donating crypto to charity in the UK can be free of Capital Gains Tax and may cut your Income Tax. How the relief works and how to claim it correctly with HMRC. -

Moving abroad does not end your UK crypto tax bill
Leaving the UK with crypto? Temporary non-residence rules can still pull your gains back to HMRC. What to check before you go and how the five-year rule works. -

How crypto is split and taxed in a UK divorce
Splitting crypto in a UK divorce: transfers between spouses, the no gain no loss window, and the Capital Gains Tax traps that catch couples after separation. -

What your heirs will owe on crypto they inherit
Crypto counts towards your estate for UK Inheritance Tax at 40 percent. How HMRC values it, what your executors need, and the planning that reduces the bill. -

Gifting crypto outside marriage triggers capital gains tax
Gifting crypto in the UK is usually a disposal for Capital Gains Tax, even with no cash changing hands. When it is taxed, when it is not, and the spouse exemption. -

Play-to-Earn and Gaming Token Tax UK
Play-to-earn crypto and in-game token rewards are taxable in the UK. When they count as income, when as capital gains, and how HMRC expects you to report them. -

NFT creators and traders are taxed under different rules
How HMRC taxes NFTs in the UK: Capital Gains Tax on disposals, Income Tax for creators and traders, and the record keeping most NFT holders miss. -

Paid in crypto means income tax before capital gains tax
Paid in crypto in the UK? It is taxed as income at receipt, then again for Capital Gains when you sell. How to report salary or freelance crypto to HMRC. -

When an airdrop is income and when it is capital
Crypto airdrops can be Income Tax at receipt or only Capital Gains on disposal, depending on why you received them. How HMRC decides, and how to report airdrops. -

Crypto mining is taxed twice and miners plan for one
Crypto mining is taxed in the UK as income, then Capital Gains on disposal. Hobby vs business, allowable costs, and how to report mining income to HMRC. -

Is Wrapping or Bridging Crypto a Disposal? UK Tax Rules
Is wrapping or bridging crypto a taxable disposal in the UK? Where HMRC rules leave WBTC, stETH and cross-chain moves, and how to stay on the safe side. -

Crypto Margin, Futures and Leverage Tax UK Explained
How HMRC taxes crypto margin, futures and perpetuals in the UK. When it is Capital Gains, when it is income, and why exchange reports rarely get it right. -

How HMRC taxes lending and borrowing on Aave and Compound
Crypto lending and interest rewards are taxable in the UK, and the loan itself can trigger a disposal. How HMRC treats CeFi and DeFi lending, and how to report it. -

Adding liquidity to Uniswap is a taxable disposal
Adding and removing crypto from a liquidity pool can each be a taxable disposal under HMRC rules. How LP tokens, impermanent loss and rewards are taxed in the UK. -

Is your DeFi yield income or capital in HMRC’s eyes
DeFi tax in the UK explained: lending, staking, liquidity pools and yield. Where HMRC guidance draws the line between income and Capital Gains, with examples. -

Do You Pay Tax Moving Crypto Between Wallets? The UK Rules
Moving crypto between your own wallets is not taxable in the UK, but it wrecks your cost basis if unmatched. How to keep transfers from inflating your gains. -

Crypto tax deadlines for the 2026 to 2027 tax year
Key UK crypto tax dates for 2025/26: Self Assessment registration, the 31 January filing and payment deadline, and what happens if you miss them. -

What Coinbase and Binance actually send to HMRC
Yes, Coinbase shares UK customer data with HMRC, and CARF widens it from 2026. What HMRC sees, what it means for you, and how to get ahead of a nudge letter. -

Form 1099-DA Explained for UK Residents Using US Exchanges
Form 1099-DA is a US tax form, but UK residents on Coinbase or Kraken can receive one. What it means, why it does not set your UK tax, and what HMRC still needs. -

How to use crypto losses to cut your capital gains bill
Crypto loss harvesting can legally cut your UK Capital Gains Tax, but the 30-day bed and breakfasting rule catches most people. How to do it properly for HMRC. -

Ways to pay less crypto tax that HMRC accepts
Legal ways to reduce your UK crypto tax: the CGT allowance, loss harvesting, spouse transfers, pensions and timing. Real reliefs HMRC allows, not avoidance. -

From 2026 HMRC receives your crypto data automatically
The Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) starts sharing your exchange data with HMRC from 2026. What CARF reports, who is affected, and how to prepare. -

How to disclose unpaid crypto tax before HMRC finds it
How to disclose unpaid crypto tax to HMRC through voluntary disclosure, what to expect on penalties, and why coming forward first almost always pays off. -

How much HMRC can charge for unpaid crypto tax
What HMRC crypto tax penalties actually cost: late filing, late payment and undeclared gains. How penalties are calculated and how disclosure reduces them. -

An HMRC nudge letter is not a tax bill
Had an HMRC crypto nudge letter? It means they already have your exchange data. What the letter means, what not to do, and how to respond before the deadline. -

What you actually pay on crypto gains in 2026 to 2027
How Capital Gains Tax on crypto works in the UK: rates, the annual allowance, Share Pooling, and the same-day and 30-day rules HMRC requires. With examples. -

Where to find your Venmo crypto tax documents
Where to find your Venmo crypto tax documents, what the 1099 forms cover, and how to report Venmo crypto gains and income correctly on your US tax return. -

What Wealthsimple reports on your crypto and what it misses
What Wealthsimple reports for crypto tax, which forms you get, and how to report Wealthsimple Crypto gains and income correctly. What the platform will not do. -

Where to find your Crypto.com tax forms
Where to find your Crypto.com tax forms and statements in 2026, what each one covers, and how to turn them into a correct report for HMRC or the IRS. -

How to report crypto staking rewards in the UK and US
Staking rewards are taxed as income at receipt, then Capital Gains when you sell. Exactly how to report crypto staking for HMRC and the IRS, and what software misses. -

What HMRC actually says about staking rewards
How HMRC taxes crypto staking in the UK: income at receipt, Capital Gains on disposal, and the records stakers need. With worked examples for Self Assessment.