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Recap HomeCrypto Tax Guide (Lite)HMRC Cryptoassets Manual
  • A Technical Guide to Cryptocurrency Tax for UK Individuals
    • What are Cryptoassets?
    • Who are Recap?
  • CRYPTOCURRENCY TAX
    • Do I Need to Pay Tax on my Cryptoassets?
    • Which Taxes Apply?
      • Capital Gains Tax (CGT)
      • Income tax
      • VAT
      • Inheritance tax
      • Stamp Duty
    • How Much Tax Will I Pay?
    • New HMRC DeFi Guidance
      • Overview of HMRC guidance
      • 1️⃣Is the Reward Income or Capital?
      • 2️⃣Is Beneficial Ownership (BO) transferred?
      • 3️⃣Consider the Tax Treatment
        • Staker/Lender/Collateral Provider
          • Income Rewards
            • BO transferred
              • ➡️At Point of Entry
              • ⬅️At Point of Exit
              • 💧On Liquidation
              • 💎On Receipt of Income Reward
              • Example 1A
              • Example 2A
            • BO not transferred
              • ➡️At Point of Entry
              • ⬅️At Point of Exit
              • 💧On Liquidation
              • 💎On Receipt of Income Reward
              • Example 1B
              • Example 2B
          • Capital Rewards
            • BO transferred
              • ➡️At Point of Entry
              • ⬅️At Point of Exit
              • 💧On Liquidation
              • 💎On Receipt of Capital Reward
              • Example 1C
              • Example 2C
            • BO not transferred
              • ➡️At Point of Entry
              • ⬅️At Point of Exit
              • 💧On Liquidation
              • 💎On Receipt of Capital Reward
              • Example 1D
              • Example 2D
        • Borrower
    • Investor or Trader?
      • Badges of Trade Limitations
      • HMRC Approach
      • Court Cases involving Financial Traders
    • Capital Gains Tax
      • Calculating the Capital Gains Position
      • Disposal proceeds
      • Disposals to Connected Parties
      • Allowable costs for CGT
        • Exchange fees
        • Forks - affect on allowable costs
      • Capital Loss Claims
    • Income Tax
      • Financial trading income
      • Miscellaneous Income
      • Employment income
    • Fair Market Valuation
  • TRANSACTION TYPES
    • 💷Selling Crypto for Fiat
    • 🔄Trading Crypto to Crypto
    • 🛍️Purchases using Crypto
    • 🎁Gifts
    • 💍Spouse Transfers
    • 🎗️Gifts to Charity, CASCs & Bodies for a National Purpose
    • 🎈Airdrops
    • 🤝Staking
    • 💸Transfers
    • 🍴Forks
    • ⛏️Mining
    • 👛Employment income
      • UK Employer
      • Overseas employer
      • National Minimum Wage (NMW)
    • 🚨Lost & Stolen Crypto
    • 🎲Gambling
    • 💧Liquidity Pools
      • Example - Liquidity pool
    • ⬆️Token Upgrades/Swaps
    • 🔮Cryptoasset derivatives (CFDs, Futures and Margin Trading)
    • 💼Crypto Loans
    • 🔄REPOS
    • 🪞Reflections Rewards
    • 👥Referral Income
    • 💳Cashback
    • 🎨NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens)
    • 🎮NFTs earned playing games
  • Record Keeping
  • Filing Your Self-Assessment
    • How to Register for Self-Assessment
    • How to Fill In the Tax Return
    • Submitting the Tax Return and Paying the Tax
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On this page
  • Income from cryptoassets
  • Financial Trading Income
  • Miscellaneous Income
  • Employment Income
  • The Recap Income Report

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  1. CRYPTOCURRENCY TAX

Income Tax

PreviousCapital Loss ClaimsNextFinancial trading income

Last updated 8 months ago

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Income from cryptoassets

Some returns derived from cryptoasset activity are treated as income, rather than capital gains. For example trading, mining and most staking/lending rewards are treated as income. See our further guidance on whether a staking/lending reward is considered as

Income is taxed in different ways, depending on the type of income and the activity undertaken to generate it.

Fortunately HMRC only expect individuals to be treated as a financial trader in exceptional circumstances.

Consider our detailed guidance below to check if you are an investor or a trader.

If you are a trader, look at our detailed guidance on what impact this has on your tax position.

Allowable expenses and possibly the trading allowance can reduce the taxable income.

See our detailed guidance below on Miscellaneous Income and allowable expenses

If paid in cryptoassets the sterling equivalent at the date of receipt is taxable employment income, subject to income tax and national insurance contributions. In most cases the cryptoassets are Readily Convertible Assets (RCAs), which means the employer needs operate PAYE on the employment income.

HMRC state that employees need to receive an actual sterling payment for National Minimum Wage (NMW) purposes and are also clear that cryptoassets are not money. To avoid a NMW underpayment, employer’s should consider paying part of an employee’s salary in fiat sterling to cover NMW for their hours worked.

See our detailed guidance on employment income and NMW.

The Recap Income pdf report provides details of all cryptoasset income to be included on your annual Tax Return. The intention is that you pass our report to your accountant and they will be able to complete the Tax Return and advise on your tax position, based on your specific circumstances.

Anyone who buys and sells or mines cryptoassets, needs to first consider if they are engaged in financial trading in cryptoassets, rather than simply assuming they are classed as an investor. Also, in some cases profits or losses arising from may be treated as financial trading income.

Individuals who are classified as are required to pay income tax and national insurance on their profits, rather than capital gains tax on their capital gains and income tax on their miscellaneous income. Therefore, being classified as a trader rather than investor usually results in a higher tax bill.

Where there is no in cryptoassets, income derived from mining, and most staking and lending rewards will be treated as Miscellaneous Income (called Other Taxable Income on the tax return) and subject to income tax. See our further guidance on whether a staking/lending reward is considered as

The rate of income tax will depend on the total income in the tax year. See for more info on the tax rates. There is no national insurance charge on Miscellaneous Income.

In some cases profits or losses arising from may be subject to income tax and treated as miscellaneous income.

The Income Report

Financial Trading Income
financial trading in cryptoassets
Investor or Trader?
Financial trading income
Miscellaneous Income
financial trading
income or capital.
Miscellaneous Income
Employment Income
👛Employment income
Recap
cryptoasset derivatives
cryptoasset derivatives
income or capital.
Income Tax