Crypto Tax in the UK 2026 - CGT Rates, Pooling and SA108

TL;DR: In the UK, crypto gains are subject to Capital Gains Tax at 18% (basic rate) or 24% (higher rate) after a £3,000 annual exempt amount. Selling, swapping, and spending crypto are all disposals, and gains are worked out using HMRC’s Section 104 pooling and 30-day rules. From the 2024/25 return there’s a dedicated crypto section on the SA108. The cleanest way to apply the pooling rules and produce an HMRC-ready report is software: I use CoinTracking.

Sort your UK crypto taxes with CoinTracking

UK crypto tax got both stricter and more visible recently. CGT rates rose in October 2024, the annual exempt amount is down to £3,000, Self Assessment now has dedicated crypto boxes, and from 2026 HMRC receives data directly from exchanges under the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework. The pooling maths is also genuinely fiddly, which is exactly where software earns its keep.

Here’s how crypto is taxed in the UK and how to prepare your return.

Best tools for UK crypto taxes:

CoinTracking (my pick): deepest reporting, applies Section 104 pooling, free up to 200 transactions. Read the review.
Koinly: the easiest option, produces an HMRC-ready report with the pooling and 30-day rules built in. Read the review.

Try CoinTracking free

How Crypto Is Taxed in the UK

Crypto held as an investment is subject to Capital Gains Tax on disposal. For disposals on or after 30 October 2024, the rates are:

18% where the gain falls within your unused basic-rate band
24% on gains above that

You get a £3,000 annual exempt amount (down from £6,000), and only net gains above it are taxed.

What Counts as a Disposal

Selling crypto for fiat
Swapping one crypto for another (a disposal at market value)
Spending crypto on goods or services
Gifting crypto to anyone other than your spouse or civil partner

Moving crypto between your own wallets is not a disposal.

Section 104 Pooling and the 30-Day Rule

The UK doesn’t use simple FIFO. Each token type goes into a Section 104 pool that tracks your average cost. On a disposal, your allowable cost is a proportion of the pooled cost. Two anti-avoidance rules sit on top: the same-day rule and the 30-day “bed and breakfasting” rule, which stop you from manufacturing losses by selling and quickly rebuying. Applying these by hand is painful, which is the main reason to use software.

Crypto Income

Staking, mining, and airdrops received in return for a service are taxed as income at the value when received, at your marginal rate. There’s a £1,000 trading and miscellaneous income allowance that can cover small amounts. The value taxed as income becomes your cost basis for CGT when you later sell.

The Forms You Need to File

Crypto goes on your Self Assessment return: the SA100 main return plus the SA108 capital gains pages, which from the 2024/25 return have a dedicated cryptoassets section (boxes 13.1 to 13.8). Crypto income goes in the other-income section.

The online filing deadline is 31 January after the tax year ends (the 2024/25 return was due 31 January 2026; the 2025/26 return is due 31 January 2027). You must report if your gains exceed the £3,000 allowance or your total disposal proceeds exceed £50,000.

How to Prepare Your Crypto Taxes in the UK

Connect every account. Add each exchange and wallet by API or public address.
Import your full history. The pooling rules need every acquisition and disposal to compute the average cost correctly.
Let the tool apply the rules. Good software handles Section 104 pooling, the same-day rule, and the 30-day rule automatically.
Generate the SA108 figures. Use the output to complete the cryptoassets section of your Self Assessment.

Prepare your HMRC report with CoinTracking

The Best Crypto Tax Tool for the UK

CoinTracking is my pick for its depth and lifetime-licence value, and it applies the UK pooling rules correctly. If you want the simplest route to an HMRC-ready report, Koinly handles the Section 104 and 30-day rules cleanly and is very beginner-friendly. Both have free tiers. See the full comparison in my guide to the best crypto tax software.

Disclaimer: This is general information, not tax advice. UK crypto tax rules change and your situation is unique. Confirm the details with a qualified UK tax adviser before you file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is crypto tax in the UK?

Crypto gains are subject to Capital Gains Tax at 18% within your basic-rate band and 24% above it, for disposals on or after 30 October 2024. The first £3,000 of net gains each year is exempt. Crypto income such as staking is taxed at your income tax rate.

Do I pay tax when I swap one crypto for another in the UK?

Yes. HMRC treats a crypto-to-crypto swap as a disposal at market value, so you realise a gain or loss even without converting to pounds. Moving crypto between your own wallets, however, is not a disposal.

What is the Section 104 pool?

It’s HMRC’s method for calculating crypto gains. Each token type is pooled to track an average cost, and your allowable cost on a sale is a proportion of that pool. The same-day and 30-day rules apply on top to prevent loss manufacturing. Crypto tax software applies all of this automatically.

How do I report crypto to HMRC?

Through Self Assessment: the SA100 main return plus the SA108 capital gains pages, which now have a dedicated cryptoassets section (boxes 13.1 to 13.8). The online deadline is 31 January after the tax year ends.