The current crypto market has been in an uproar recently with Elon Musks influence swaying the stocks in unpredictable ways to bitcoin crashing. We would like to take this time to mention the tax implications of cryptocurrency and how it will affect you!
Anyone buying and selling Bitcoin in an individual capacity is most likely to be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any gains made. – For those who are considered as trading in cryptocurrencies (i.e. buying and selling with a high frequency), Income Tax may be due on the profits as trading income.
Many investors in cryptocurrencies have made big gains. But once you take profits or even buy one cryptocurrency with another – you could be liable for capital gains tax.
Cryptocurrency investors have had a rough time recently. From the spectre of higher taxes being proposed by US president Joe Biden to the “Elon Musk effect” using social media popularity to influence the market. The market has given investors plenty of reasons to be happy and worry alike. So for some, their profits will be the last thing on their minds right now.
But plenty of crypto investors are still sitting on big gains. And anyone thinking of taking some of these profits really needs to be aware of the tax that they might incur when doing so.
So what are the rules in the UK?
HMRC does not treat cryptocurrencies like money!
HMRC does not consider crypto assets to be money or currency. Instead, the tax office has grouped crypto assets into four main categories: exchange tokens, utility tokens, security tokens, and stablecoins.
“Exchange tokens” – which include cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin – are those tokens that derive their value from exchange or investment uses.
“Utility tokens” pave the way for crypto holders to buy services on a platform through distributed ledger technology. Long story short, they’re analogous to gift tokens.
“Security tokens” – which include the likes of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – act as digital contracts for some type of valuable asset.
“Stablecoins” are crypto assets that are pegged to the value of fiat money or other assets (one example is Tether).
Anybody who resides in the UK and holds crypto assets will be taxed on any profits made on these assets.
How capital gains tax affects crypto investors
Your capital gain is simply the difference between what your cryptocurrency cost you, and how much you sold it for.
There is an annual CGT exemption, which currently stands at £12,300 for the 2021-2022 year. Gains up to this amount are not subject to CGT.
So what do you have to pay? “In broad terms, a UK resident making a capital gain made on the disposal of cryptocurrency is taxed at 10% up to the basic rate of tax (£37,700 to the degree the basic rate is not used) and 20% thereafter”, notes Nimesh Shah, chief executive of tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
To calculate any tax due, you need to work out your profit, and then subtract the annual allowance. Then add any remaining profits to your taxable income for the year. If you are still below £37,500, then CGT will be charged at 10%. Above that, and it’s charged at 20%.
Calculating CGT can be tricky, partly due to the “30-day rule”. This rule was brought in some time ago to prevent people from using up their CGT allowance each year by selling shares then buying them back the next day. This enabled them to “rebase” the purchase price for CGT purposes and to use up their annual allowance where possible.
Now, however, individuals who sell shares have to wait 30 days before being able to reinvest in the same share, otherwise “matching” rules come into play which are designed to prevent this “re-setting” of the cost base. For assets like cryptocurrencies, which are often traded more aggressively than the average stock, this can make it tricky to work out exactly what your liabilities are.
Note too that cryptocurrency holdings are not immune from inheritance tax either, which may apply to worldwide assets or just UK assets depending on whether they are domiciled in the UK or not. “The value of any cryptocurrency held immediately before someone’s death will form part of their IHT,” Etherington says.
