Cryptocurrency Tax UK: What HMRC Actually Wants

HMRC treats crypto as property, not currency - disposing of crypto is a CGT event, taxed at 18% or 24% above the £3,000 annual allowance

Swapping one crypto for another counts as a disposal and triggers CGT, even if no fiat is involved

Staking rewards, mining income, and airdrops are usually taxed as income, valued in GBP at the moment of receipt

HMRC has crypto exchange data via the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework from 2026 - assume any unreported activity will eventually be flagged