Home StatisticsUK Crypto Tax Statistics for 2026

UK Crypto Tax Statistics for 2026

Name: UK Crypto Tax Statistics for 2026
Creator: KoinX
Published: 2026-04-22T06:05:40.767Z

Researched By: Avinash D.

Reviewed By: Ankush Kumar

Published: 22 Apr 2026

Last Updated: 22 Apr 2026

2026 marks a structural inflection point in how HMRC collects, verifies, and enforces tax obligations on cryptoasset gains in the United Kingdom. The Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF) came into force on 1 January 2026, obliging all UK reporting cryptoasset service providers to collect and report transaction data on UK resident customers for the first time. At the same time, the 2024 Autumn Budget raised the main CGT rates applicable to cryptoassets from 10%/20% to 18%/24%, the annual exempt amount has been permanently fixed at £3,000, and a dedicated cryptoassets section appeared on the Self Assessment Capital Gains Summary (SA108) for the 2024 to 2025 tax year, giving HMRC granular disposal-level data it previously lacked.

At KoinX, we support crypto investors and tax professionals in building accurate, audit-ready records, and the data compiled below reflects exactly why the UK compliance environment for cryptoasset holders has shifted decisively in 2026.

This article compiles statistics drawn exclusively from primary sources: HMRC official statistics publications and guidance, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UK Parliament legislation and research, and UK Government policy documents. Every statistic is cited inline with a direct URL to the originating primary document.

Scope and Methodology

Every statistic in this article was sourced from an organisation that produced the underlying data itself. Accepted primary sources include: HMRC (official statistics, internal manual guidance, CARF tax information and impact notes, Self Assessment forms and notes, CGT commentary publications, and the cryptoassets manual), the Office for Budget Responsibility (EFO forecasts and CGT-specific tax commentary), the Financial Conduct Authority (consumer research publications, Waves 4, 5 and 6), the House of Commons Library (parliamentary research briefings on CGT), UK Parliament legislation and Budget documents, and GOV.UK tax policy pages.

Recency was enforced by limiting statistics to figures published within the last two years, with original study years and tax years retained in every bullet. The geographic scope is the United Kingdom throughout. One material limitation is noted: HMRC does not publish a standalone aggregate dataset for cryptoasset-specific CGT receipts disaggregated from total CGT; the best available proxy remains HMRC’s full CGT statistics publication, which covers all asset classes reported through Self Assessment. The introduction of the dedicated cryptoasset section in SA108 from 2024 to 2025 onwards is expected to produce asset-class-specific data in future HMRC statistical releases.

UK Crypto Tax and CGT at a Glance: Key Statistics for 2026

8% of UK adults were estimated to own cryptoassets in 2025, equating to approximately 4.2 million adults based on FCA research findings, down from 12% (approximately 7 million adults) in 2024, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority in December 2025.
12% of UK adults owned cryptoassets in August 2024, extrapolated to approximately 7 million adults, up from approximately 10% (5 million adults) in 2022 and 4.4% (2.2 million adults) in 2021, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2024 (Wave 5) published by the Financial Conduct Authority in November 2024.
The total CGT liability across all asset classes in the 2023 to 2024 tax year was £12.1 billion for 378,000 taxpayers, realised on £65.9 billion of gains, representing an 18% decrease in liabilities from the previous year, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
The main CGT rates applicable to cryptoasset disposals increased to 18% for basic rate taxpayers and 24% for higher and additional rate taxpayers for disposals made on or after 30 October 2024, based on the GOV.UK guidance on Capital Gains Tax rates published by HMRC.
The OBR estimated CGT would raise £20.3 billion in 2025 to 2026, representing 1.6% of all tax receipts, based on the Capital Gains Tax page of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The Annual Exempt Amount (AEA) for CGT is permanently fixed at £3,000 for individuals and personal representatives, and £1,500 for most trustees from tax year 2024 to 2025 onwards, based on the HMRC tax information and impact note on reducing the annual exempt amount published on GOV.UK.
The Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF) came into force on 1 January 2026, requiring UK Reporting Cryptoasset Service Providers (RCASPs) to collect and report transaction data on UK-resident customers to HMRC, with first reports to HMRC due between 1 January and 31 May 2027, based on the HMRC guidance on reporting cryptoasset user and transaction data published on GOV.UK.
The Budget 2025 (Autumn 2025) confirmed CGT is forecast to raise £30 billion by 2030 to 2031, up from £13.7 billion at the start of Parliament, based on the Budget 2025 document published on GOV.UK.

HMRC CGT Statistics: Taxpayers, Gains and Liabilities

In the 2023 to 2024 tax year, 378,000 taxpayers were liable for CGT, an increase of 1% from the previous year, driven by the reduction of the AEA from £12,300 to £6,000 from April 2023, which brought up to 87,000 additional taxpayers into the CGT scope, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
The number of CGT taxpayers represents approximately 1% of the number of people who pay Income Tax in the UK, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
In the 2023 to 2024 tax year, 40% of total CGT came from less than 1% of CGT taxpayers who made gains of £5 million or more, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
In the 2023 to 2024 tax year, 48% of all gains for CGT-liable individuals came from the 14% of individuals with taxable incomes above £150,000, the additional rate threshold for Income Tax, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
Approximately half of all CGT taxpayers in the 2023 to 2024 tax year had gains under £25,000, and this group contributed approximately 2% of total CGT, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
The average CGT liability per taxpayer in the 2023 to 2024 tax year fell by 18% to £32,000, reflecting the decrease in total gains and liabilities, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
London and the South East of England accounted for approximately 49% of total gains and 52% of total CGT liability in the 2023 to 2024 tax year, figures broadly constant over time, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
In the 2022 to 2023 tax year, CGT taxpayers disposed of 1.4 million assets worth £188 billion and realised gains of £82 billion, with financial assets (the category encompassing cryptoassets) accounting for 83% of disposals, 70% of disposal proceeds, and 77% of gains, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.
In the 2023 to 2024 tax year, Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) was claimed by 39,000 taxpayers on £10.3 billion of gains, resulting in CGT liabilities of £1 billion, accounting for 8% of total CGT, based on the Capital Gains Tax Statistics commentary published by HMRC in July 2025.

UK CGT Rates and Annual Exempt Amount for Cryptoassets

For disposals of cryptoassets made on or after 30 October 2024, the basic CGT rate is 18% and the higher CGT rate is 24%, increased from 10% and 20% respectively, with these rate increases having immediate effect from 30 October 2024, based on the HMRC guidance on changes to CGT rates published on GOV.UK.
For disposals of cryptoassets made before 30 October 2024 and on or after 6 April 2024, the CGT rates were 10% for basic rate taxpayers and 20% for higher and additional rate taxpayers, based on the HMRC guidance on Capital Gains Tax rates published on GOV.UK.
The CGT annual exempt amount is permanently fixed at £3,000 for individuals and personal representatives for tax year 2024 to 2025 and subsequent tax years, reduced from £6,000 in 2023 to 2024 and from £12,300 prior to 2023 to 2024, based on the HMRC guidance on reducing the annual exempt amount published on GOV.UK.
The CGT reporting proceeds limit is permanently fixed at £50,000, meaning taxpayers must complete the CGT pages of their Self Assessment return if total disposal proceeds in the year exceed £50,000 even if gains are below the annual exempt amount, based on the HMRC guidance on reducing the annual exempt amount published on GOV.UK.
The reduction of the AEA to £6,000 in 2023 to 2024 was estimated to affect up to 500,000 individuals and trusts, with the further reduction to £3,000 from 2024 to 2025 estimated to bring up to 570,000 individuals and trusts into the scope of CGT cumulatively, based on the HMRC tax information and impact note on reducing the annual exempt amount published on GOV.UK.
The increases in the main CGT rates announced at Autumn Budget 2024 were forecast to raise £90 million in 2024 to 2025, rising to £1.44 billion in 2025 to 2026, based on the House of Commons Library Research Briefing on Capital Gains Tax: Recent Developments published in January 2026.
The Business Asset Disposal Relief rate increased from 10% to 14% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2025, and will increase from 14% to 18% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2026, with the Investors’ Relief lifetime limit reduced to £1 million for all qualifying disposals made on or after 30 October 2024, based on the HMRC guidance on changes to CGT rates published on GOV.UK.

HMRC Tax Treatment of Cryptoassets

In the vast majority of cases, HMRC considers individuals to hold cryptoassets as a personal investment, usually for capital appreciation or to make particular purchases, and they are therefore liable to Capital Gains Tax when they dispose of their cryptoassets, based on HMRC internal manual CRYPTO20050 (Cryptoassets for individuals: which taxes apply).
Individuals are liable to Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on cryptoassets received from their employer as non-cash payment, from mining, transaction confirmation, or certain airdrops, based on HMRC internal manual CRYPTO20050 (Cryptoassets for individuals: which taxes apply).
Income Tax does not always apply to airdropped tokens received in a personal capacity; Income Tax may not apply if the tokens are received without doing anything in return and not as part of a trade involving cryptoasset exchange tokens or mining, based on HMRC internal manual CRYPTO21250 (Cryptoassets for individuals: Income Tax: airdrops).
The location (situs) of exchange tokens for CGT purposes is determined by the residency of the beneficial owner, meaning UK-resident holders of cryptoassets are subject to UK CGT on disposals regardless of where the cryptoasset exchange or custodian is located, based on HMRC internal manual CRYPTO22600 (Cryptoassets for individuals: Capital Gains Tax: determining the location of exchange tokens).
UK taxpayers must group each type of token they own into pools and work out the pooled cost, applying the same-day rule and the 30-day rule before falling back to the section 104 pool calculation for all remaining tokens, based on the HMRC guidance on checking if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets published on GOV.UK.
Taxpayers may use capital losses on cryptoasset disposals to reduce their overall CGT liability, can report losses up to 4 years after the end of the tax year in which the disposal occurred, and can carry forward losses to future tax years, based on the HMRC guidance on checking if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets published on GOV.UK.

Self Assessment Reporting Requirements for Cryptoassets

From the 2024 to 2025 tax year onwards, the Self Assessment Capital Gains Summary (SA108) includes a dedicated cryptoassets section (boxes 13.1 to 13.8) requiring taxpayers to separately report the number of cryptoasset disposals, total disposal proceeds, allowable costs, and gains or losses, based on the HMRC SA108 form for tax year 2024 to 2025 published on GOV.UK.
The dedicated cryptoassets section on the SA108 was first available on Self Assessment returns for the 2024 to 2025 tax year, replacing the previous practice of reporting cryptoasset gains in the general capital gains section alongside other asset types, based on the HMRC guidance on checking if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets updated in May 2025 on GOV.UK.
Cryptoasset income such as mining, staking, or payments received in tokens is reported in Box 17 of the Self Assessment Tax Return (SA100) as other income, while capital gains from cryptoasset disposals are reported in the SA108 cryptoassets section, based on the HMRC guidance on checking if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets published on GOV.UK.
Taxpayers can use HMRC’s Cryptoasset Disclosure Service to disclose unpaid tax on cryptoassets for tax years prior to 2024 to 2025, based on the HMRC guidance on telling HMRC about unpaid tax on cryptoassets published on GOV.UK.
The Self Assessment filing deadline for the 2024 to 2025 tax year is 31 January 2026 for online returns and 31 October 2025 for paper returns, with the same deadline for paying any tax due, based on the HMRC guidance on checking if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets published on GOV.UK.

Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF): Compliance and Enforcement Data

The Reporting Cryptoasset Service Providers (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2025 came into force on 1 January 2026, implementing the OECD CARF in the UK and obliging UK RCASPs to undertake annual due diligence on customers and report aggregate transactional data, based on the UK Statutory Instrument 2025/744 published on legislation.gov.uk.
UK RCASPs must submit their first report to HMRC between 1 January 2027 and 31 May 2027, covering data collected from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, with annual reports due by 31 May in subsequent years, based on the HMRC guidance on reporting cryptoasset user and transaction data published on GOV.UK.
The CARF reporting obligation in the UK applies to customers resident in the UK as well as customers resident in other CARF-signatory jurisdictions, with HMRC exchanging information received on non-UK customers with those jurisdictions, based on the HMRC CARF implementation tax information and impact note published on GOV.UK.
The domestic extension of CARF reporting to UK resident customers, confirmed at Autumn Budget 2024 and legislated in Finance Bill 2025 to 2026, was estimated to affect approximately 50 UK-based RCASPs, with negligible additional costs as these businesses were already incurring the majority of IT preparation costs for the international CARF requirements, based on the HMRC domestic CARF reporting tax information and impact note published on GOV.UK.
A penalty of up to £300 per user may be charged to a UK RCASP for each user on whom accurate information is not collected or submitted under CARF rules, based on the ICAEW guidance on HMRC’s cryptoasset reporting framework published in May 2025 referencing HMRC’s official implementation guidance.
Individuals who fail to provide accurate self-certification of their tax residency and identification information to a UK RCASP as required under CARF may also be subject to a penalty of up to £300, based on the HMRC CARF implementation tax information and impact note published on GOV.UK.
RCASPs must keep records of due diligence procedures and information collected from cryptoasset users for 5 years after the end of the calendar year to which the records relate, based on the Reporting Cryptoasset Service Providers (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2025.

OBR Forecasts for CGT Receipts and Compliance Yield

In 2024 to 2025, CGT raised £13.3 billion, compared with Income Tax receipts of £310 billion in the same year, based on the House of Commons Library Research Briefing on Capital Gains Tax: Recent Developments published in January 2026.
The OBR estimated CGT will raise £20.3 billion in 2025 to 2026, representing 1.6% of all receipts and 0.7% of national income, based on the OBR Capital Gains Tax page.
CGT receipts are forecast in the Autumn Budget 2024 projections to almost double from an estimated £13.3 billion in 2024 to 2025 to approximately £25.5 billion by 2029 to 2030, driven by rising asset prices, the AEA reduction, the October 2024 rate increases, and behavioural factors including asset disposals brought forward ahead of the Budget, as cited in the OBR’s Capital Gains Tax page.
The Autumn Budget 2025 document forecast CGT would reach £30 billion by 2030 to 2031, with CGT and other capital taxes as a share of GDP forecast to rise from 1.4% in 2024 to 2025 to 2.3% in 2030 to 2031, based on the Budget 2025 document published on GOV.UK.
The combined IT, NICs and CGT tax gap share was 31% of the overall UK tax gap in both 2019 to 2020 and 2023 to 2024, based on the Measuring Tax Gaps 2025 edition published by HMRC in June 2025.
The overall UK tax gap was £46.8 billion in 2023 to 2024, representing 4.8% of theoretical tax liabilities, based on the Measuring Tax Gaps 2025 edition: tax gap estimates for 2023 to 2024 published by HMRC.

FCA Cryptoasset Consumer Research: Ownership and Behaviour Data

Overall awareness of cryptoassets among the UK adult public remained at 91% in 2025, consistent with 2024 levels, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority in December 2025.
The proportion of cryptoasset users in the UK who reported participating in cryptoasset staking fell by 5 percentage points to 22% in 2025, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The proportion of UK cryptoasset users who purchased their holdings using a credit card or existing credit facility fell to 9% in 2025, down 5 percentage points from 14% in 2024, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
25% of UK cryptoasset users in 2025 said they would be more likely to invest if cryptocurrencies were more regulated in the UK, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
In 2024, 26% of UK cryptoasset purchasers used their own long-term savings to buy cryptoassets, up from 19% in 2022, and 14% used a credit card or overdraft, up from 6% in 2022, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2024 (Wave 5) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The average value of cryptoassets held per UK owner increased from £1,595 in 2022 to £1,842 in 2024, based on the FCA press release on consumer attitudes and behaviours towards crypto published in November 2024.
In 2024, approximately 1 in 6 (17%) of UK cryptoasset owners held cryptoassets with a value between £1,001 and £5,000, up from 14% in 2022, while 32% held cryptoassets valued at £100 or less, down from 39% in 2022, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2024 (Wave 5) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Bitcoin was the most commonly held cryptoasset in the UK, owned by 57% of UK crypto users in 2025, based on the FCA Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 (Wave 6) published by the Financial Conduct Authority.