All services

CGT planning for UK cryptoasset holders.

You can reduce a crypto CGT bill legitimately and recover value from past losses you did not know were claimable. The planning levers available to UK cryptoasset holders are precise and documented: spouse and civil-partner no-gain/no-loss transfers, capital loss harvesting within the four-year claim window, and negligible-value claims on genuinely worthless tokens from rug pulls or dead chains. The rate you are planning against matters: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/rates">18% within your remaining basic-rate band and 24% above</a>, against a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/allowances">£3,000 annual exempt amount</a> per person. The firm reviews your pooled position, models the available levers, prepares any spouse transfers and loss claims correctly, and files the outcome.

Get in touch
£3,000
CGT annual exempt amount per person, 2026/27: usable each year or permanently lost
£37,700
Basic-rate band ceiling 2026/27: gains within the remaining band taxed at 18%, above at 24%
4 years
Time limit to claim a capital loss after the end of the tax year it arose: unclaimed losses are lost

The challenges clients face.

The CGT rate is not a flat 18%

<a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/rates">CGT on cryptoassets</a> is charged at 18% only on the part of the gain that fits inside your remaining basic-rate band (the band ceiling is £37,700 of taxable income for 2026/27). Any gain above that boundary is charged at 24%. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers pay 24% on the whole gain. Effective planning models the actual band position, not a rounded rate.

Capital losses only count if you claim them, and unclaimed years may still be open

<a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/losses">Capital losses must be claimed</a> to be usable, normally within four years of the end of the tax year in which they arose. Many holders have made and never reported losses on failed projects, early exchanges that closed, or prior market crashes. Those unclaimed years may still be within the claim window and carry forward value that offsets future gains.

Lost private keys are not a loss, but worthless tokens may be

Losing access to a wallet is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22400">not itself a disposal</a> and does not crystallise a loss for CGT. A <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22500">negligible value claim</a> is available for tokens whose value has genuinely fallen to nil or near-nil, such as rug pulls and dead chains. The two are not the same: inaccessibility is not worthlessness. DIY guides routinely blur this distinction.

Gifting to a spouse is a planning lever; gifting to anyone else is a disposal

Transfers between spouses and civil partners are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/gifts">no-gain/no-loss</a>: the asset moves at base cost with no CGT triggered, and the receiving spouse acquires it at that cost. Used correctly this doubles the annual exempt amount and both basic-rate bands available to the couple. Gifting to children, friends or anyone else is a disposal at market value at the time of the gift, with no exemption.

How we help.

Pool reconstruction and lever modelling before you act

Before planning can start, the pooled position must be correct. We reconstruct your s104 pools under <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22200">UK pooling rules</a>, compute the unrealised gain on each holding, and model the available levers against your income band position. The output is a set of options with their CGT outcomes, not an investment recommendation.

Spouse transfers, loss claims and negligible-value claims prepared correctly

Spouse transfers must be documented with the correct base cost passing to the receiving spouse. Loss claims require the loss to be evidenced and reported in the right tax year. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22500">Negligible-value claims</a> require the token to be genuinely worthless and the claim to be made formally. We prepare and file all three categories, with the documentation HMRC expects.

Year-end review and carry-forward register

Planning is only useful if it is executed before the tax year ends and recorded so carry-forward losses are not forgotten. We review your position close to 5 April, implement the agreed actions, and maintain a carry-forward register of unclaimed losses and their claim-year windows so future returns start from the correct base.

Common questions

What rate is crypto CGT in 2026/27?
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/rates">18% on the part of the gain within your remaining basic-rate income tax band, and 24% on any gain above that</a>. The basic-rate band ceiling is £37,700 of taxable income for 2026/27. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers pay 24% on the whole gain. Never plan against a flat 18%.
How much can I make tax-free?
The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/allowances">CGT annual exempt amount is £3,000 per person for 2026/27</a>. It is a use-it-or-lose-it allowance: it cannot be carried forward. Active holders who have made multiple swaps often exhaust it on the first disposal or two once all crypto-to-crypto trades are counted as separate disposals.
Can I transfer crypto to my spouse to save tax?
Yes, with conditions. Transfers between spouses and civil partners are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/gifts">no-gain/no-loss</a>: no CGT arises at the time of transfer, and the receiving spouse takes the asset at your original base cost. This allows both spouses to use their annual exempt amounts and both basic-rate bands against a future disposal. The transfer must be a genuine gift with no condition of return; it cannot be unwound without a new disposal.
I made losses years ago and never told HMRC. Is it too late?
It depends on when the loss arose. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/losses">Capital losses must normally be claimed within four years</a> of the end of the tax year in which they arose. A loss from 2022/23 can be claimed until 5 April 2027. Losses outside the window are permanently lost. It is worth checking what is still claimable before the windows close.
My tokens are worthless from a rug pull. Can I claim the loss?
If the tokens have a value of nil or near-nil, a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22500">negligible value claim</a> crystallises an allowable loss without a sale. The tokens must be genuinely worthless (zero market, no recovery prospect), not just inaccessible. Once the claim is accepted, the loss is treated as if you disposed of and reacquired at nil value on the date you nominate.
I lost my private keys. Is that a tax loss?
No. Losing access to a wallet is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22400">not itself a disposal</a> and does not create a CGT loss. A negligible value claim only works if the asset itself has become worthless; inaccessibility does not satisfy that test. If the underlying tokens still have value and could in principle be recovered, no loss is claimable.
What happened to my coins on a collapsed exchange like FTX?
The outcome depends on the specific facts: it may be a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22500">negligible value claim</a>, a capital loss on a claim against the exchange in administration, or, if recoveries are still possible, neither yet. We do not promise a deduction; the position requires a fact-specific review of the insolvency status and your creditor position.
Does gifting crypto to my children save tax?
No. Gifts to anyone other than a spouse or civil partner are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-pay-tax-when-you-sell-cryptoassets">disposals at market value</a> at the time of the gift. CGT arises on the gain from your original cost to the market value on the day of the gift, with the usual annual exempt amount and band-split rates. The gift is not tax-free from a CGT perspective even if the recipient pays nothing.

Speak to a crypto tax specialist.

Tell us about your situation and we will reply within 24 hours.

Get in touch