CoinTracker calculates your UK tax based on each transaction's category and type. In the United Kingdom, disposals such as sells and crypto-to-crypto trades are treated as taxable capital gains, while buys and transfers between your own wallets are not. Income events like mining, staking rewards, and certain airdrops are treated as taxable income.
Tax rules depend on your circumstances. For a fuller explanation of how crypto is taxed in the UK, read the UK crypto tax guide, and consult a tax professional for guidance tailored to your situation.
Common transactions
| Category name | Taxable event or non-taxable event |
|---|---|
| Send | Taxable |
| Receive | Non-taxable |
| Buy | Non-taxable |
| Sell | Taxable |
| Transfer | Non-taxable |
| Trade | Taxable |
Other transactions
| Transaction category | Taxable event or non-taxable event | Relevant transaction types |
|---|---|---|
| Staking reward | Taxable | Receive |
| Mining reward | Taxable | Receive |
| Airdrop | Taxable* | Receive |
| Fork | Non-taxable** | Receive |
| Payment | Taxable | Receive |
| Interest | Taxable | Receive |
| Other Income | Taxable | Receive |
| Gift (Send) | Taxable*** | Send |
| Gift (Receive) | Non-taxable | Receive |
| Lost | Non-taxable**** | Send |
| Stolen | Non-taxable**** | Send |
| Donation (Donation to a qualifying charity) | Non-taxable | Send |
| Margin | Taxable | Buy, Sell, Trade |
| Margin fee | Taxable | Send |
| Margin gain | Taxable | Receive |
| Margin loss | Taxable | Send |
| Margin rebate | Non-taxable | Receive |
| Rebate | Non-taxable | Receive |
| Stake | Liquid: Taxable, Illiquid: Non-taxable** | Liquid: Trade, Illiquid: Send |
| Unstake | Liquid: Taxable, Illiquid: Non-taxable** | Liquid: Trade, Illiquid: Receive |
| Wrap | Taxable | Trade |
| Borrow | Non-taxable | Receive |
| Loan repayment | Taxable | Send, Trade |
| Interest expense | Taxable | Send |
| Add liquidity | Taxable | Trade |
| Remove liquidity | Taxable | Trade |
| Lending deposit | Trade: Taxable, Send: Non-taxable | Trade, Send |
| Lending withdrawal | Trade: Taxable, Receive: Non-taxable | Trade, Receive |
| Bridge | Non-taxable | Send, Receive |
| Service | Taxable | Send |
* Airdrops: CoinTracker treats airdrops as taxable income by default. If you determine an airdrop was received passively and not in return for, or in expectation of, a service, classify it as Receive instead. See HMRC guidance on airdrops.
** Fork: Tokens received through a hard fork are not taxable income when received. HMRC requires the original pooled allowable cost to be apportioned between the original and forked assets on a just-and-reasonable basis. CoinTracker currently assigns the forked asset a zero cost basis and does not perform that apportionment; review the basis before a disposal. See HMRC guidance on hard forks.
*** Gift sent: Gifting crypto is usually a taxable disposal for capital gains purposes. Only gifts to a qualifying spouse or civil partner are non-taxable. See HMRC guidance on gifts. In these cases, change the classification or exclude the transaction manually.
**** Lost or stolen: Non-taxable. A negligible-value claim may be available if its conditions are met. See HMRC guidance on unrecoverable crypto.
Disclaimer: CoinTracker is provided for informational purposes and is not intended as tax, audit, accounting, investment, financial, or legal advice. For financial, tax, or legal advice, please consult your own professional. See our full disclaimer.