HMRC Will Track Crypto Gains in Official UK Tax Statistics for the First Time
HMRC published its annual Capital Gains Tax statistics on 27 August 2026, and this year's release carries a significant addition: a dedicated table for cryptoasset disposals. For the first time, the UK's official CGT statistical record breaks out the number of taxpayers reporting cryptoasset gains, their total disposal proceeds, and the gains recognised on those disposals. If you have ever wondered how seriously HMRC treats crypto tax, this structural change in its flagship statistics publication gives you a clear answer.
What HMRC Has Published
The 2026 release updates the full suite of CGT tables covering the 2023 to 2024 tax year and, where methodology allows, earlier periods. The publication is classed as Accredited Official Statistics, meaning it meets the UK Statistics Authority's highest standard for production and governance.
The new cryptoasset table
Table 10, titled "Estimated number of taxpayers reporting cryptoasset gains and amounts of cryptoasset disposal proceeds and gains", is the headline addition. It sits alongside nine other tables covering the breadth of CGT activity in the UK. Before this release, cryptoasset data was either absorbed into broader "other assets" categories or simply absent. Now it has its own dedicated row in the national record.
What the other tables show
The surrounding tables give important context for reading the crypto data:
- Table 1 covers the total number of CGT-liable taxpayers, aggregate gains, and tax liabilities by year of disposal.
- Table 2 breaks taxpayers down by the size of their gain, which is relevant for understanding where crypto holders sit in the broader distribution.
- Table 5 splits liability by UK country and region.
- Table 6 breaks individual taxpayers down by age.
- Table 7 covers disposal proceeds and gains by asset type and period of ownership for 2023 to 2024, making it directly comparable with Table 10.
- Table 9, also new this year, covers carried interest gains, a relief relevant to private equity professionals rather than typical crypto holders.
Taken together, the publication now gives HMRC, researchers, and tax professionals a far more granular view of where capital gains are arising across the UK population.
Why This Matters for Crypto Tax in the UK
The creation of a standalone cryptoasset table is not a purely administrative decision. It reflects a deliberate policy choice by HMRC to treat cryptoassets as a material and measurable part of the UK tax base.
Visibility cuts both ways
Once HMRC can quantify the number of taxpayers reporting crypto gains and compare that figure against data gathered from exchange reporting obligations and third-party information notices, any gap between reported and expected figures becomes visible. That gap is precisely what drives compliance activity. HMRC has already sent tens of thousands of nudge letters to crypto holders in recent years. Having robust statistics allows the department to calibrate future campaigns, allocate resources, and, if necessary, make a case to HM Treasury for additional enforcement investment.
The accredited statistics standard
The Accredited Official Statistics designation matters here. It means the methodology is reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation, and the figures carry formal weight in policy documents, consultations, and parliamentary debate. Cryptoasset gains are now part of the same authoritative record as residential property and business asset disposals. That is a meaningful shift in the institutional treatment of crypto.
The Underlying CGT Framework for Crypto
HMRC's position on how cryptoassets are taxed has been settled for several years. Disposal events that trigger a CGT calculation include selling crypto for fiat currency, exchanging one cryptoasset for another, using crypto to pay for goods or services, and gifting crypto to someone other than a spouse or civil partner.
Calculating the gain
The gain is the difference between the disposal proceeds and the allowable cost. The allowable cost is calculated using HMRC's specific identification rules: same-day matching first, then the 30-day bed-and-breakfasting rule, and finally the pooling method (the Section 104 pool) for anything that remains. Each of these steps requires accurate records of acquisition date, cost in sterling, and disposal proceeds in sterling at the date of transaction.
Annual exempt amount
The CGT annual exempt amount for individuals has been reduced significantly in recent years. For 2023 to 2024, the exempt amount was £6,000. It fell further to £3,000 for 2024 to 2025. Anyone with net gains above their exempt amount is required to report and pay CGT. The lower exempt amount means more crypto holders are pulled into the reporting requirement than would have been the case even two or three years ago.
Rates
For cryptoassets, CGT is charged at 18% for basic-rate taxpayers and 24% for higher and additional-rate taxpayers on gains arising from 30 October 2024 onwards, following the rate changes announced in the Autumn Budget 2024. Gains realised before that date were charged at the previous rates of 10% and 20% respectively.
Practical Implications for Individual Filers
If you traded, swapped, or spent crypto during the 2023 to 2024 tax year and have not yet filed a Self Assessment return, you are now overdue. The filing deadline for paper returns passed on 31 October 2024, and the online deadline was 31 January 2025. Late filing penalties and interest will be accruing.
What you need to do now
Start by pulling together a complete record of every disposal in the tax year. You need the date of each transaction, the sterling value of proceeds received, and the sterling cost of the asset at the time you acquired it. If you used multiple exchanges or wallets, you need to reconcile across all of them before you can apply the matching rules correctly.
Once you have your gain figure, compare it against the annual exempt amount for the relevant year. If your net gains exceed the exempt amount, you need to report them on a Self Assessment return. If you have not yet registered for Self Assessment, you should do so. HMRC's own guidance on registering and filing is the authoritative starting point.
Records and the pooling calculation
The Section 104 pool calculation is the most commonly mishandled aspect of UK crypto tax. Every acquisition and disposal of the same coin or token must go through the pool, and the average cost basis of the pool changes with every transaction. Getting this wrong can either overstate or understate your gain, both of which create problems. Overstating means paying too much tax. Understating creates a risk of HMRC enquiry and a potential penalty for inaccurate returns.
Keep records for at least four years after the relevant tax year end. HMRC can open an enquiry within that window, and if a loss relief claim is involved, the records need to be retained for longer.
What This Means for Accountants and Tax Advisers
The addition of Table 10 to the official CGT statistics has direct relevance for firms advising clients with cryptoasset holdings.
Benchmarking and risk profiling
Once the underlying data in Table 10 is published in full, advisers will be able to see how many taxpayers are reporting crypto gains at a national level and the aggregate scale of those gains. If your client population has a high proportion of crypto holders but a lower-than-expected compliance rate relative to national figures, that is a risk signal worth addressing proactively rather than reactively.
Documentation standards
HMRC's willingness to dedicate a named table in accredited statistics to cryptoassets signals that enquiries and compliance checks in this area will become more, not less, common. Advisers should ensure clients have complete transaction records and that the Section 104 pool calculation is defensible on paper. A return that shows a crypto gain without supporting workings is a return that is harder to defend in an enquiry.
The MTD connection
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is bringing more clients into digital record-keeping, and that infrastructure will eventually make it easier to track crypto income events such as staking rewards and airdrops alongside disposal gains. Firms that establish robust crypto data processes now are better placed as MTD requirements expand. For more on how MTD affects crypto holders specifically, see our article on HMRC auto-enrolling taxpayers in MTD for Income Tax.
It is also worth keeping in mind the context of HMRC's wider crypto compliance activity. The department has been running an active nudge letter campaign targeting crypto holders who may not have reported gains correctly. Our earlier report on HMRC's 81,000 crypto warning letters covers what those letters mean and what to do if a client receives one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HMRC now have specific data on every crypto trader in the UK?
Table 10 contains estimated aggregate statistics, not individual-level data. However, HMRC does collect transaction-level information from UK-registered exchanges and has issued information notices to offshore platforms. The statistical table reflects what has been reported through Self Assessment; it does not represent the full universe of crypto activity HMRC is aware of.
I only made a small crypto gain. Do I still need to report it?
If your total net gains across all assets in the tax year exceeded the annual exempt amount (£6,000 for 2023 to 2024, £3,000 for 2024 to 2025), you are required to report them. If your gains were below the exempt amount but your total disposal proceeds exceeded four times the exempt amount, you may still have a reporting obligation. Check HMRC's current Self Assessment thresholds to confirm your position.
What if I made a loss on crypto? Can I claim it against other gains?
Yes. Allowable capital losses on cryptoasset disposals can be set against other capital gains in the same tax year, or carried forward to offset gains in future years. You must report the loss on a Self Assessment return for it to be formally recognised by HMRC, even if you have no tax to pay in the year the loss arose.
How do I calculate the sterling value of a crypto transaction?
HMRC requires you to use the sterling value of the crypto at the date of the transaction. For exchange trades, that is typically the exchange rate at the time of the trade. For peer-to-peer transactions or wallet transfers that are deemed disposals, you need a reliable source for the sterling price on that date. Keep records of the source you used, whether that is an exchange price feed or another consistent reference.
Will HMRC's new crypto statistics table affect my tax rate or liabilities directly?
No. The statistics publication is a reporting and transparency exercise; it does not change the underlying law or rates. Your liability is determined by the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 and the annual Finance Acts. What the table does is increase HMRC's institutional visibility of the crypto sector, which over time is likely to inform compliance and enforcement priorities.