The UK’s approach to taxing digital assets is increasingly causing friction among crypto users. The main issues stem from how the tax authority, HMRC, classifies crypto and imposes what many see as burdensome requirements for logging transactions and disclosing personal data.
In a BeInCrypto podcast, Susie Violet Ward, CEO of Bitcoin Policy UK, warned that the country’s current tax and regulatory policies seriously threaten the crypto industry. As she sees it, without urgent reforms, these rules risk permanently reversing the industry’s growth in the UK.
A Cryptocurrency Conundrum
In the United Kingdom, cryptocurrency users express serious concerns about the regulatory environment, citing issues like over-regulation, de-banking, and a general lack of clarity. At the heart of these problems is how the nation’s tax authorities view and treat digital assets, which many argue hinders the industry’s growth.
The challenges facing UK crypto users are numerous, ranging from the improper categorization of digital assets and strict caps on capital gains allowance to significant privacy concerns.
The Bitcoin vs. “Crypto” Divide
For many advocates, the most fundamental flaw in the UK’s approach is the lack of a clear distinction between Bitcoin and thousands of other crypto assets.
While the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has a token taxonomy, it broadly classifies Bitcoin as an “exchange token,” applying a blanket regulatory lens to all cryptocurrencies.
Ward argued that this one-size-fits-all approach is misguided because Bitcoin and other crypto projects fundamentally differ.
That fundamental disconnect in classification has a very real-world impact on how the government treats every transaction for tax purposes.
The ‘Swap’ Problem and the Burden of Tracking
For UK crypto investors, a major tax issue stems from how tax authorities classify digital assets. The UK’s tax body, HMRC, doesn’t see cryptocurrencies as money. Instead, it treats them as property or assets, like stocks or jewelry.
This key distinction has a significant consequence: every time a user gets rid of an asset, it’s considered a disposal, which can trigger a tax event. This event is particularly burdensome with crypto swaps, which involve exchanging one cryptocurrency for another.
While a user might see this as a single, simple trade, HMRC views it as two separate, taxable events. One effectively “sells” one asset and then “buys” a new one.
Even without a penny of cash changing hands, one must calculate the capital gain or loss on the asset one disposes of, using its value in British Pounds at that moment. This rule also obligates active traders to keep a detailed log of every transaction they make.
Meanwhile, the tax-free profit allowance for UK crypto investors continues to shrink, requiring them to pay taxes on a smaller amount of their gains than in previous years.
A Diminishing Capital Gains Allowance
Beyond the intricacies of crypto saps, the UK’s tax policy is creating another hurdle for investors: the diminishing Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowance. The term refers to a person’s profit from selling assets, including crypto, before paying tax.
In a move that has drawn strong criticism from crypto advocates, the UK government has systematically slashed this allowance over three years. It went from £12,300 in 2022 to £6,000 for 2023, down to £3,000 a year later.
Ward argued that this reduction is a significant disincentive for anyone looking to invest. From an economic standpoint, she believes the policy is counterproductive.
Ward added that the UK is already seeing high-net-worth individuals and successful investors relocate to more tax-friendly jurisdictions like the United Arab Emirates, the United States, or Singapore.
Ultimately, such a tax reduction creates a financial burden on large and small investors and a flawed economic strategy that could eventually harm the UK’s long-term fiscal health.
Other recent changes in the UK’s tax authority’s approach to crypto tax have raised significant concerns regarding data privacy and security.
Privacy, Surveillance, and the “Honey Pot” of Data
Starting in January 2026, UK crypto platforms will be required to share user data with HMRC, a shift causing anxiety among many in the crypto community due to significant privacy concerns.
This new requirement is part of the UK’s adoption of the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global standard developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to combat tax evasion.
Previously, the UK’s approach to crypto tax compliance relied primarily on voluntary disclosure from individuals. Under the new CARF framework, the responsibility for reporting is shifting to the platforms themselves, providing HMRC with a direct and comprehensive stream of transactional data.
Next year, crypto service providers must collect and report their users’ comprehensive identity and transaction data. Details include names, dates of birth, addresses, and tax identification numbers, which HMRC will use to cross-reference with self-assessment tax returns and identify potential non-compliance.
In that event, scammers fraudulently claimed £47 million in tax repayments from HMRC. They achieved this by using personal data to create or hijack around 100,000 HMRC online accounts.
According to Ward, this concern is not merely theoretical.
The CARF framework isn’t the only existing rule that would increase data recollection among crypto taxpayers.
The FATF Travel Rule: A Misguided Effort?
To align the crypto sector with traditional finance, the UK government implemented the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Travel Rule for crypto businesses in September 2023. This move directly responded to global standards set by the FATF, the international body that lays out anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures.
The rule mandates that these businesses collect and share personal information about the senders and recipients of crypto transfers. The motivation came after the FATF identified a growing risk in the crypto sector due to its pseudonymous nature and ease of cross-border transfers.
The UK’s adherence to this standard was intended to demonstrate its commitment to global norms. Unlike some countries, the UK has no minimum transaction threshold, meaning the rule applies to all crypto transfers regardless of value.
First established for wire transfers, the FAFT Travel Rule has not eliminated these risks in the traditional banking system. While the rule adds a layer of transparency, criminals have continued to find ways to move illicit funds, demonstrating that it’s not a foolproof solution.
Ward challenged the logic of applying this rule to crypto, arguing that its effectiveness in traditional finance is questionable.
With so much at stake, the debate over the UK’s crypto tax policies is entering a critical new phase.
A Call for Change
Ward’s issues stem from a regulatory framework widely seen as ill-suited to decentralized technologies’ unique properties. These policies are not just bureaucratic hurdles. In the view of many crypto advocates, they are actively deterring investment, innovation, and talent from the UK.
In the meantime, the number of crypto users across the United Kingdom continues to grow. Recent data from the FCA indicates that around 12% of UK adults now own or have owned crypto, a significant increase from just 4% in 2021.
As adoption continues to increase, the conversation surrounding how crypto is taxed will undoubtedly intensify.
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Source: https://beincrypto.com/uk-crypto-tax-confusion-driving-users-away/
