How is crypto staking taxed in the UK?
In most cases, staking rewards are treated as miscellaneous income at their GBP value when you receive them, and are subject to Income Tax. That same value becomes the acquisition cost of the coins received, so when you later sell or trade them, Capital Gains Tax applies to any change in value since receipt. Because staking spans both Income Tax and CGT, a calculator that only handles disposals can't capture it automatically — you need to record the income side separately.
The two tax events
Staking creates two separate taxable moments. First, receipt: the sterling value of the reward on the day it arrives is income — for most individuals, miscellaneous income (declared on your Self Assessment). Second, disposal: when you eventually sell or swap those reward coins, the difference between the sale value and their value at receipt is a capital gain or loss.
The receipt value doing double duty — income now, cost basis later — is the detail people miss. If you don't record the GBP value on the day each reward lands, you can't compute either tax correctly.
Miscellaneous income vs trading
HMRC's default position for individuals is miscellaneous income. Only in exceptional cases — organisation, scale and commerciality resembling a business — would staking amount to a financial trade taxed under trading rules. Most retail stakers are firmly in miscellaneous territory.
The trading allowance (£1,000 of miscellaneous/trading income per year) can cover small staking income entirely — if your total miscellaneous income is under £1,000 you may have nothing to declare on the income side. The CGT side still applies on disposal.
Practical record-keeping
For every reward, record:
- Date received, token, and quantity
- GBP market value at receipt (this is both your income figure and your future cost basis)
- Which pool it joins — reward coins enter that token's Section 104 pool at their receipt value
Run your own numbers — free
Our calculator applies these rules to your transactions and shows the full working for every disposal — same-day, 30-day and Section 104 matching, per tax year.
Open the calculator →Frequently asked questions
Is unstaking a taxable event?
Returning your own staked coins to your wallet is not usually a disposal, provided beneficial ownership never left you. Whether it did can depend on the protocol's mechanics — this is the murky edge where DeFi guidance applies.
What if the reward token crashes before I sell?
You still owed Income Tax on its value at receipt. The fall in value becomes a capital loss when you dispose — it doesn't retroactively reduce the income.
Can this calculator handle my staking?
It calculates the disposal (CGT) side: enter reward coins as acquisitions at their GBP value on receipt. The income side must be reported separately — and if staking is a big part of your activity, dedicated software or an adviser is worthwhile.
Sources & methodology
Tool v0.2.0 · sources last checked 6 July 2026. This guide is general information, not tax or financial advice — verify your position with a qualified professional before filing.