Cryptocurrency as an investment
If you acquire cryptocurrency as an investment, you may have to pay tax on any capital gain you make on disposal of the cryptocurrency.
You will make a capital gain if the capital proceeds from the disposal of the cryptocurrency are more than its cost base. Even if the market value of your cryptocurrency changes, you do not make a capital gain or loss until you dispose of it.
If you hold the cryptocurrency as an investment, you will not be entitled to the personal use asset exemption. However, if you hold your cryptocurrency as an investment for 12 months or more, you may be entitled to the CGT discount to reduce a capital gain you make when you dispose of it.
If you have a net capital loss, you can use it to reduce a capital gain you make in a later year. You can’t deduct a net capital loss from your other income.
You must keep records of each cryptocurrency transaction to work out whether you have a made a capital gain or loss from each CGT event.
Example:
Terry has been a long-term investor in shares and has a range of holdings in various public companies in a balanced portfolio of high and low risk investments. Some of his holdings are income producing and some are not. He adjusts his portfolio frequently at the advice of his adviser.
Recently, Terry’s adviser told him that he should invest in cryptocurrency. On that advice, Terry purchased a number of different cryptocurrencies which he has added to his portfolio. Terry doesn’t know much about cryptocurrency but, as with all of his investments, he adjusts his portfolio from time to time in accordance with appropriate investment weightings.
If Terry sells some of his cryptocurrency, the proceeds would be subject to CGT because he has acquired and held his cryptocurrency as an investment.
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