Giving Crypto Away in the UK: Spouse, Charity and Family

Updated 17 October 2026

General information only, not tax advice. We are not HMRC and are not affiliated with it. Check GOV.UK and your platform. Last checked against GOV.UK: 17 October 2026. Anything marked expected should be re-checked. Examples use made-up figures. Do not enter personal identifiers (National Insurance number, UTR, name, date of birth) on this site. This page contains no affiliate links.

Short answer: GOV.UK lists "giving them to another person (unless it's a gift to your spouse, civil partner or charity)" as a way you can dispose of tokens and trigger Capital Gains Tax. HMRC's manual says that if you give tokens to someone who isn't a spouse or civil partner, you work out the sterling value of what was given, and for CGT you're treated as having received that amount even though you received nothing.

Gifts to family and friends

Disposal at market value. Made-up example: your share of the pooled cost is £1,000; you give tokens worth £4,000 to a friend. Treated proceeds £4,000, gain £3,000, before the £3,000 allowance (allowance) and any other gains.
GOV.UK adds that the market value is also used when assets are transferred between connected persons (examples include parents, children, siblings, business partners, a company you control).
Losses: you can't deduct a loss on giving, selling or disposing of an asset to a family member or connected person unless you're offsetting a gain from the same person.

Spouse or civil partner

GOV.UK's CGT page says you usually don't pay CGT on assets you give or sell to your spouse or civil partner, and you can't claim losses against these assets.

Charity

HMRC's manual says donating tokens to charity means no CGT, with two exceptions: a "tainted donation", and where you dispose of tokens to the charity for more than the acquisition cost and so realise a gain.

Gifts of tokens you received as income

If Income Tax was already charged on the value when you received the tokens, section 37 TCGA 1992 reduces the consideration by the amount already subject to Income Tax (CRYPTO22100). See income from crypto.

Records

Date, token type, number given, sterling value and how you valued it, and recipient (so the spouse/connected-person status is clear).

FAQ

Is moving tokens to my own other wallet a gift? No: CRYPTO22100 says that's not a disposal if you keep beneficial ownership.

What about Inheritance Tax? Not covered here.

What we could not verify

Uncertain. These points were not confirmed on the pages read. A re-check of the GOV.UK CARF pages is planned for 1 December 2026.

Inheritance Tax on gifts (not read).
What a "tainted donation" is and the Gift Aid or other charity-relief rules (CG66620P not read).
The meaning of "same capacity" and cases of joint ownership or gifts into trust.
How to value tokens when exchanges quote different prices (HMRC's valuation guidance not read).

Sources (official)

HMRC Cryptoassets Manual, CRYPTO22100, Capital Gains Tax: what is a disposal — https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto22100 (read in full 17 October 2026)
GOV.UK (HMRC), Check if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets (last updated 5 October 2026) — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-pay-tax-when-you-sell-cryptoassets (read in full 17 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Capital Gains Tax: If you make a loss — https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/losses (read in full 17 October 2026)

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