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2023-11-23

How Investing vs Trading impacts tax

In most cases of buying and selling cryptocurrency as a retail investor, you are participating in investing rather than trading. The two are treated differently for tax purposes.

  • Investing is subject to capital gains tax or income tax, depending on the nature of the transaction.
  • Trading in this case refers to self-employment which is subject to income tax and National Insurance Contributions.

The key difference between investing and trading – along with the different tax treatments, is how losses generated in the crypto-activity can be used.

In their guidance, HMRC have explicitly stated that they would expect it to be exceedingly rare that any crypto-activity constituting buying & selling crypto would be classified as “trading”.

If you are uncertain, speak to a tax advisor as there are always exceptions, including but not limited to, developing tokens and large scale mining.

How is crypto tax calculated in the United States?

You can be liable for both capital gains and income tax depending on the type of cryptocurrency transaction, and your individual circumstances. For example, you might need to pay capital gains on profits from buying and selling cryptocurrency, or pay income tax on interest earned when holding crypto.

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BGL Integration Guide

We are proud to announce that we’ve integrated with BGL, a trusted cloud-based SMSF management tool favoured by accountants.

Key takeaways
This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update  
CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail

We are proud to announce that we’ve integrated with BGL, a trusted cloud-based SMSF management tool favoured by accountants.

In the fast-paced realm of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), change is constant, bringing both challenges and opportunities. The SMSF landscape evolves continuously, and cryptocurrencies have added an intriguing layer of complexity in recent years.

Follow these steps to connect your SMSF to Crypto Tax Calculator and export this data into BGL’s Simple Fund 360 platform:

  1. Sign up to Crypto Tax Calculator

If you haven’t yet, head over to our homepage where you can create a free Crypto Tax Calculator account.

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NOTE: If you have an existing Crypto Tax Calculator account, you will need to create a second, separate SMSF account.

  1. Connect your exchanges & wallets

In the ‘Integrations’ page, import all your different crypto exchanges and wallets which your SMSF account has interacted with.

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NOTE: Make sure to only import your SMSF transactions and don’t mix these up with transactions you’ve done on your other personal accounts.

  1. Review any outstanding transactions

Go to the ‘Review’ page to check to see if there are any transactions that you need to reconcile.

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If you need further information on the review process, please check our help guide here.

  1. Download the BGL tax report

In the ‘Reports’ page, scroll down to where you see the option to download the reports. In here, you’ll see the ‘BGL Simple Fund 360 Data Export’ report.

Click the ‘XML’ button to the right of it then this should be saved to your Downloads folder.

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  1. Import BGL tax report into your Simple Fund 360 platform

Log into your BGL Simple Fund 360 account then import the XML file.

Voila! Once uploaded, the report will sync with your BGL account.

The information provided on this website is general in nature and is not tax, accounting or legal advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs and seek professional advice. Crypto Tax Calculator disclaims all and any guarantees, undertakings and warranties, expressed or implied, and is not liable for any loss or damage whatsoever (including human or computer error, negligent or otherwise, or incidental or Consequential Loss or damage) arising out of, or in connection with, any use or reliance on the information or advice in this website. The user must accept sole responsibility associated with the use of the material on this site, irrespective of the purpose for which such use or results are applied. The information in this website is no substitute for specialist advice.

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