Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the revenue that the digital assets sector could potentially bring to the public purse.

The Government is committed to a global leadership in fintech and to creating a regulatory environment for digital assets in which firms can innovate, while allowing people to use new technologies both reliably and safely. The Cryptoassets Taskforce, consisting of HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is exploring the impact of cryptoassets, the potential benefits and challenges of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in financial services; as well as assessing what, if any, regulation is required in response.

Businesses trading in or using digital assets are taxed on their trading profits. Where a person realises chargeable gains from increases in value of digital assets, capital gains tax (CGT) or Corporation Tax on Chargeable Gains may be due. If CGT applies, only chargeable gains above the Annual Exempt Amount are taxed.