Sell now or after 5 April. The boundary is worth real money.
The UK tax year ends on 5 April, and a disposal one day either side of it meets a different allowance, a different year of income for your rate band, and a payment date a full year apart. None of that changes what your crypto is worth, all of it changes what you keep.
Price both sides on your own numbers
Same gain, both dates, side by side, and the split that uses two allowances. It runs on this page in your browser, nothing you type is transmitted anywhere.
Four figures and both columns fill in.
- The gain on the disposal
- Allowance already used, zero is fine
- Your income this tax year
- Expected income next tax year
Runs on this page in your browser, nothing is transmitted. The copy link keeps your figures in the fragment after the # symbol, which browsers never send to any server, ours included. Both columns price the same gain, so this is only worth acting on if you were selling anyway.
The three levers, plainly
The allowance resets. £3,000 of net gains is exempt each year and the unused part dies on 5 April. Selling either side of the boundary can put two allowances against one position, £6,000 of exempt gain instead of £3,000.
The rate band resets. Crypto gains are taxed at 18% inside your basic-rate band and 24% above it, measured against that year's income. A year where your income dips, a sabbatical, a startup year, is a cheaper year to realise gains.
The payment date moves a full year. Realise a gain by 5 April 2027 and the tax is due 31 January 2028. Realise it on 6 April 2027 and the same tax is due 31 January 2029. That is a year of your money staying yours.
Price it against your real history
The tool above works on a gain you already know. The app's what-if tool runs a hypothetical sale through the full matching rules, section 104 pool and all, and shows the tax delta today. Two runs, one decision, no spreadsheet. Your remaining allowance for this year is on the CGT allowance tracker.
Run a what-if saleThe honest caution
Tax timing is only free when you were selling anyway. Holding a falling asset to save 24% of a shrinking gain is how people lose 100% chasing 24%. Decide the sale on its merits, then let the calendar pick the date within reason, and if a rebuy is part of the plan, respect the 30-day rule, the first clear day is day 31.
Common questions
What actually changes if I sell after 5 April instead of before?
Three things. The gain lands in the next tax year, so a fresh £3,000 allowance can cover part of it. Your marginal rate band resets against next year’s income. And the tax falls due a full year later, gains realised by 5 April 2027 are due 31 January 2028, gains realised from 6 April 2027 are due 31 January 2029.
Does waiting always save tax?
No. Prices move more than allowances, and holding an asset you would otherwise sell is a market decision wearing a tax excuse. Timing helps when you were selling either way and the date is flexible by weeks, not when it turns into holding for months.
Can I split a sale across the boundary?
Yes, and it is often the right answer, sell enough this side to use this year’s allowance and the rest after 6 April against next year’s. Two allowances instead of one. The comparison on this page prices the split alongside the two straight options.
Does the 30-day rule matter here?
If you plan to rebuy what you sell, yes. A rebuy within 30 days matches against the sale and undoes the effect. The first clear day is day 31.
How is the tax on each side worked out?
The gain is reduced by whatever annual exempt amount that tax year still has, £3,000 a year, then taxed at 18% for as much of it as fits inside your basic-rate band and 24% above. The band is £37,700 of taxable income above the £12,570 personal allowance, so the higher rate starts at £50,270 of income.
Allowance, gov.uk, CGT allowances, deadlines, gov.uk, self assessment deadlines, both accessed 22 August 2026. General information, not personal tax advice.