Free for accountants and tax advisers
Get complete crypto records from clients, first time
A free, editable preparation guide to send clients before their crypto tax meeting. It finds the forgotten exchanges, wallets and HMRC letters, and tells clients exactly which records to gather.
- Add your firm's name, return date and upload link
- Google Docs, Word or PDF. No Recap account needed
- Updated for the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF)
Get the guide by email
We'll send you links to copy it in Google Docs or download it as Word or PDF.
What the guide asks your clients
Twelve short checklists that walk a client through everything you need to establish their full crypto history, before you start the calculation.
- 1
Their crypto activity at a glance
What they hold, when they started, which tax years were active, years spent abroad and a rough transaction count.
- 2
Everywhere crypto has been held
Every exchange, wallet, DeFi protocol, chain and bridge, including closed accounts and accounts in someone else's name.
- 3
The records you need
Complete CSV exports for every year, public wallet addresses, bank statements and previous reports, sent as downloaded.
- 4
What they did with it
Sales, swaps, transfers, gifts, spending, derivatives, lending, liquidity, NFTs and token sales.
- 5
Crypto they received
Airdrops, forks, staking and mining rewards, yield, referral bonuses, gifts and inheritances.
- 6
Crypto as payment for work
Employer awards, freelance income, and mining or staking at a scale that looks like a business.
- 7
Losses and compensation
Lost keys, hacks, scams and platform collapses such as FTX and Celsius, with the evidence to support a claim.
- 8
Previous calculations
Which software or adviser worked it out before, and the data those figures were based on.
- 9
Reporting and HMRC contact
Self Assessment history, earlier disclosures, nudge letters, enquiries and any deadlines they carry.
- 10
Who really owns it
Joint holdings, crypto held for others, and anything held through a company, partnership or trust.
- 11
The wider tax position
Other gains, losses and income in the same years, which decide the allowance and the rate.
- 12
Anything they left out
The old wallet, the forgotten airdrop, the one-off swap and the transaction they thought was too small.
Why complete records matter more now
Since 1 January 2026, UK crypto exchanges and other service providers have been collecting user and transaction data under the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework. Their first reports, for the 2026 calendar year, are due to HMRC by 31 May 2027, and HMRC will exchange data with overseas tax authorities from 2027.
HMRC's Guidelines for Compliance 13 set out what it expects of a correct and complete return, including the evidence behind the figures.
A gain from a single exchange or tax tool rarely tells the whole story. The guide explains why to clients in plain English, so you receive the underlying records rather than a headline number.
Your firm on the front page
Placeholders for the client's name, your contact details, the date you need answers back and your secure upload link. Edit anything else you like.
Works with or without Recap
The guide stands on its own. If your clients use Recap, a closing page explains read-only connections and how to share their data with you.
Written for clients
Tick-box checklists, a glossary of crypto terms, and clear security advice: you only ever need read-only data, never a seed phrase.
“An essential tool that I strongly recommend to all my crypto clients. The reports provide all the info needed to record my client's gains and losses on their tax returns.”
Louise Lane, Associate Director, Wright Vigar Chartered Accountants
Questions about the guide
Is the guide free?
Yes. Fill in the form and we'll email you links to make your own copy in Google Docs or download it as a Word document or PDF.
Can I add my firm's name and branding?
Yes. The front page has placeholders for your firm's name and contact details, the return date and your secure upload link. Your copy is yours to edit, so you can add your logo or change anything else.
Do my clients need to use Recap?
No. The guide works on its own for gathering records. It closes with an optional page for clients you have asked to use Recap, explaining read-only exchange connections and how to share their data with you.
Is it UK-specific?
Yes. It is written for UK tax: it uses UK tax years (6 April to 5 April) and covers HMRC's Self Assessment, nudge letters and enquiries, and the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework.
Will the guide be updated?
Yes. We revise it as HMRC guidance and the reporting rules change. The current version is 8.0 (September 2026). Tick the updates box on the form and we'll email you when a new version is out.
Is the guide tax advice?
No. It is general information that helps clients gather the facts and records. You decide the tax treatment and advise the client.
Let Recap gather the records for you
Recap pulls your clients' exchange and wallet history into one place, matches transfers between their own accounts and flags missing acquisitions, ready for your review.