{"id":788,"date":"2022-07-10T08:08:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-10T08:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxtribe.co.uk\/?p=788"},"modified":"2022-07-10T08:08:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-10T08:08:21","slug":"what-exactly-are-nfts-and-what-are-their-tax-implications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taxtribe.co.uk\/what-exactly-are-nfts-and-what-are-their-tax-implications\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly Are NFTs, and What Are Their Tax Implications?"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019ve been reading the news lately, then you\u2019ve heard of NFTs: non-fungible tokens. Essentially, these are unique pieces of code that underlie a piece of digital media, such as a photo, artwork, song or video. While the media can be viewed and shared by anyone, owning the NFT gives the buyer exclusive ownership of the original. In Luddite terms, it\u2019s like buying Michelangelo\u2019s David and putting it on public display.<\/span><\/p>\n From one angle, this just makes historical sense. People have always put their money to good use by buying art and supporting artists. But NFTs are very new, and it isn\u2019t always obvious how they fit with the more traditional understanding of assets (for buyers) and income sources (for sellers). We\u2019ll demystify some of that in this post.<\/span><\/p>\n NFTs and HMRC<\/b><\/p>\n As with cryptocurrencies, it took a little while for the legal and tax establishment to catch up with the existence of NFTs. However, while this is a fast-moving area of legislation, the principles at work are relatively straightforward. They can be outlined as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n Between the lines<\/b><\/p>\n In outline then, NFTs are treated like any other asset when it comes to taxation. The fact that they are entirely digital does not mean that they \u201cdon\u2019t count\u201d when it comes to filling in your tax return! If you need any proof of this, HMRC recently <\/span>seized three NFTs<\/span><\/a> as part of a VAT fraud case.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the law is evolving fast and individual cases can pose specific issues. Questions of ownership and intellectual property are still being worked out, and these, too, have an impact on exactly how a transaction involving NFTs will be taxed. If you\u2019re buying, selling or creating NFTs, it\u2019s always a good idea to talk to a specialist accountant who can provide reliable, up-to-date advice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n