“This exemption is an important factor in attracting global investors, meaning foreign investors won’t be brought into U.K. tax simply by appointing U.K.-based investment managers,” the government’s tax arm, the HM Revenue and Customs, said in an email to CoinDesk. “To build upon the U.K.’s position as an investment management hub, this exemption has been extended to include crypto assets, so that funds which include them aren’t put off from appointing U.K. managers.”
Parliament is debating the wide ranging Financial Services and Markets Bill that would give local financial regulators more powers over crypto if passed into law. The U.K. Treasury also plans to kick-start a consultation in the coming weeks on how the crypto sector can be regulated.