Crypto tax in Uruguay in 2026

7 min read · Published 6 October 2026 · Updated 7 October 2026

From 2026 a resident pays 12% on gains from selling coins, including on foreign exchanges; gains accrued before the end of 2025 are not taxed. New residents can choose the non-resident regime for 11 years. How to calculate it and what to declare.

Item	In 2026
Rate for individuals	12% on gains
Foreign exchanges	taxed from 1 January 2026
Coins bought before 2026	cost is the value on 31 December 2025
New residents from 2026	may choose the non-resident regime for 11 years
Mining and trading as a business	25% on company profit
Residency	183 days a year or centre of interests
Data exchange	under the common standard for account information

Data checked 2026-10-07

Until 2026 Uruguay was one of the most convenient countries for crypto holders: residents paid income tax only on Uruguayan income, and gains on foreign exchanges were not taxed. The 2025-2029 budget law changed that: from 1 January 2026 a resident pays the 12% capital income tax also on gains from selling assets located abroad, and crypto counts as such an asset as intangible movable property.

For coins bought before 2026 the cost is their value on 31 December 2025, so gains accrued earlier are not taxed. The tax service is still preparing detailed implementing rules and suspended withholding and advance payments on foreign income for the first months of 2026.

Who pays crypto tax in Uruguay

A Uruguayan tax resident is someone who spends more than 183 days in the country in a calendar year, or whose centre of economic or vital interests is here, for example main investments or business, spouse and children. A resident pays tax on Uruguayan income and, from 2026, on gains from selling foreign assets.

Those who become tax residents on or after 1 January 2026 get a choice under the law: to pay tax on capital income as a non-resident in the year of the choice and the following ten years. A non-resident is taxed only on Uruguayan income, so gains on foreign exchanges are not taxed during those 11 years.

A non-resident pays tax in Uruguay only on Uruguayan income, such as gains on local platforms.

More on income, property and business taxes on the Uruguay taxes page.

How to calculate crypto income

Tax is calculated on the gain: sale price minus cost. The rate is 12%. For coins bought before 2026 the cost is their value on 31 December 2025, so it is worth recording it with exchange statements for that date.

Gains on Uruguayan platforms were taxed before as well, and from 2026 gains on foreign exchanges were added. The tax service is issuing detailed rules on foreign income in stages, so calculations should be checked against the latest guidance.

Records are kept per exchange and wallet: in an audit the tax office asks for trade statements and proof of cost.

Situation	Calculation	Tax
Bought coins in 2026 for $10,000, sold for $15,000	$5,000 × 12%	$600
Coins bought in 2024 for $8,000, worth $14,000 on 31 December 2025, sold for $15,000	($15,000 - $14,000) × 12%	$120
A $3,000 gain on a Uruguayan platform	$3,000 × 12%	$360
A 2026 new resident chose the non-resident regime, $20,000 gain on a foreign exchange	foreign income untaxed for 11 years	$0
Mining through a Uruguayan company with a $10,000 profit	$10,000 × 25%	$2,500

Amounts in US dollars in 2026. The tax service is refining the rules on foreign income by resolutions, so we calculate the total under the guidance in force on the transaction date.

From 2026 Uruguay taxes gains on foreign exchanges at 12%, but new residents can get an 11-year relief

The usual mistakes are in three places: assuming gains on foreign exchanges are still untaxed, although from 2026 a resident pays 12% on them, not recording the value of coins on 31 December 2025 and overpaying tax on past gains, and new residents not using the right to choose the non-resident regime for capital income. We collect trades from all exchanges, calculate the tax, check eligibility for the relief and prepare the return and a package for the bank.

The cost of support depends on the number of trades and platforms; a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Get a support quote

Mining and staking

Mining and crypto trading as a business are taxed under the tax on economic activity income at 25% of profit after equipment and electricity costs. Such activity is usually run through a Uruguayan company.

Staking rewards should be recorded at their value on the date received: it will be needed to calculate the gain on sale and in dealings with the tax office.

If a salary or fee is paid in crypto, that is employment income on the ordinary income tax scale.

Cashing out crypto and moving it to a bank

You can sell crypto for dollars or pesos through platforms supervised by the Central Bank of Uruguay and withdraw the money to a Uruguayan account. The withdrawal itself is not taxed.

Uruguayan banks check the origin of money from exchanges strictly: you need trade statements, deposit history and proof of where the money for the first purchases came from. Dollar accounts are convenient in Uruguay, and many payments, including rent and property purchases, are made in dollars.

Anyone moving with coins should record their value on the date residency begins and on 31 December 2025 if the coins were bought earlier.

Crypto account data sharing

Uruguay exchanges information on foreign financial accounts under the common standard, and platforms supervised by the Central Bank report client data to the regulator.

For holders this means money in foreign accounts and trades on local platforms are visible to the tax office, and the amounts in the return must match them.

If taxable gains were not declared in past years, it is safer to correct them yourself before the tax office sends a request.

Licences for crypto companies in Uruguay

The 2024 virtual assets law placed virtual asset service providers under the supervision of the Central Bank of Uruguay: companies that exchange, hold or transfer clients' crypto register with it and meet anti-money laundering requirements.

A Uruguayan company's profit is taxed at 25%. A comparison of countries for a licence is in our article on the crypto licence.

A project without Uruguayan clients usually finds a licence in another country more convenient.

Murblz sets up crypto companies and licences in these services: crypto licence: countries and costs, crypto licence in Estonia, BVI company with a virtual asset service provider licence.

This topic in other countries

Crypto tax in other countries:

Taxes, relocation and business in this country:

Where crypto is not taxed at all is covered in countries with no crypto tax.

FAQ

What is the crypto tax in Uruguay in 2026?

12% on gains from selling coins, including on foreign exchanges from 1 January 2026.

Are gains on foreign exchanges taxed in Uruguay?

From 2026, yes, a resident pays 12% on them. Before 2026 such gains were not taxed.

Are gains accrued before 2026 taxed?

No, for coins bought earlier the cost is their value on 31 December 2025.

Is there a relief for new residents in Uruguay?

Yes, those who became resident from 2026 can pay tax on capital income as non-residents in the year of the choice and the following 10 years, meaning no tax on foreign gains.

How is mining taxed in Uruguay?

As an activity, under the tax on economic activity income at 25% of profit, usually through a company.

Who is a Uruguayan tax resident?

Someone who spends more than 183 days in the country in a year or whose centre of economic or vital interests is here.

Do crypto businesses in Uruguay need registration?

Yes, virtual asset service providers register with the Central Bank of Uruguay.

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Programs

Programs in Uruguay

Citizenship by birth

Crypto tax in Uruguay in 2026

Who pays crypto tax in Uruguay

How to calculate crypto income

Mining and staking

Cashing out crypto and moving it to a bank

Crypto account data sharing

Licences for crypto companies in Uruguay

This topic in other countries

FAQ

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

Programs in Uruguay

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