Historical Exchange Rate Checker
Check what exchange rates were on a specific past date. Great for comparing old receipts or comparing costs.
Looking Up Past Exchange Rates - When and Why
Pick a base and target currency, enter a date (any date back to 1999 for euro pairs, back to the early 1990s for most major currencies), and the tool returns the closing rate from the European Central Bank's reference series via Frankfurter, plus today's rate for comparison. GBP/USD on 14 June 2016 was 1.4150; today it might be 1.2480 - useful if you are filling in a 2016 expense report or working out CGT on a foreign asset bought 8 years ago.
The data source is the ECB's daily reference rate, published each working day at 16:00 CET. It is the same rate HMRC accepts for self-assessment, the rate financial institutions use for accounts in foreign currency, and the rate court-appointed valuers use for disputes. It is not a market-execution rate (the rate you would actually transact at, which includes a spread of 0.5-2%) but it is the canonical reference for tax, accounting and reporting purposes.
Tax Returns and Foreign Income
HMRC requires foreign income to be reported in pounds at the exchange rate "on the date the income arose". For employment income this is normally the date of receipt; for capital gains it is the disposal date; for dividends it is the ex-dividend date. If you sold a US property on 18 March 2024, you need GBP/USD on 18 March 2024, not today's rate, and not the average for the year. HMRC publishes monthly average and yearly average rates as a permitted alternative for some income types, but for one-off transactions the spot rate on the day is the rule.
Use this checker to find that exact rate, then apply it to your reported income. Example: $50,000 sale proceeds on 18 March 2024 at GBP/USD 1.2740 = £39,246.47. If you used today's rate at GBP/USD 1.2480 by mistake you would report £40,064.10, overstating proceeds by £818 and the eventual gain by the same amount. For multi-currency tax work pair this with the [VAT Calculator](/vat-calculator) or [UK Tax Calculator](/uk-tax-calculator) once you have the GBP figures.
Expense Reports for Trips Already Taken
When your company reimburses business travel, finance teams typically use the rate on the day each transaction occurred, not the date you submit the claim. If you travelled to Tokyo for three weeks in October 2025 and submit the report in March 2026, every yen receipt needs the GBP/JPY rate from its specific transaction date. A ¥4,200 dinner on 14 October 2025 at GBP/JPY 187.4 = £22.41; the same receipt at March 2026's rate of 196.8 would only return £21.34, so getting the rate right protects 50p-£1.50 per receipt across a long trip.
Some companies use a flat monthly rate for simplicity, others use the rate on the corporate card statement date, others reimburse exactly what your bank charged you. Read your expense policy. For freelancers raising invoices in foreign currencies, the standard is the spot rate on the invoice date or on the payment date - either is defensible, but pick one and apply consistently across the tax year.
Comparing Past and Present Rates - Reading the Numbers
The tool shows past rate, today's rate, and the percentage change. GBP/USD 1.4150 (June 2016, pre-Brexit referendum) vs 1.2480 today is an 11.8% weakening of sterling against the dollar. EUR/GBP 0.7180 in early 2008 vs 0.8540 today is a 19% strengthening of the euro. These long-run shifts compound: a £100,000 US property bought in 2016 at 1.4150 cost the equivalent of $141,500; selling for $141,500 today would return only £113,381 even before any actual price change, just from FX movement.
The Frankfurter API covers 30+ currencies including GBP, USD, EUR, JPY, AUD, CAD, CHF, CNY, INR, BRL, ZAR, SGD and the Nordic kroner. It does not cover obscure or pegged currencies (Cuban peso, Saudi riyal pegged to USD, etc.). For exotic pairs, look up the third-currency cross-rate (e.g. SAR/GBP via SAR/USD then USD/GBP). Rates are weekday only - dates falling on weekends or holidays return the previous working day's rate, which is also the convention HMRC uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back does the rate data go?
ECB daily reference rates start in January 1999 for the euro and most euro pairs. GBP/USD historical data via Frankfurter goes back to 1990. For older rates (1970s-1980s), you need archived Bank of England data or commercial providers like FRED, Eikon or Bloomberg. The current tool covers 1999 onwards reliably; older queries may return null for the historical rate.
Is the ECB reference rate accepted by HMRC?
Yes. HMRC's published monthly and yearly exchange rates are based on Bank of England data, which closely tracks ECB rates, and HMRC explicitly accepts "the spot rate on the day" from any reputable source. ECB / Frankfurter is widely accepted in audits. For larger transactions some accountants prefer the actual rate at which the conversion took place (your bank's rate) - that is also acceptable if you can document it.
Why is the historical rate different from what my bank charged me?
Your bank charges a spread on top of the mid-market rate, typically 0.5-3% for retail customers. The ECB rate is the mid-market reference; the rate you actually got was that minus 1-3% for a debit card transaction abroad, or minus 4-7% if dynamic currency conversion was applied at the till. For tax purposes you can use either the reference rate or the actual rate you paid - the latter is sometimes more favourable if sterling has weakened since.
Do I need historical rates for cryptocurrency?
Yes, if you are reporting CGT on crypto disposals. Each disposal needs a GBP value at the time of the sale or trade, calculated via crypto-to-fiat at that moment. The ECB rate does not cover crypto, so use a major exchange's spot rate or services like CoinMarketCap historical for that. The same principle applies: rate on the disposal date, not today's rate, applied to gains and losses.
Can I use yearly average rates instead?
For some income types yes. HMRC publishes yearly average rates each January for the previous tax year and accepts them for foreign employment income, foreign rental income from a single property held throughout the year, and similar consistent income. For one-off transactions (asset sales, large dividends, capital flows), the spot rate on the day is the safer choice, particularly if challenged in audit.
Related Tools
Currency Converter
Convert between 30+ major world currencies with approximate exchange rates. See converted amount, exchange rate and inverse rate for quick reference.
Travel Money Calculator
Calculate how much spending money you need for your trip based on destination and duration.
UK Tax Calculator
Calculate your take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, student loan repayments and pension contributions for the 2026/27 tax year
VAT Calculator
Add or remove VAT from any amount instantly. Supports UK standard (20%), reduced (5%) and zero rates. Shows the full net + VAT = gross breakdown.