📨 Compare Best Crypto Tax Tools

🧾 What is Crypto tax software

The growing popularity of the cryptocurrency industry, along with the potential for high profits, has led governments around the world to update their tax policies to account for digital currency-based income. However, keeping track of all transactions for tax purposes can be challenging due to the dynamic nature of cryptocurrencies, and the lack of standardization in regulatory tax frameworks can add to the confusion for digital currency holders.

The goal of taxes should be to make the process simple and easy to understand, but in an emerging market like this, financial institutions are still figuring out the best ways to handle cryptocurrency taxes. This means that individuals must learn and adapt to potential changes in policy as they go. Fortunately, digital currency tax software can simplify the process and make it much easier for crypto enthusiasts to handle their taxes.

⚡️Why use crypto tax software?

Crypto tax software is a valuable tool for managing your crypto investments and ensuring compliance with tax laws. Here are some of the benefits of using such software:

• Saves time by automating record-keeping through integration with crypto exchanges.
• Assists in navigating complex tax rules for crypto assets.
• Generates necessary tax forms, eliminating the need for a specialist accountant.
• Implements strategies to minimize tax liability, such as pooling similar assets.
• Reduces the risk of fines for incorrect reporting of crypto assets on tax returns.

⏰ When Do I have to file Taxes on Crypto?

The world of cryptocurrency is a complex one, and it's important to understand how taxes apply to different types of transactions. In general, if you make a profit from a transaction involving cryptocurrency, you will owe taxes on that income. However, there are some exceptions and nuances to keep in mind.

Taxable Events:

• Using cryptocurrency as payment for goods or services will trigger a taxable event. This is because the IRS views the exchange of cryptocurrency for goods or services as a sale, and any gain or loss on the sale is subject to taxes.
• Selling cryptocurrency for fiat currency, such as US dollars, is another taxable event. This includes selling crypto on an exchange or directly to another person.
• Swapping one token for another is also considered a taxable event. This applies even if the two tokens are of the same value, as the IRS views it as a sale.
• Earning cryptocurrency from mining is also a taxable event. The IRS views mining as a form of self-employment income and it is subject to self-employment tax.
• Receiving cryptocurrency from a fork or airdrop is also considered a taxable event. A fork occurs when a blockchain splits into two separate chains, and holders of the original coin may receive an equal amount of the new coin. An airdrop is when a coin is distributed for free to holders of another coin.
• Selling or buying NFTs (non-fungible tokens) is also considered a taxable event. The IRS views the sale of NFTs as a sale of property, and any gain or loss on the sale is subject to taxes.

Non-Taxable Events:

• Buying cryptocurrency with fiat currency is not considered a taxable event. However, you will owe taxes on any gain or loss when you sell or exchange the cryptocurrency.
• Moving cryptocurrency from one wallet to another is not considered a taxable event. This applies even if the wallet is held on a different exchange or platform.
• Depositing collateral for a loan is not considered a taxable event. However, any interest earned on the loan will be subject to taxes.

It's important to keep accurate records of all your cryptocurrency transactions, including the date of purchase, the purchase price, and the sale price. This will help you calculate your gain or loss when it comes time to file your taxes. If you have any questions or concerns about how taxes apply to your specific situation, it's always a good idea to consult with a tax professional.

🎯 What Features to Consider in Crypto Tax Software

Since the entire point of any kind of tax software is to automate the process of filing your taxes, your main priority when looking at crypto tax software should be finding a solution that requires the least amount of input from you to get your taxes filed. Different types of tax software tend to focus on their own niches, so there are some specific features you may want to look for when it comes to crypto taxes specifically.

Seamless Imports

The most important feature of crypto tax software is the ability to automatically import your portfolio and trade history from all of your different wallets and exchange accounts. This is really 99% of the work when it comes to crypto taxes, so automating the process can save you hours of extra work.

Different tax software can support different exchanges and wallets, for example some software does not yet support various DeFi applications, so you should make sure the platforms you use are supported before choosing your tax software.

Tax Harvesting Functionality

Other than exchange and wallet support, you may also want to look at tax loss harvesting as a must-have feature of bitcoin tax software. Tax loss harvesting is a strategy that is often used in the investment world that is intended to lower the overall capital gains taxes you owe at the end of the year. Notably, reporting losses on a particular crypto asset can also lower your income tax obligations. A few different crypto tax software solutions include functionality to help you figure out whether you should try to trigger a capital loss in order to lower your taxes for a particular year.

Pricing

Most (if not all) crypto tax software tends to fall into some version of the following structure for pricing:

• Free version (limited transactions)
• $50 (50-100 transactions)
• $100 (100-1000 transactions)
• $200+ (Unlimited transactions)

Therefore the amount you’ll pay often depends on how actively you trade cryptocurrency. If you purchase cryptocurrency once or twice a year then you’ll easily get by with the cheapest tier.

One nice thing about most tax software is you actually get access to most of the functionality of the software and won’t have to pay anything until you go to export your actual documents to file taxes.

It’s worth shopping around a little to find the price point that works best for you.

Customer Support

Taxes can be confusing so it’s very helpful to have good customer support for tax software.

Many tax software suites can set you up with an actual real-life tax professional to help sort out your issues but that can be very costly (potentially thousands of dollars). Most of the time live chat or email support will suffice, however, and those are offered on most tiers.

✍️ Crypto Tax Tools Overview Summary

Our research indicates that the majority of cryptocurrency tax services in the market have similar features, supported coins, and pricing plans. The platforms discussed in this article have received positive feedback from their users, making them suitable options for most individuals. However, day traders, tax professionals, and large-scale investors may require a platform that offers unlimited transaction processing and dedicated customer support. Additionally, those who reside in jurisdictions outside the US may need to select a platform that complies with local regulations. Ultimately, it is crucial for cryptocurrency traders to thoroughly review each platform's terms and conditions before making a decision.