Crypto Tax Guide: Stress-Free Tax Returns
Taxes are an unpleasant but extremely important topic. Every sale, trade, or interest gain is a potentially taxable event. Without the right tool, it's easy to lose track and risk issues with the tax authorities.
Why Are Crypto Taxes So Complicated?
The Holding Period
In Germany and Austria, profits from crypto sales are tax-free if you have held the coins for **longer than one year**. Manually keeping track of this with hundreds of trades is nearly impossible.
FIFO Method
The tax office uses the "First-In, First-Out" method. This means the coins you bought first are considered the first ones sold. A tool calculates this for you automatically.
Every swap from Coin A to Coin B counts as a sale of A and a purchase of B. This makes manual tracking without a tool virtually impossible.
The Solution: Specialized Tax Tools
These tools connect to your exchanges via API and read your wallets. They analyze all transactions and generate a complete tax report optimized for your country (DE, AT, CH).
Blockpit
A strong provider from Austria, specifically designed for the tax laws in German-speaking countries (DE, AT, CH).
- Perfect for tax laws in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
- Considered very reliable and is audited by KPMG.
- -15% discount with my link.
Koinly
A very popular international solution. Extremely user-friendly, supports almost all exchanges and blockchains.
- Great overview and easy error correction.
- Comprehensive support for DeFi, Staking, and NFTs.
CoinTracking
The pioneer from Germany. Very detailed and offers a vast range of analysis tools that go beyond just taxes.
- Developed in Germany and perfectly tailored to German tax law.
- The user interface can be a bit overwhelming for beginners.
Note: Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is how you can support this free guide.
Important Legal Disclaimer
I am not a tax advisor. This site is for informational purposes only and does **not** constitute tax advice. Crypto tax laws can change quickly. For binding information, please always consult a specialized tax advisor in your country.