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Crypto Tax Calculator for 2025-2026 Tax Season

Written By
G. Dautovic
Updated
May 28,2026
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Our crypto tax calculator gives you a quick way to estimate your potential tax liability before or after a crypto transaction.

Crypto Tax Calculator

Estimate your capital gains tax on a cryptocurrency sale. Short-term gains (1 year or less) are taxed as ordinary income; long-term gains use preferential rates.

Purchase price
Please enter a number greater than 0
Sale price
Please enter a number greater than 0
Taxable income (annual)
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0
Deduction (e.g. standard deduction)
Please enter 0 or a positive number

2025 limit: Single/MFS $15,750; MFJ $31,500; HOH $23,625. Capped by your income + gain.

Time between purchase and sale
Tax filing status

How Are Crypto Taxes Calculated?

For the majority of people, the amount of crypto taxes you owe to the government is based on your capital gain or loss, which is calculated by subsctracting your cost basis from your sale proceeds.

The cost basis here represents the amount of money you origincally paid for a crypto coin, which also includes eligible fees. 

The proceeds represent the amount of money you got when you either sold or exchanged your crypto holdings. 

If the value of your holdings increased over time and your proceeds are higher than your cost basis, you pay taxes on your capital gains, and if they are lower, you would have a capital loss.

For example, if you bought crypto for $2,000 and sold it for $3,500, your estimated gain would be $1,500.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Crypto Gains

Another important factor in crypto taxation has everything to do with the amount of time that passed before you sold your crypto.

If you hold your crypto for one year or less, any gain you make from a sale will generally be treated as a short-term capital gain, which is then taxed at ordinary income rates.

On the other hand, if you hold your crypto for more than a year, than any gains you make from selling it can qualify for long-term capital gains tax treatment, which is is generally a more favorable outcome.

This is important to understand and keep in mind, as it can be a highly useful part of your investment strategy in the long run.

What Counts as a Taxable Crypto Event?

You may be surprised to learn that not all crypto transactions incur taxes. Of course, the most common activities like selling crypto for cash or exchanging one currency for another do, as well as using crypto for purchases of goods or services. If you are paid in crypto for a service, this is also taxed.

If you simply purchase a cryptocurrency and hold it, you will not be taxed for it, but keep in mind that you might need to answer the digital asset question on your federal tax return depending on your activity during the tax year. Another non-taxable event is when you simply move your crypto holdings from one wallet to another, but we advise that you still keep records of all your wallet-to-wallet transfers. 

When Should You Use a Crypto Tax Calculator?

Our crypto tax calculator can be useful if you want to quickly estimate the costs of a transaction, or how much taxes you would pay if you sold your crypto holdings today. It can also work well if you make a small number of trades over a year, as it can give you a clearer view of your obligations to the IRS.

If you're trading crypto on a more regular basis, however, or have staking rewards, mining income, transactions across several wallets and exchanges, than a simple calculator may not be enough. In this case, we'd advise that you use a specialized crypto tax software or consult a tax professional to ensure that your tax obligations are handled properly.

FAQ

Is transferring crypto between my own wallets taxable?

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This is usually treated as a non-taxable sale, and you're generally free to move as much crypto between your wallets as you wish. Just make sure to keep records of all of your transfers, so you can prove that they were transfers and not disposals.

Are crypto losses tax deductible?

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Crypto losses may be used to offset capital gains. If your losses are higher than your gains, you may also be able to deduct a limited amount against ordinary income, subject to tax rules and limits.

Is trading one cryptocurrency for another taxable?

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Yes. Exchanging one crypto asset for another is generally treated as a taxable disposal. For example, trading Bitcoin for Ethereum may create a gain or loss based on the value of the Bitcoin when the trade happens.