Which country has the lowest crypto tax?

New Zealand has no general capital gains tax, meaning long-term crypto holders may pay no tax if they did not acquire crypto with the intention of selling. However, the IRD taxes gains as income if a profit motive existed. Among the six countries covered, Australia offers the best treatment for long-term holders via the 50% CGT discount after 12 months.

Do I pay tax on crypto if I move countries?

Yes, usually. Most countries apply an exit tax or deemed disposal when you cease tax residency — Australia, Canada and Ireland all have provisions that treat your assets as disposed of at market value when you leave. The UK applies CGT to UK assets regardless of residency. Always seek advice from a cross-border tax specialist before relocating.

Does Koinly work for all these countries?

Yes. Koinly supports tax reporting for Australia (ATO), USA (IRS Form 8949), UK (HMRC), Canada (CRA T1), New Zealand (IRD) and Ireland (Revenue). It connects directly to 700+ exchanges and wallets and generates the correct country-specific report automatically.

Is crypto taxed the same everywhere?

No. The six countries on this page take materially different approaches. Australia and Canada offer long-term holding discounts. The UK and Ireland apply flat CGT rates. New Zealand has no CGT but may tax gains as income. The USA uses preferential long-term rates. Staking and mining income is treated as ordinary income in all six jurisdictions.

Do I need to report crypto I haven't sold?

Generally no — unrealised gains are not taxable in any of these six countries. However, some jurisdictions require reporting of foreign crypto holdings above certain thresholds (Canada's T1135 for holdings over CAD $100,000, US FBAR for offshore accounts). Check the specific reporting requirements for your country.

How are NFTs taxed across these countries?

Most jurisdictions treat NFTs as a CGT asset rather than a collectible — Australia (ATO), the UK (HMRC), Canada (CRA), New Zealand (IRD) and Ireland (Revenue) apply the same disposal rules as fungible crypto. The US is the outlier: the IRS published guidance in 2023 confirming some NFTs may be 'collectibles' under IRC Section 408(m), which can attract a 28% long-term rate instead of the standard 0/15/20% bands.

Do I have to pay tax on crypto gifts or donations?

Gifting crypto is usually a CGT disposal at fair market value for the donor in Australia, UK, Canada and Ireland. The US allows annual gift-tax exclusions ($18,000 per recipient in 2024) without immediate tax. Donations to registered charities are generally tax-deductible at market value in all six jurisdictions, often with no CGT on the disposal itself.

Are DeFi transactions taxed in these countries?

Yes, in all six. Adding or removing liquidity, swapping LP tokens, claiming rewards, and borrowing against crypto collateral can each trigger separate taxable events. The ATO, HMRC, IRS, CRA, IRD and Revenue have all published or signalled DeFi-specific guidance — wrapping a token is typically a disposal, and yield is income at receipt.

How is staking taxed differently across countries?

All six tax staking rewards as income at fair market value when received, then apply a second CGT event when those rewards are later sold. The contested question is timing — the IRS (Rev. Rul. 2023-14) requires recognition when you gain dominion and control; HMRC and the ATO take similar positions; the IRD treats it as income on receipt; Revenue and the CRA usually classify it as miscellaneous or business income depending on scale.

Cryptocurrency Tax Guides 2026

By Twin · CoinHours Editorial · Updated 1 November 2026 · Reviewed each tax year

Rules, calculators, and reporting guides for crypto investors. Each guide anchored to official guidance and updated for the 2026 tax year.

Cryptocurrency tax is now a mainstream compliance issue rather than a niche concern. The ATO, IRS, HMRC, CRA, IRD and Revenue have all published detailed guidance, hardened reporting requirements, and built data-sharing pipelines with exchanges so that almost every retail trade is visible to a tax authority somewhere. The CoinHours Crypto Tax Hub brings the rules for six major English-speaking jurisdictions into one place — Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland — and translates each country's framework into the same structure: how the regulator classifies crypto, when CGT applies versus income tax, what holding-period reliefs (if any) exist, when staking and DeFi income is recognised, and what the key filing dates look like.

Each country page includes a jurisdiction-specific CGT calculator, a curated guide library, a primary-source list pointing back to the relevant tax authority, and a country FAQ. Use the comparison table further down to see the headline differences at a glance, or jump straight to your country card below. If you trade or live across multiple jurisdictions, the cross-border FAQ covers the most common questions about residency changes, double-tax treaties, and reporting overlap.

Key Takeaways

→Every major English-speaking jurisdiction now treats cryptocurrency as taxable property, not currency — almost every disposal triggers a reporting event.
→Holding-period reliefs vary widely: Australia offers a 50% CGT discount after 12 months, the US drops to 0–20% long-term rates, while the UK, Canada, and Ireland give no holding-period benefit at all.
→New Zealand has no general CGT, but the IRD taxes most crypto profits as ordinary income based on a purpose-of-acquisition test.
→Staking, mining, airdrops, and most DeFi rewards are taxed as income at fair market value when received in all six jurisdictions covered.
→Tax authorities receive transaction data directly from exchanges via DAC8 (EU), CARF (OECD), the new Form 1099-DA (US), and bilateral data-matching programs — non-disclosure is no longer a viable strategy.
→Cross-border movers face exit taxes, deemed disposals, and double-reporting obligations — always check residency rules before relocating with significant crypto holdings.

🇦🇺 Australia·Featured comparison

Best Crypto Tax Software for Australians

Koinly vs CryptoTaxCalculator vs CoinLedger — AUD pricing, ATO-mapped reports, CoinSpot & Swyftx coverage and DeFi handling compared.

Read the comparison →

Australia

ATO

CGT with 50% discount, SMSF rules, ATO data matching

View Australia tax guide →

United States

IRS

Short vs long term rates, Form 8949, wash sale rules

View United States tax guide →

United Kingdom

HMRC

CGT at 18% / 24%, share pooling, Self Assessment

View United Kingdom tax guide →

Canada

CRA

50% inclusion rate, business income vs capital property

View Canada tax guide →

New Zealand

IRD

No CGT, but gains may be income under IRD rules

View New Zealand tax guide →

Ireland

Revenue

Flat 33% CGT, €1,270 annual exemption, USC and PRSI

View Ireland tax guide →

Crypto Tax Comparison — 6 Countries at a Glance

Key differences across jurisdictions. Always verify current rates with the relevant tax authority.

Country	Tax Authority	Tax Year End	CGT Rate / Discount	Long-Term Benefit	Staking Tax
Australia	ATO	30 June	Marginal rate	50% discount (12m+)	Income at receipt
USA	IRS	31 December	Ordinary income (short)	0% / 15% / 20% (1yr+)	Income at receipt
United Kingdom	HMRC	5 April	18% / 24%	£3,000 exempt only	Income at receipt
Canada	CRA	31 December	50% inclusion rate	50% inclusion (any hold)	Usually income
New Zealand	IRD	31 March	No CGT generally	Gains may be income	Income at receipt
Ireland	Revenue	31 December	33% flat	€1,270 exempt only	Income + USC + PRSI

Rates current as of June 2026. Verify with the relevant tax authority before filing.

Frequently Asked Questions — Crypto Tax by Country

One tool for all six countries

Koinly works in Australia, USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. Connect your exchanges, import your history, and generate compliant tax reports.

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