Crypto Taxes Austria: Complete Instructions [2026]

In Austria, cryptocurrency gains are subject to 27.5% Capital Gains Tax (Kapitalertragsteuer) following the 2022 Eco-Social Tax Reform. Importantly, crypto-to-crypto swaps are tax-free, and — unlike Germany — there is no one-year holding period exemption. This guide explains all Austrian crypto tax rules for 2026.

Do Cryptocurrencies Need to Be Taxed in Austria?

Yes, if you exchange cryptocurrencies for fiat money like the Euro and make a profit, a tax of 27.5% is applied to the gain. However, crypto-to-crypto exchanges remain tax-free.

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4cef4c34160eab4440_Info.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins like Tether, are defined as cryptocurrencies under § 27b Abs 4 EStG and are subject to these tax regulations. NFTs, on the other hand, are not considered cryptocurrencies, so different rules apply to them.</p></div></div></div>

What Is Old Stock (Altbestand) and New Stock (Neubestand) in Austria?

Since March 1, 2022, a new law has governed the taxation of cryptocurrencies in Austria, focusing on the purchase date of your assets:

• Cryptocurrencies purchased up to February 28, 2021 (old stock), can be sold tax-free after a one-year holding period, making all old stock now tax-exempt.
• Cryptocurrencies purchased after this date (new stock) are subject to a special tax rate of 27.5% when sold for fiat currency.

Special case: New stock cryptocurrencies sold before March 1, 2022, are subject to a progressive income tax rate of up to 55%.

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4cef4c34160eab4440_Info.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">Good to know: With the Eco-Social Tax Reform, crypto assets are treated as capitalassets for tax purposes. This means that cryptocurrencies are taxed like stocks, bonds, dividends, etc., and losses can be offset against gains from these other capital assets.</p></div></div></div>

How Much Tax Will You Have to Pay? (Example)

When you trade crypto for crypto, it does not trigger a tax liability, but the cost basis must be carried over. In a way, this allows you to defer taxation. Let's look at an example:

1. Purchase of 1 BTC for 50,000€
2. BTC rises to 70,000€
3. Exchange of BTC for ETH (not a taxable event)
4. The value of your ETH rises to 80,000€
5. You sell half of it for 40,000€ (taxable)

How much tax will you have to pay?

To determine the tax due, subtract the cost basis from your sales proceeds. You sell half, so your cost basis is half of your original purchase cost of 1 BTC, which is 25,000€.

40,000€ - 25,000€ = 15,000€ profit.

27.5% of 15,000€ equals 4,125€ in taxes due.

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box protip"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4b151815fb0be48cec_Lightning.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">With Blockpit's cryptocurrency tax software, such calculations are fully automated for you. The days of tediously keeping track of your crypto transactions in an Excel file are over. Good riddance.</p></div></div></div>

Automatic KESt Deduction for Cryptocurrencies: Easier, but Not Always Sufficient

Since January 1, 2024, domestic providers like Bitpanda and Coinfinity automatically deduct the capital gains tax (KESt) for all individuals residing in Austria. This significantly reduces the effort for many investors. However, a tax return may still be necessary if:

• Missing or incorrect acquisition costs: Implausible entries result in flat-rate calculations that need to be corrected.
• Loss offsetting: Offsetting losses with other capital gains is only possible via a tax return.
• Non-automated platforms or DeFi: Profits from foreign platforms like Binance or DeFi income must be declared manually.

A crypto tax calculator helps track transactions, utilize losses, and calculate taxes correctly. This ensures compliance while maximizing tax benefits.

Do I Need to Pay Taxes on Cryptocurrency Income?

The key question is whether cryptocurrency income should be taxed upon receipt or only when it is sold or exchanged.

Income is taxed at the time of receipt in transactions where you transfer your cryptocurrencies to other market participants (e.g., to a network or company). This can occur in activities like mining, lending, staking, liquidity mining, yield farming, or liquidity providing. In such cases, the tax rate is 27.5%.

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4cef4c34160eab4440_Info.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">The 27.5% tax rate is applied when there is a "public placement," which is typically the case in the DeFi sector. If there is no "public placement," taxation is instead carried out according to the progressive income tax rate.</p></div></div></div>

However, income from (delegated) staking, airdrops, bounty or affiliate rewards, or hard forks is not taxed at the time of receipt, and the acquisition costs are set at zero.

Regardless, any profit made from the later sale of such income is always taxed at 27.5%.

How Can You Optimize Taxes on Crypto Gains?

There are legal ways to minimize your tax burden on cryptocurrencies:

1. Cryptocurrencies from old stock can be sold tax-free.
2. Instead of exchanging cryptos for fiat currencies like EUR, you can convert them into stablecoins like USDT. This exchange is tax-free and protects against the high volatility of the crypto market while you enjoy the benefits of a stablecoin.
3. You can offset crypto gains and losses with results from other capital market transactions (e.g., stocks, bonds, dividends, and derivatives) from the same tax year. More details: Deducting crypto losses.‍
4. Be aware: Profits from margin or futures trading are typically classified as income from unlisted derivatives and are subject to the progressive income tax rate. Crypto disposals occur simultaneously: Realized capital gains from these transactions are taxed at a fixed rate of 27.5%.
5. Remember the exemption limit of 440€ per year on gains from NFTs to avoid tax liability.

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box protip"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4b151815fb0be48cec_Lightning.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">Pro Tip: With Blockpit's Crypto Tax Optimizer, included in Blockpit Plus, you can easily identify tax-free gains. By the way, Blockpit Plus is available for only 3,99€ monthly!</p></div></div></div>

What Is the Income Assessment and the Average Cost Basis (ACB)?

For tax purposes, the basis of assessment in the case of disposal is the difference between the sale proceeds and the acquisition costs, including any associated costs. That is the income assessment.

In the case of exchanging one cryptocurrency for another, the fair market value of the exchanged cryptocurrency is considered as the sale proceeds.

If cryptocurrencies are purchased sequentially and stored in the same cryptocurrency address, they must be valued according to the Average Cost Basis (ACB) as per the BMF Cryptocurrency Ordinance, and always in euros according to general tax principles.

Income from realized gains accruing from January 1, 2023, must be calculated using the ACB.

Items not included in the ACB:

• Old stock; if both old and new stocks are present, the taxpayer can choose how to allocate them at the time of disposal.
• Cryptocurrencies for which acquisition costs were set at a fixed rate during the capital gains tax deduction.
• For disposals on December 31, 2022, and earlier, the First In, First Out (FIFO) method or even a specific allocation of tranches—if clearly substantiable—is applicable.

How Do I File My Tax Return for Cryptocurrencies?

You can submit your tax return digitally via FinanzOnline or in paper form by mail. The Ministry of Finance provides an overview of relevant tax forms.

When Must I File My Tax Return for My Cryptocurrency Gains?

Generally, a tax return is always filed for the previous year. So, if you wish to file your tax return for 2024, you can do so starting in 2025. The submission method significantly affects the deadlines for annual tax returns in Austria:

• Earliest submission: Mid-February of the following year
• In paper form: Until April 30th of the following year
• Online: Until June 30th of the following year
• Via a tax advisor: Extensions can be requested

<div fs-richtext-component="info-box" class="info-box"><div class="flex-info-card"><img src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/65098a145ece52db42b9c274/650c6f4cef4c34160eab4440_Info.svg" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="" class="icon-info-box"><div fs-richtext-component="info-box-text" class="info-box-content"><p class="color-neutral-800">The deadlines for submitting tax returns online and in paper form can be extended upon a justified request. An extension request can be easily submitted electronically via FinanzOnline (under "Weitere Services/Fristverlängerung"). Additional extensions are available for applications made through a tax advisor or corporate fiduciary.</p></div></div></div>

Crypto Tax Software: How Blockpit Automates Your Crypto Tax Filing

If you've ever filed a tax return, you know how much time can be spent on research, documentation, and preparation. Blockpit's legally compliant tax reports not only save you a great deal of time but also provide a comprehensive overview of all your crypto transactions, giving you exactly what you need: a legally compliant PDF that can be easily submitted to the tax office.

For full details, here is the complete PDF of our example crypto tax report.

Overview of the Crypto Tax Report

Right from the start, you get an overview of your income from speculative transactions and services, as well as capital gains related to cryptocurrencies.

Income Tax Return Form

Next, you'll find the appropriate form from the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) for submitting your income tax return. Conveniently, Blockpit not only calculates the amounts you need to declare but also automatically enters them into the correct fields for you.

Detailed Transaction Listing

With a precise list of all your transactions, you can keep a complete record of your crypto activities throughout the year. This is excellent for manual checks and also serves as a helpful documentation tool for any inquiries you may receive.

When Are Crypto Transactions Tax-Free?

<figure class="block-table">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Transaction</th>
<th>Key Info</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Legacy Holdings (Altbestand)</td>
<td>All assets purchased before 28 February 2021 are tax-free today.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Buying with Fiat</td>
<td>Acquiring cryptocurrency in exchange for euros or other fiat currencies.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Crypto-to-Crypto Swap</td>
<td>A direct swap between cryptocurrencies (e.g. BTC to ETH) does not trigger a taxable event.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wallet Transfer</td>
<td>Transfers between your own wallets or exchange accounts are tax-neutral.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HODLing</td>
<td>Simply holding cryptocurrency without selling or swapping remains tax-free.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gifts &amp; Donations</td>
<td>Tax-free; reporting required for gifts to non-relatives above €15,000, and to relatives above €50,000.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Passive Income</td>
<td>Staking rewards, airdrops, bounties, and hard forks are only taxed upon disposal.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>

Taxation of Basic Transactions

<figure class="block-table">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Transaction</th>
<th>Tax</th>
<th>Key Info</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Crypto-to-Crypto Swap</td>
<td>Tax-free</td>
<td>Acquisition costs are carried over to the new asset.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Crypto to Fiat (Euro)</td>
<td>27.5%</td>
<td>Tax applies to the realised gain on disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Airdrops</td>
<td>27.5% (on disposal)</td>
<td>Acquisition cost = €0; tax liability arises only upon disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bounty &amp; Affiliate</td>
<td>27.5% (on disposal)</td>
<td>Received coins have an acquisition cost of €0; tax applies on disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mining (Private)</td>
<td>27.5%</td>
<td>Taxed upon receipt AND again on later disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hard Forks</td>
<td>27.5% (on disposal)</td>
<td>Tax-free upon receipt (value = €0); 27.5% tax only on disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Futures Trading</td>
<td>Income Tax</td>
<td>Derivatives subject to progressive income tax rate (up to 55%) on closing.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Spot Margin Trading</td>
<td>27.5%</td>
<td>Trading with borrowed capital is treated as a standard crypto disposal event.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Transaction Fees</td>
<td>Deductible</td>
<td>Treated as acquisition costs and reduce taxable profit.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>

Taxation of DeFi Transactions

<figure class="block-table">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Transaction</th>
<th>Tax</th>
<th>Key Info</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Staking (On-Chain)</td>
<td>27.5% (on disposal)</td>
<td>Rewards are tax-free upon receipt (acquisition cost = €0); tax applies only on disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lending</td>
<td>27.5% (receipt + disposal)</td>
<td>Interest is taxed both upon receipt and again on later disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Borrowing</td>
<td>Tax-free</td>
<td>Taking out a crypto-backed loan does not constitute a taxable event.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Liquidity Mining / Yield Farming</td>
<td>27.5% (receipt + disposal)</td>
<td>Rewards are taxable upon receipt; depositing into the pool is generally a tax-free swap.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Play to Earn</td>
<td>27.5% (receipt + disposal)</td>
<td>In-game rewards are taxable upon receipt and again on later disposal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Learn to Earn</td>
<td>27.5% (receipt + disposal)</td>
<td>Rewards for completing educational courses are taxable upon receipt and on disposal.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>

Crypto Tax FAQ

Does the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance know if I hold or trade cryptocurrencies?

Yes. The Ministry closely cooperates with existing crypto exchanges, which release Know Your Customer (KYC) data to ensure compliance with Austrian regulations. Additionally, the EU Commission's DAC-8 directive enables the Ministry to more easily verify cryptocurrency ownership.

What happens if I don't pay taxes on my crypto gains?

Depending on the severity of the tax evasion, consequences in Austria can range from tax repayments and hefty fines to imprisonment. In cases of suspicion, financial authorities can investigate up to 10 years retrospectively. For transparency and accountability, it's advisable to document all crypto transactions from recent years.

How is Bitcoin (BTC) taxed?

If you exchange Bitcoin for fiat money like the Euro and make a profit, a 27.5% tax is levied on the gain. However, crypto-to-crypto exchanges remain tax-free.

How is Ethereum (ETH) taxed?

Similar to Bitcoin, if you exchange Ethereum for fiat and realize gains, these are taxed at 27.5%. Crypto-to-crypto transactions remain tax-free.

Do I need to declare my entire crypto holdings or just my gains in my tax return?

No, you only need to declare your gains or losses and report income from cryptocurrencies, not your entire holdings.

Do I also have to pay taxes on crypto gains that date back several years?

Yes. You should keep records of your cryptocurrency transactions from the last 10 years as there's always a chance of being audited. With the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, amounts can quickly accumulate. Using Blockpit's crypto tax software, which automatically documents the date, value in Euros, purpose, and recipient of transactions, simplifies this documentation process.

Can I pay taxes with cryptocurrencies?

No, currently, it is not possible to pay taxes with cryptocurrencies in Austria.

In which countries are cryptocurrencies tax-free?

Currently, countries like Portugal, Singapore, Malta, and Switzerland are considered very crypto-friendly for individuals.

Are there benefits to moving to another country?

If you relocate to a non-EU/EWR country like Thailand or Mexico, your crypto assets must be taxed beforehand. However, if you move to an EU or EWR country, you only need to pay taxes when you dispose of your assets.

When am I considered a commercial investor?

The distinction between private and commercial investors lies in the nature of their investments, such as making investments on behalf of others for commercial investors. Crypto tax advisor Brameshuber notes that determining whether an activity is private or commercial often depends on the specifics of the case. High transaction numbers or values alone do not necessarily qualify as commercial activity.

Since most crypto users act privately, this guide is aimed at individuals.