Crypto taxes 101
In most jurisdictions crypto is property, not currency — every trade is a taxable event. This is educational, not tax advice.
> What triggers a tax event
Selling crypto for fiat, swapping one crypto for another, spending crypto on goods, and receiving crypto as income (staking rewards, airdrops, mining) are all typically taxable in the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia. Buying and holding is not.
> Cost basis matters
You owe tax on the difference between the price when you acquired the asset and the price when you disposed of it. Long-term holdings (>1 year in the US) usually get lower rates. Losses can offset gains — 'tax loss harvesting' at year-end is a common tactic.
> Get help
Tools like Koinly, CoinTracker, and TokenTax import wallet and exchange history and produce a tax report. For anything beyond a few trades, hire a crypto-literate accountant. The IRS and equivalents now receive exchange 1099s — assume they know.