Coinbase Taxes calculated automatically for your Belgian return

Do you have to pay tax on Coinbase gains?

Yes. Gains from crypto transactions on Coinbase are in principle taxable in Belgium. The tax treatment depends on how you invest. Since 1 January 2026, under normal management a capital gains tax of 10% applies to realized gains above the annual exemption of €10,000 (law approved by the Chamber on 3 April 2026).

With speculative behavior - think frequent trading or use of leverage - you remain taxed at 33% as miscellaneous income. Professional trading falls under progressive rates up to 50% plus social contributions. The line is not always clear, but your transaction pattern plays a central role - consult our classification guide 10% vs 33% vs 50%.

Staking rewards and earn payouts on Coinbase are generally taxed as movable income at 30%, regardless of your investment style. Cryptotax recognizes these automatically and separates them in your report.

Coinbase and the CAP declaration

Coinbase is based in Ireland and counts as a foreign platform. Belgian taxpayers are required to report foreign accounts - including crypto exchanges - to the Central Contact Point (CAP) of the National Bank of Belgium.

The CAP declaration is a one-time registration that you must confirm each year in your tax return (Vak XIII). It is not about the amount you have traded, but purely about the fact that you hold an account with a foreign financial service provider.

Coinbase is a borderline case for the CAP. Coinbase Ireland is registered as an e-money institution with the Central Bank of Ireland, which puts it closer to a financial institution than pure crypto exchanges. The safest option: report it.

Forget this declaration? Then you risk an administrative fine. Cryptotax reminds you of the CAP obligation and clearly shows in your report that Coinbase is a foreign platform.

Overview: which exchanges do you have to report to the CAP? →

Calculating capital gains tax on your Coinbase portfolio

Belgium uses the FIFO method (First In, First Out) to calculate your capital gain. This means that for every sale the oldest purchase is used as the cost basis. With dozens or hundreds of trades on Coinbase this is virtually impossible to do by hand.

Cryptotax imports all your Coinbase transactions - buys, sells, conversions, staking rewards - and applies FIFO automatically. All amounts are converted to euros using the historical exchange rate of the transaction day.

The result is a clear report with your total capital gains tax, broken down per tax year, ready for your accountant or your own tax return.

Step-up: historical gains are exempt

The value of your crypto on 31 December 2025 counts as the new tax cost basis. Only the increase in value from 1 January 2026 counts toward capital gains tax. Whatever you built up before 2026 remains historically exempt.

Example with Coinbase. In 2024 you bought 5 SOL via Coinbase at €100 each - €500 in total. On 31 December 2025 SOL was worth €180. That €180 becomes your new tax cost basis per SOL (step-up). In 2026 you sell the 5 SOL for €220 each.

Cryptotax applies the step-up automatically to all your pre-2026 Coinbase lots. More about the step-up rule →

DAC8 and Coinbase: what changes?

From 2026, the European DAC8 directive takes effect. This means crypto exchanges like Coinbase are required to report transaction data automatically to the tax authorities of EU member states.

In concrete terms, Coinbase will soon share your buy and sell transactions, deposits and withdrawals with the Belgian tax authority. The administration can compare this data with your tax return. Anyone who already declares correctly has nothing to fear.

Cryptotax helps you be prepared: import your full Coinbase history, check your capital gain and file a correct tax return before DAC8 takes effect.