Staking is a popular way to generate passive income with crypto. But how is it taxed in Belgium? Since the capital gains tax was approved on 3 April 2026, Belgian stakers face two tax layers: the rewards they receive and the capital gain on their underlying tokens. This article explains how both work, which staking types exist, and what the impact is on your tax return. π How is staking taxed in Belgium? The B...
Staking is a popular way to generate passive income with crypto. But how is it taxed in Belgium? Since the capital gains tax was approved on 3 April 2026, Belgian stakers face two tax layers: the rewards they receive and the capital gain on their underlying tokens. This article explains how both work, which staking types exist, and what the impact is on your tax return.
π How is staking taxed in Belgium?
The Belgian tax authority looks at staking at two moments. First when you receive rewards: these are taxed as movable income at 30%. Then when you sell your staked tokens or reward tokens: since 1 January 2026 the new capital gains tax of 10% applies above the annual exemption of β¬10.000. If the tax authority classifies your activity as professional, both income streams are taxed together progressively up to 50%, plus social contributions.
| Tax aspect | Tax | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Staking rewards (receipt) | Movable income (roerend inkomen) | 30% withholding tax on movable income (roerende voorheffing) |
| Capital gain on staked tokens (disposal) | Capital gains tax (meerwaardebelasting) | 10% above β¬10.000/year |
| Professional/intensive staking | Professional income (beroepsinkomen) | 25-50% + social contributions |
Important: there is no automatic withholding tax on crypto in Belgium. You must always declare your rewards yourself in your personal income tax return, even if the exchange or staking platform withholds nothing.
π Staking types and their tax treatment
Not every form of staking works the same way. Below we list the five most common variants, with their tax treatment and how Cryptotax detects them automatically.
| Type | How it works | Tax treatment | Cryptotax integration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native staking (ETH 2.0, Beacon chain) | Delegate directly to a validator | Rewards = 30% movable income, exit = 10% capital gains tax | Beacon chain support |
| Liquid staking (Lido stETH, Coinbase cbETH) | Receive LST token, rebasing or non-rebasing | Rewards = 30%, LST = capital gain on exit | Lido, Coinbase staking, Swell |
| Exchange staking (Kraken, Bitvavo) | Platform stakes on your behalf | Rewards = 30% (exchange may withhold tax at source) | Kraken, Bitvavo |
| DeFi staking (Aave aTokens, stkAAVE) | Stake governance token | Rewards + underlying capital gain | Aave integration |
| Restaking (EigenLayer AVS) | Reuse staked ETH for other services | Extra rewards = 30%, principal capital gain | EigenLayer |
π‘ Liquid staking tokens: rebasing vs non-rebasing
The difference between rebasing and non-rebasing liquid staking tokens is fiscally very significant, and many Belgian taxpayers underestimate this.
Rebasing tokens (stETH from Lido): your balance grows every day automatically. If you hold 10 stETH and Lido pays out 3.5% APR, you see a small amount of extra stETH appear in your wallet each day. From a tax perspective, this creates daily mini-rewards, each taxable at 30% on the EUR value at the time of receipt. Over a year, that can be 365 taxable moments.
Non-rebasing tokens (wstETH, cbETH, rETH): your balance stays the same, but the exchange rate of the LST token relative to ETH rises. The realised gain only arises when you unwrap or sell the token: one taxable moment instead of hundreds.
For your Belgian tax return this has direct consequences: with rebasing, each daily income must be recorded as movable income. Cryptotax handles both mechanisms automatically. We detect the rebase events and calculate the correct EUR value per day. More details can be found in our blog post how stETH works for your Belgian tax return.
π’ Calculation example
Let's make the two layers concrete with a realistic scenario.
Jan stakes 10 ETH via Lido at a rate of β¬3.400/ETH (total investment: β¬34.000). Over a year he earns 0,3 ETH in staking rewards. He later sells 5 stETH at β¬3.800.
Layer 1 - reward income (movable income):
- 0,3 ETH Γ β¬3.400 = β¬1.020 taxable as movable income
- 30% withholding tax on movable income = β¬306
Layer 2 - capital gain on disposal (FIFO + step-up):
- Disposal of 5 stETH at β¬3.800 = β¬19.000 proceeds
- Cost basis via FIFO: for pre-2026 ETH we use the step-up rule, the market value on 31/12/2025
- Assume that market value was β¬3.500/ETH: capital gain = (β¬3.800 - β¬3.500) Γ 5 = β¬1.500
- Together with his other crypto gains, Jan stays below the β¬10.000 annual exemption, so β¬0 capital gains tax
Total to pay: β¬306 on the rewards. If Jan were to exceed β¬10.000 in capital gains, the amount above that threshold would be taxed at 10%.
π Ruling Commission criteria for staking (April 2026)
In mid-April 2026 the Dienst Voorafgaande Beslissingen (DVB, the Belgian Ruling Commission, i.e. advance tax ruling service) updated its crypto questionnaire. The threshold for being classified as "speculative" was tightened: trading frequency, leverage, diversification and DeFi use are now explicitly taken into account.
Good news: staking alone does not make you speculative. Anyone holding a few positions with Lido, Kraken or EigenLayer still falls under normal management and therefore under the 10% regime. What is considered a speculative indicator in DVB practice: intensive participation in large numbers of DeFi projects, combined with high trading frequency and leverage use. Read more on our page about professional classification.
Practical advice: document your staking activity carefully, avoid rotating through hundreds of niche protocols purely for yield, and request an advance ruling if in doubt.
β FAQ: frequently asked questions
Is staking always taxed?
Yes. Both upon receipt of rewards (30% withholding tax on movable income) and upon disposal of the underlying or reward tokens (10% capital gains tax above β¬10.000/year).
Do I need to declare staking rewards if I have not sold them?
Yes. Rewards are taxable at the moment of receipt, not at the moment of disposal. The EUR value on the day you receive the reward is the taxable basis.
How are liquid staking tokens taxed?
Rebasing tokens such as stETH produce daily balance increases, each a mini-reward taxable at 30%. Non-rebasing tokens such as wstETH and cbETH have one taxable moment: on unwrap or disposal, as a capital gain.
Does staking count for the DVB assessment?
Staking by itself does not make you speculative. Intensive DeFi activity (large numbers of projects, high trading frequency, leverage, according to DVB practice) does. The DVB weighs the overall picture, not one single activity.
What if my exchange already withholds tax on staking?
Some foreign platforms withhold tax themselves. In Belgium you still have an obligation to declare, but you may be able to credit the foreign withholding against Belgian tax via a double taxation treaty. For specific cases: consult a tax adviser.
β Try it today
Scan your wallets for free with Cryptotax. We detect staking rewards and liquid staking tokens automatically (Lido, Coinbase, EigenLayer, Swell, Aave, Kraken and more) and calculate your Belgian tax under the new 2026 rules. Both the 30% on rewards and the 10% capital gains tax with step-up and FIFO are applied correctly.
Start your free scan or view the Lido integration in detail.
β οΈ Disclaimer: This article is purely informational and not individual tax advice. For specific cases: consult a recognised Belgian tax adviser or request an advance ruling from the Ruling Commission (Dienst Voorafgaande Beslissingen).
π Read also
Yield farming taxation in Belgium: how lending on Aave, LP rewards on Curve and vaults on Beefy are treated for tax purposes, with specific codes (1444-11), examples and the 2026 capital gains tax.
