All Countries

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
USA flag
Australia
No items found.
2023-03-31

How Investing vs Trading impacts tax

In most cases of buying and selling cryptocurrency as a retail investor, you are participating in investing rather than trading. The two are treated differently for tax purposes.

  • Investing is subject to capital gains tax or income tax, depending on the nature of the transaction.
  • Trading in this case refers to self-employment which is subject to income tax and National Insurance Contributions.

The key difference between investing and trading – along with the different tax treatments, is how losses generated in the crypto-activity can be used.

In their guidance, HMRC have explicitly stated that they would expect it to be exceedingly rare that any crypto-activity constituting buying & selling crypto would be classified as “trading”.

If you are uncertain, speak to a tax advisor as there are always exceptions, including but not limited to, developing tokens and large scale mining.

How is crypto tax calculated in the United States?

You can be liable for both capital gains and income tax depending on the type of cryptocurrency transaction, and your individual circumstances. For example, you might need to pay capital gains on profits from buying and selling cryptocurrency, or pay income tax on interest earned when holding crypto.

CoinLedger

CoinLedger is an accessible crypto tax platform with over 1,000 exchange and wallet integrations.

Best for: Users who want a simple, straightforward experience without complex DeFi needs.

Key differentiator: Offers an unlimited transaction plan for high-volume traders at a fixed price.

Pricing: $49 (100 transactions) to $499+ (10,000+ transactions).

Limitation: Does not generate Schedule D forms - you will need to complete this manually or with other software.

Notable: Strong NFT support with OpenSea integration.

CoinTracker

CoinTracker is a portfolio tracker and tax calculator supporting over 30,000 cryptocurrencies.

Best for: Users who prioritize portfolio tracking alongside tax reporting.

Key differentiator: Direct integrations with TurboTax and H&R Block Desktop.

Pricing: $59 (100 transactions) to $599 (10,000 transactions), with full-service options up to $3,499.

Limitation: Customer support is limited on lower-tier plans - priority support requires the $599 Ultra plan.

Notable: Good security with end-to-end encryption and SOC 2 compliance.

ZenLedger

ZenLedger offers both DIY crypto tax reports and professional full-service accounting.

Best for: Users who want tax loss harvesting included at every pricing tier.

Key differentiator: Tax loss harvesting is available on all plans, not just premium tiers.

Pricing: $49 (100 transactions) to $399 (15,000 transactions).

Limitation: Only offers 400+ exchange integrations - significantly fewer than competitors. Some users report customer support issues with long wait times.

Notable: TurboTax integration and 14-day refund policy.

blog
Mar 31
,
 
2023
 - 
10
min read

Product update - 18th May 2022

At Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator), we are constantly working on improving our product so you can have the best experience at tax time. Check out our blog for the latest product updates.

Key takeaways
This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update  

It’s that time again, we’ve got a whole bunch of exciting updates to the Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) platform to announce!

First up, users now have the ability to generate a German SO form. This means that our German users can have a more native experience when using our platform!

german-report.png

Next is a much-requested feature from our users: the ability to add comments to transaction lines. After this update, you can now leave comments on any of your transaction lines, as well as delete any. Each comment will have a timestamp associated with it, so you can keep track of any notes you’d like to make! We’re also working hard on giving you the ability to edit comments, and filter by comments, so keep an eye out there.

transaction-comments.png

We thought we’d wrap this product update blog up with a big one… We are happy to announce we now have ERC-1155 token support in-app for Arbitrum, Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain, Ethereum, Fantom and Polygon networks! This is huge news for anyone deep into NFT trading, as you’ll now be able to track minting and selling ERC-1155s on these networks, as well as converting an ERC-721 to a ERC-1155.

The information provided on this website is general in nature and is not tax, accounting or legal advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs and seek professional advice. Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) disclaims all and any guarantees, undertakings and warranties, expressed or implied, and is not liable for any loss or damage whatsoever (including human or computer error, negligent or otherwise, or incidental or Consequential Loss or damage) arising out of, or in connection with, any use or reliance on the information or advice in this website. The user must accept sole responsibility associated with the use of the material on this site, irrespective of the purpose for which such use or results are applied. The information in this website is no substitute for specialist advice.

FAQ

No items found.
Table of contents
heading2
heading3

More resources

CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail
Blog
1
 
Jun
 
2026
NFTs and stablecoins: how the ATO taxes them in Australia

NFTs and stablecoins follow the same CGT rules as other crypto assets in Australia. Here's how the ATO taxes them, with worked examples for common scenarios.

Read More
CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail
Blog
28
 
May
 
2026
What the proposed CGT changes mean for active crypto traders

Active crypto traders operate under a different tax reality than long-term investors. The proposed CGT changes affect them less than the headlines suggest, but the structural questions are more complex.

Read More
CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail
Blog
25
 
May
 
2026
Crypto Margin Trading Tax in Australia: What the ATO Actually Says

Crypto margin, perpetuals, and futures sit in an ATO guidance gap. Here's how to apply the general framework for FY26, including investor vs trader, interest, liquidations, TOFA, and offshore venues.

Read More

Try Summ today

Import your transactions and generate a free report preview.

Blog

18 May 2022

X

 Min read

Product update - 18th May 2022

At Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator), we are constantly working on improving our product so you can have the best experience at tax time. Check out our blog for the latest product updates.

Shane Brunette

This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update 

....

March

31

2023

It’s that time again, we’ve got a whole bunch of exciting updates to the Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) platform to announce!

First up, users now have the ability to generate a German SO form. This means that our German users can have a more native experience when using our platform!

german-report.png

Next is a much-requested feature from our users: the ability to add comments to transaction lines. After this update, you can now leave comments on any of your transaction lines, as well as delete any. Each comment will have a timestamp associated with it, so you can keep track of any notes you’d like to make! We’re also working hard on giving you the ability to edit comments, and filter by comments, so keep an eye out there.

transaction-comments.png

We thought we’d wrap this product update blog up with a big one… We are happy to announce we now have ERC-1155 token support in-app for Arbitrum, Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain, Ethereum, Fantom and Polygon networks! This is huge news for anyone deep into NFT trading, as you’ll now be able to track minting and selling ERC-1155s on these networks, as well as converting an ERC-721 to a ERC-1155.

Discover savings opportunities and lower your tax with Summ

Get started for free

No credit card required

Track all your swaps, trades and DeFi activity with Summ for easy tax reporting

Get started for free

No credit card required

Struggling with your tax?

Let Summ do the hard work for you.

Select country

Connect accounts

Get tax report

Get started for free

No credit card required

Automate your record keeping with Summ

Get started for free

No credit card required

Get started for free

No credit card required

Frequently asked questions

How is crypto tax calculated in Australia?

You can be liable for both capital gains and income tax depending on the type of cryptocurrency transaction, and your individual circumstances. For example, you might need to pay capital gains on profits from buying and selling cryptocurrency, or pay income tax on interest earned when holding crypto.

How does payment work?

We have an annual subscription which covers all previous tax years. If you need to amend your tax return for previous years you will be covered under the one payment.

Can I use my own accountant?

Yes, Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) is designed to generate accountant friendly tax reports. You simply import all your transaction history and export your report. This means you can get your books up to date yourself, allowing you to save significant time, and reduce the bill charged by your accountant. You can discuss tax scenarios with your accountant, and have them review the report.

Do you support NFT transactions?

We do! We have integrations with many NFT marketplaces, as well as categorisation options for any NFT related activity (minting, buying, selling, trading).

How does the free trial work?

The platform is free to use immediately upon signup, allowing you to import your transactions and take advantage of our smart suggestion and auto-categorisation engine, portfolio tracking, DeFi and NFT support. For access to reports, the tax loss harvest tool or chat and priority support, you will need to upgrade to the appropriate paid plan.

Automate your crypto bookkeeping

01

SOC 2 type 2 certified

As SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, we ensure robust data security, giving customers confidence in entrusting us.
02

Secure organization

We conduct regular and thorough Security & Awareness training for all employees.
03

Full data privacy

Our application only ever requires 'read-only' access to your data.