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2023-05-22

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
May 22
,
 
2023
 - 
10
min read

Product update - 22nd June 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  

UI uplift: Review Transactions page

Our review transactions page has had an uplift, enabling you to see the most important information of each transaction with ease. If you have any feedback for this updated design, don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below.

New transaction categories: Add/Remove Liquidity + Send/Receive LP token

Do you frequently interact with liquidity pools and LP tokens? We have added in the ability to use 2 new transaction categories: Add/Remove Liquidity and Send/Receive LP Token. Both of these new transaction categories are set to have the same tax implications as a buy/sell.

If you are not sure how LP tokens are taxed in your region, please speak to your local tax professional.

New cost basis method: Specific ID by exchange

You can now navigate to the settings page and select whether your cost basis should be tracked universally, or by wallet/exchange. By default, your cost basis will be tracked universally across all wallets and exchanges. This feature is not available for the HMRC and Adjusted Cost Basis inventory methods.

New Dashboard toggle: Reported + Calculated balances

You are now able to toggle between your “Reported” and “Calculated” balances on the dashboard. Depending on what types of transactions you have made, a different balance type will be more accurate. Below is a summary of the two balance types:

Reported Balance:

Shows a live view of your balances reported by your exchanges and wallets. Balances that are not in your wallets (e.g. staking deposits) will not be shown. Please note that CSV imports, as well as some exchanges and wallets do not support live reporting of balances, and in these cases, the holdings calculated by Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) will be used.

Calculated Balance:

Shows your balances as calculated by Summ, based on your imported wallets and exchanges. This includes holdings from wallets you have not yet imported (e.g. collateral deposits). Accuracy relies on the correct reconciliation of transactions.

Tax toggle: setting “Bridging” as a taxable or non-taxable event

You are now able to toggle whether bridging assets are seen as taxable or not within the tax settings. If you’re unsure about the tax implications of bridging in your region, we recommend getting in touch with a local tax professional.

Minor Changes

Since our last product newsletter, the following minor changes have been implemented:

  • The name of the Borrow category has changed to Loan
  • We have consolidated the two Kucoin imports, into only one Kucoin import
  • We have added support for the new Coinstash CSV format

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.

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Try Summ today

Import your transactions and generate a free report preview.

Blog

22 June 2022

X

 Min read

Product update - 22nd June 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.

Samara LeMerle

This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update 

....

May

22

2023

UI uplift: Review Transactions page

Our review transactions page has had an uplift, enabling you to see the most important information of each transaction with ease. If you have any feedback for this updated design, don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below.

New transaction categories: Add/Remove Liquidity + Send/Receive LP token

Do you frequently interact with liquidity pools and LP tokens? We have added in the ability to use 2 new transaction categories: Add/Remove Liquidity and Send/Receive LP Token. Both of these new transaction categories are set to have the same tax implications as a buy/sell.

If you are not sure how LP tokens are taxed in your region, please speak to your local tax professional.

New cost basis method: Specific ID by exchange

You can now navigate to the settings page and select whether your cost basis should be tracked universally, or by wallet/exchange. By default, your cost basis will be tracked universally across all wallets and exchanges. This feature is not available for the HMRC and Adjusted Cost Basis inventory methods.

New Dashboard toggle: Reported + Calculated balances

You are now able to toggle between your “Reported” and “Calculated” balances on the dashboard. Depending on what types of transactions you have made, a different balance type will be more accurate. Below is a summary of the two balance types:

Reported Balance:

Shows a live view of your balances reported by your exchanges and wallets. Balances that are not in your wallets (e.g. staking deposits) will not be shown. Please note that CSV imports, as well as some exchanges and wallets do not support live reporting of balances, and in these cases, the holdings calculated by Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) will be used.

Calculated Balance:

Shows your balances as calculated by Summ, based on your imported wallets and exchanges. This includes holdings from wallets you have not yet imported (e.g. collateral deposits). Accuracy relies on the correct reconciliation of transactions.

Tax toggle: setting “Bridging” as a taxable or non-taxable event

You are now able to toggle whether bridging assets are seen as taxable or not within the tax settings. If you’re unsure about the tax implications of bridging in your region, we recommend getting in touch with a local tax professional.

Minor Changes

Since our last product newsletter, the following minor changes have been implemented:

  • The name of the Borrow category has changed to Loan
  • We have consolidated the two Kucoin imports, into only one Kucoin import
  • We have added support for the new Coinstash CSV format

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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

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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.