How to do your crypto taxes with Coinbase

Tax season is here, and if you’ve bought, sold or swapped crypto on Coinbase this financial year, the ATO expects it in your tax return. The good news: as a Coinbase user you don’t have to untangle it by hand.

Coinbase has partnered with Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) so you can turn your Coinbase history into an ATO-ready tax report.

Here’s how to do it

Step 1: Know what’s taxable

The ATO treats crypto as a CGT asset. Selling crypto for AUD, swapping one coin for another (including stablecoins and NFTs), spending crypto or gifting it are all CGT events. Rewards like staking or interest are generally taxed as income when you receive them. Simply buying and holding is not a taxable event, but you still need records of every transaction to work out your position when you do dispose.

Step 2: Create your Summ account

Head to the Coinbase partner page and sign up. Your Coinbase perks are applied automatically: up to 1,000 transactions imported free and 30% off any paid plan for your first year. Coinbase One members get 40% off and $1 Rookie plans, and Coinbase One Premium members get 50% off, via their own pages.

Step 3: Connect your Coinbase account

The fastest way is the one-click OAuth connection: choose Coinbase in Summ, approve the connection, and your full trading history imports automatically.

Prefer another route? You can connect with an API key or upload a CSV export instead. Every connection is read-only. Summ can see the transaction history needed to calculate your taxes and nothing more; your funds stay exactly where they are.

Step 4: Add your other wallets and exchanges

Your Coinbase activity is only part of the picture. Add every wallet and exchange you’ve used, hundreds are supported, so transfers between your own accounts are recognised correctly rather than being counted as taxable disposals. This is the step that keeps your report accurate and defensible.

Step 5: Review your transactions

Summ automatically categorises your activity: trades, staking rewards, transfers, fees and more. Give it a quick review and your numbers are ready.

Step 6: Generate your ATO-ready report

Download your report and you’re done. Use the figures to lodge yourself through myTax, or hand the report straight to your accountant. Reports cover capital gains, income, expenses and a full transaction ledger, and once you’re set up, next year takes minutes.

FAQs

Can Summ see or move my funds? No. Connections are read-only. Summ only reads transaction history to calculate your taxes.

When is the deadline? The FY25-26 tax year ended 30 June 2026. If you lodge your own return, the deadline is 31 October 2026. Lodging through a registered tax agent can extend this, but you generally need to be on their books before 31 October.

This guide is general information, not tax or financial advice. Consider your own circumstances and consult a registered tax professional if you’re unsure.