All Countries

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Selecting Country
No items found.
2023-05-19

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 19
,
 
2023
 - 
10
min read

Summ 2.0

Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator)'s latest software update introduces a suite of improvements to help you calculate your crypto taxes. Introducing advanced support for on-chain and DeFi transacitons, 100 new exchanges and a redesigned UI.

Key takeaways
  • Advanced support for on-chain trading across hundreds of leading DeFi protocols
  • Support for derivatives trading on major exchanges
  • UI and performance enhancements to help you do your crypto taxes faster
This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update  

Summ gets a major face lift

Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) has been around for almost three years. I first started this project back in 2018 after copping a $2k quote from an accountant to sort out my degen trading activity.

At the time most of the crypto tax platforms were built to facilitate the rather simple Bitcoin protocol, which was limited to mostly buying and selling on centralized exchanges. However I was a big fan of the Ethereum protocol, and had been trading on a few DEXs as well as participating in over 20 ICOs. Needless to say, getting my taxes sorted using the existing tools was a near impossible task. Instead I built a script to read from the Ethereum blockchain and automatically categorise transactions.

Fast forward to 2020 and the app had helped thousands of crypto enthusiasts with their crypto taxes. Along the way we learned some big lessons and decided to double down on the app, rewriting the backend so that we could quickly support the thousands of new financial products emerging in the crypto space. This turns out to have been a wise decision. The crypto space has since rapidly exploded, our app has seen dramatic growth, we have greatly expanded from a one man shop to a team of ten, and it is now easier then ever to get your taxes sorted.

A non trivial list of improvements

  1. Integrated support for margin/futures/options trading on major exchanges such as Binance, BitMEX, Bitfinex, Bybit, Liquid, Kraken, FTX, and Deribit.

  2. Automated on-chain categorisation of DEX protocols such as Uniswap, OasisDEX, Kyber, Airswap, Balancer, Maker, and Sushiswap.

  3. Automated support for DeFi protocols such as Compound, AAVE, and Synthetix.

  4. Support for staking across CEX and DeFi solutions including Sushiswap, Kraken, Celsius, NEO, and Crypto.com.

  5. Support for Specific ID (Last In First Out, Highest In First Out) inventory methods.

  6. Support for Canada and UK with their unique inventory rules.

  7. Additional support for over 100 exchanges.

  8. A complete redesign of the UI/UX

  9. Performance upgrades that allow you to calculate taxes on up to 100,000 transactions in under 5 seconds.

What's next?

We have now built out the foundational pieces to become the most comprehensive tax software in the crypto space. Our next priority is significantly expanding the "long-tail" support for crypto users. This includes:

  1. Better tooling to analyze your trade history performance and the impact of future trades on your tax obligations.

  2. Deeper support for local exchanges in the Canada, UK, and non-English speaking markets.

  3. Significant expansion of our native blockchain support for up and coming protocols.

If you have anything you would like us to support we would love to hear from you! Just drop us a line on the in-app chat support.

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
2
 
Apr
 
2026
The Crypto Neobank You Need Isn't What You Think

Most crypto neobanks are custodied fintech in disguise. Here's what a real Bitcoin onchain neobank looks like, and why the difference matters to your tax position.

Read More
CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail
Blog
12
 
Mar
 
2026
Product Update: Kalshi, MegaETH, CoinRabbit, Bittensor, and WhiteBIT support now live

Summ now supports Kalshi, MegaETH, CoinRabbit, and WhiteBIT. Import your prediction market trades, Layer 2 transactions, lending activity, and exchange data for complete tax reporting.

Read More
CryptoTax Calculator thumbnail
Blog
19
 
Jan
 
2026
Buy, Borrow, Die Strategy Explained: A Tax-Efficient Way to Use Capital

The Buy, Borrow, Die approach has long been used in traditional finance to preserve wealth, optimize taxes, and maintain exposure to appreciating assets. With the rise of crypto-backed lending, the same framework has become increasingly relevant for digital asset holders, making it accessible far beyond institutional circles.

Read More

Try Summ today

Import your transactions and generate a free report preview.

Blog

27 January 2021

X

 Min read

Summ 2.0

Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator)'s latest software update introduces a suite of improvements to help you calculate your crypto taxes. Introducing advanced support for on-chain and DeFi transacitons, 100 new exchanges and a redesigned UI.

Shane Brunette

Key takeaways

  • Advanced support for on-chain trading across hundreds of leading DeFi protocols
  • Support for derivatives trading on major exchanges
  • UI and performance enhancements to help you do your crypto taxes faster

This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update 

....

May

19

2023

Summ gets a major face lift

Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) has been around for almost three years. I first started this project back in 2018 after copping a $2k quote from an accountant to sort out my degen trading activity.

At the time most of the crypto tax platforms were built to facilitate the rather simple Bitcoin protocol, which was limited to mostly buying and selling on centralized exchanges. However I was a big fan of the Ethereum protocol, and had been trading on a few DEXs as well as participating in over 20 ICOs. Needless to say, getting my taxes sorted using the existing tools was a near impossible task. Instead I built a script to read from the Ethereum blockchain and automatically categorise transactions.

Fast forward to 2020 and the app had helped thousands of crypto enthusiasts with their crypto taxes. Along the way we learned some big lessons and decided to double down on the app, rewriting the backend so that we could quickly support the thousands of new financial products emerging in the crypto space. This turns out to have been a wise decision. The crypto space has since rapidly exploded, our app has seen dramatic growth, we have greatly expanded from a one man shop to a team of ten, and it is now easier then ever to get your taxes sorted.

A non trivial list of improvements

  1. Integrated support for margin/futures/options trading on major exchanges such as Binance, BitMEX, Bitfinex, Bybit, Liquid, Kraken, FTX, and Deribit.

  2. Automated on-chain categorisation of DEX protocols such as Uniswap, OasisDEX, Kyber, Airswap, Balancer, Maker, and Sushiswap.

  3. Automated support for DeFi protocols such as Compound, AAVE, and Synthetix.

  4. Support for staking across CEX and DeFi solutions including Sushiswap, Kraken, Celsius, NEO, and Crypto.com.

  5. Support for Specific ID (Last In First Out, Highest In First Out) inventory methods.

  6. Support for Canada and UK with their unique inventory rules.

  7. Additional support for over 100 exchanges.

  8. A complete redesign of the UI/UX

  9. Performance upgrades that allow you to calculate taxes on up to 100,000 transactions in under 5 seconds.

What's next?

We have now built out the foundational pieces to become the most comprehensive tax software in the crypto space. Our next priority is significantly expanding the "long-tail" support for crypto users. This includes:

  1. Better tooling to analyze your trade history performance and the impact of future trades on your tax obligations.

  2. Deeper support for local exchanges in the Canada, UK, and non-English speaking markets.

  3. Significant expansion of our native blockchain support for up and coming protocols.

If you have anything you would like us to support we would love to hear from you! Just drop us a line on the in-app chat support.

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 Switzerland?

For private investors, capital gains from crypto are exempt from income tax in Switzerland. Holdings are subject to cantonal wealth tax, valued at year-end rates set by the Federal Tax Administration. Staking, mining, lending, and salary income in crypto are taxed as ordinary income. Professional traders are taxed on gains as self-employment income.

I lost money trading cryptocurrency. Do I still pay tax?

The way cryptocurrencies are taxed in most countries mean that investors might still need to pay tax, regardless of whether they made an overall profit or loss. Depending on your circumstances, taxes are usually realized at the time of the transaction, and not on the overall position at the end of the financial year.

How do I calculate tax on crypto-to-crypto transactions?

In most countries you are required to record the value of the cryptocurrency in your local currency at the time of the transaction. This can be extremely time consuming to do by hand, since most exchange records do not have a reference price point, and records between exchanges are not easily compatible.

How can Summ help with crypto taxes?

You just need to import your transaction history and Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) will help you categorize your transactions and calculate realized profit and income. You can then generate the appropriate reports to send to your accountant and keep detailed records handy for audit purposes.

Can't I just get my accountant to do this for me?

We always recommend you work with your accountant to review your records. If you would like your accountant to help reconcile transactions, you can invite them to the product and collaborate within the Summ web app. We also have a complete accountant suite aimed at accountants.

Does Summ handle non-exchange activity?

Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) handles all non-exchange activity, such as onchain transactions like Airdrops, Staking, Mining, ICOs, and other DeFi activity. No matter what activity you have done in crypto, we have you covered with our easy to use categorization feature, similar to Expensify.

Do I have to pay for historical tax reports?

Our subscription pricing is per year not tax year, so with an annual subscription you can calculate your crypto taxes as far back as 2013. The process is the same, just upload your transaction history from these years and we can handle the rest.

Can I use my own accountant?

Yes, Summ 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.

How does payment work?

Summ has 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.

What if my exchange is not on the list of supported exchanges?

Summ covers thousands of exchanges, wallets, and blockchains, and DeFi apps, but if you do not see your exchange on the supported list we are more than happy to work with you to get it supported. Just reach out to [email protected] or via the in-app chat support feature and we will get you sorted.

Does Summ support NFT transactions?

We do! Summ integrates with many NFT marketplaces and offers categorization options for any NFT-related activity (minting, buying, selling, trading).

How does the free trial work?

Summ is free to use immediately upon signup, allowing you to import your transactions and take advantage of our smart suggestion and auto-categorization 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.