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2023-09-21

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
Sep 21
,
 
2023
 - 
10
min read

Security Update

Security update

Key takeaways
This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update  

We are providing an update on steps taken by Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) since becoming aware of a potential sophisticated phishing scam targeting our customers, which we identified as a result of a cyber incident against our third-party provider.

Since our last update, we have been working with a team of external experts to investigate. We have also notified Australian privacy regulators with the required details and the outcomes of our investigations.

Our investigation confirmed there was unauthorised access into Summ’s system. General information was exposed such as user IDs, email addresses and password hashes; and in some instances, chat logs, public blockchain wallet addresses, and cryptocurrency exchange names. Some internal administrative Summ information was also exposed.

This information does not allow access to or transfer of funds via your cryptocurrency exchanges or blockchain wallets. Summ only manages the record keeping obligations of its users, and funds cannot be accessed through our platform. Furthermore, Summ does not collect government-issued identity documents, nor will we ever ask users for private keys, write-access exchange API keys, or to sign a wallet transaction that could enable the transfer of funds.

The accessed information may increase the risk of exposure to a potential sophisticated phishing scam attempting to trick users into releasing further information.

At this stage, Summ has no information to suggest this has happened. Summ strongly recommends all users remain vigilant and adhere to the following security measures:

  • While all Summ user passwords are secured with robust one-way encryption, we recommend that all users still adopt a best practice approach to the security of your passwords. This includes rotating your password on Summ and other platforms, and the utilisation of a password manager.

  • Make sure you do not share private keys or write-access API keys with unknown third parties. As a reminder, Summ or affiliated sites will never ask you for private keys, write-access exchange API keys, or to sign a wallet transaction which allows for transfer of funds.

  • Check all URLs to ensure it is the website that you are intending to visit.

  • Remain vigilant and validate all communications from Summ. For any suspicious or unauthorised activity, report this to [email protected] and we will promptly review it.

In response to this incident Summ has taken steps to reinforce the integrity of our systems and no further illegal activity has been detected. The Summ platform remains safe, secure and accessible for its users.

Summ sincerely apologises to all users for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused.

We are committed to the highest standards of security and data integrity and encourage all users to remain vigilant and adhere to the steps outlined above to preserve data security.

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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Blog

21 September 2023

X

 Min read

Security Update

Security update

Timothy Brunette

This tax guide is regularly updated: Last Update 

....

September

21

2023

We are providing an update on steps taken by Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) since becoming aware of a potential sophisticated phishing scam targeting our customers, which we identified as a result of a cyber incident against our third-party provider.

Since our last update, we have been working with a team of external experts to investigate. We have also notified Australian privacy regulators with the required details and the outcomes of our investigations.

Our investigation confirmed there was unauthorised access into Summ’s system. General information was exposed such as user IDs, email addresses and password hashes; and in some instances, chat logs, public blockchain wallet addresses, and cryptocurrency exchange names. Some internal administrative Summ information was also exposed.

This information does not allow access to or transfer of funds via your cryptocurrency exchanges or blockchain wallets. Summ only manages the record keeping obligations of its users, and funds cannot be accessed through our platform. Furthermore, Summ does not collect government-issued identity documents, nor will we ever ask users for private keys, write-access exchange API keys, or to sign a wallet transaction that could enable the transfer of funds.

The accessed information may increase the risk of exposure to a potential sophisticated phishing scam attempting to trick users into releasing further information.

At this stage, Summ has no information to suggest this has happened. Summ strongly recommends all users remain vigilant and adhere to the following security measures:

  • While all Summ user passwords are secured with robust one-way encryption, we recommend that all users still adopt a best practice approach to the security of your passwords. This includes rotating your password on Summ and other platforms, and the utilisation of a password manager.

  • Make sure you do not share private keys or write-access API keys with unknown third parties. As a reminder, Summ or affiliated sites will never ask you for private keys, write-access exchange API keys, or to sign a wallet transaction which allows for transfer of funds.

  • Check all URLs to ensure it is the website that you are intending to visit.

  • Remain vigilant and validate all communications from Summ. For any suspicious or unauthorised activity, report this to [email protected] and we will promptly review it.

In response to this incident Summ has taken steps to reinforce the integrity of our systems and no further illegal activity has been detected. The Summ platform remains safe, secure and accessible for its users.

Summ sincerely apologises to all users for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused.

We are committed to the highest standards of security and data integrity and encourage all users to remain vigilant and adhere to the steps outlined above to preserve data security.

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Häufig gestellte Fragen

Was ist, wenn ich mehr als 200.000 Transaktionen habe?

Wenn du über 200.000 Transaktionen hast, sogar bis zu einer Million, bieten wir individuelle Lösungen für deinen Bedarf. Kontaktiere uns, um die passende Lösung für dich zu finden.

Deckt der Plan alle Steuerjahre ab?

Mit einem aktiven Abo hast du Zugriff auf alle Steuerjahre. Sobald du bezahlt hast, kannst du ein beliebiges Steuerjahr auswählen und den Bericht für alle Steuerjahre so oft herunterladen, wie du möchtest, solange dein Abo aktiv ist.

Wie funktioniert das Transaktionslimit?

Das Transaktionslimit gilt für alle Steuerjahre. Bei den Berechnungen müssen wir alle Transaktionen aus früheren Steuerjahren berücksichtigen.

Was passiert, wenn ich upgraden oder kündigen möchte?

Du kannst jederzeit upgraden und zahlst einfach die Preisdifferenz. Wenn du kündigen möchtest, kannst du das jederzeit im Abrechnungsbereich der App tun.

Wie funktioniert die kostenlose Testphase?

Die Plattform ist direkt nach der Anmeldung kostenlos nutzbar: Du kannst deine Transaktionen importieren und unsere intelligenten Vorschläge und die automatische Kategorisierung, das Portfolio-Tracking sowie die DeFi- und NFT-Unterstützung nutzen. Für den Zugriff auf Berichte, das Tax-Loss-Harvesting-Tool oder Chat- und Priority-Support musst du auf den passenden kostenpflichtigen Plan upgraden.

​Wie geht Summ mit Krypto-Einkommen aus Wallets wie Phantom oder DeFi-Aktivitäten wie Solana Staking um?

​Summ verbindet sich direkt mit Wallets und Blockchains, nicht nur mit Börsen. Einkommen aus Staking, DeFi und nicht-custodial Wallets wie Phantom wird automatisch erfasst und zusammen mit deiner Börsenaktivität kategorisiert – bereit für deinen Bericht.

Automatisieren Sie Ihre Krypto-Buchhaltung

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.