Crypto tax
Crypto tax documents checklist
Digital assets are reported on the same return as everything else, but the records come from exchanges, wallets and apps that do not share a format. This checklist covers what to collect for tax year 2026: the exchange and wallet history, the Forms 1099-DA or 1099-B, the income from staking or mining, and the basis records behind each sale. Ask for the full transaction history, not only the year-end balance.
Who sends itSent by the tax preparer to each client who bought, sold, swapped, received or paid with digital assets during 2026. The client can export the history from each exchange or wallet and upload the files.
0 of 17 ticked
01Exchanges and wallets
02Transactions
03Basis and records
What firms get wrong
- Reporting only the Form 1099-DA totals and missing trades and transfers the form does not show.
- Treating a transfer between the client's own wallets as a sale, which double-counts the asset.
- Using the year-end price for every transaction instead of the value on the date of each transaction.
- Missing staking, mining or airdrop income because it never appeared on a 1099.
- Sending a seed phrase or private key in a document upload. Never ask for either.
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Questions about this checklist
Is cryptocurrency taxable?
Digital assets are treated as property for federal tax purposes. A sale, trade or payment with a digital asset is generally a taxable event, and income from staking, mining or interest is generally taxable when received.
What if the client only bought and held?
A purchase and hold with no sale, trade or payment may not create a taxable event, but the client still needs the purchase records for the basis. Report the holdings on the digital asset question on the return where it applies.
What is Form 1099-DA?
Form 1099-DA is the information return for digital asset transactions. The exchange or broker files it, and the client uses it with the full transaction history because the form may not include basis for every transaction.
How should a client report transfers between their own wallets?
A transfer between the client's own wallets is usually not a sale, but it has to be matched so the same asset is not counted twice. Send the sending and receiving addresses and the date of each transfer.
What records should a client keep for digital assets?
Keep the exchange exports, the wallet addresses, the transaction dates, the amounts, the value at the time of each transaction and the fees. Keep the records for as long as the client keeps tax records.
Sources
Checked November 3, 2026. Tax rules, forms and thresholds change; confirm them with the IRS or your tax software before relying on them.
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