DAC8 and Crypto Documentation

DAC8 has been active since January 2026. Crypto exchanges now automatically report to tax authorities. This means: the data in your crypto tax tool will be compared with the data the tax authority receives from exchanges. If they don't match, there may be inquiries.

01 What is DAC8?

DAC8 (Directive on Administrative Cooperation 8) is an EU directive that requires crypto service providers to automatically report transaction data to financial authorities.

The data is not only reported to the local tax authority but exchanged EU-wide between member states. If you live in Austria and trade on an exchange based in Lithuania, the Austrian tax authority receives this data.

Source: EU Official Journal, Directive (EU) 2023/2226

02 DAC8 Timeline: When Crypto Data Gets Reported

Since January 2026, data has been collected. The first reports to tax authorities will occur in 2027 for the reporting year 2026. This means: all transactions occurring on regulated exchanges now flow into the first report.

For anyone with incomplete tax filings from past years, the window is open now: Crypto Voluntary Disclosure 2026: What You Need to Know Now.

03 What Crypto Exchanges Must Report to Tax Authorities

Crypto service providers report the following information:

• Personal Data – Name, address, date of birth, tax identification number
• Transactions – Purchases, sales, exchanges, and their fiat countervalues
• Wallet Transfers – Deposits and withdrawals to and from the exchange
• Holdings – Crypto balances at year-end

Source: EU Commission, DAC8 Taxation and Customs

What is NOT Reported (But is Visible)

DeFi protocols and self-hosted wallets do not fall directly under DAC8. But: on-chain transactions are publicly visible. If you transfer from an exchange to your own wallet, the exchange sees this withdrawal and reports it.

This creates a gap: the exchange reports the transfer. What happens afterward with the coins – DeFi swaps, liquidity pools, bridge transfers – does not appear in the exchange's report. So the tax authority sees a withdrawal but no explanation of what happened next. Your own crypto documentation must close this gap.

04 The Logic Chain: Why Crypto Documentation is Critical

To understand why DAC8 makes crypto documentation so relevant, consider the chronological dependency:

If the crypto documentation is incomplete or incorrect, any tax calculation based on it will be wrong. And everything toward compliance will show contradictions – precisely the contradictions that become visible through the DAC8 comparison.

05 The Comparison: What Specifically Happens

The tax authority receives structured data from exchanges. This is compared with the tax return. Specifically, this looks like:

For example, an exchange reports: Account X executed sales worth 50,000 euros in 2026. But the tax return from Account X shows only 10,000 euros in crypto proceeds. This discrepancy is noticeable and can trigger an inquiry.

This doesn't mean every deviation is problematic. Many transactions are tax-neutral (e.g., transfers between your own wallets). But: anyone without understandable documentation can't prove that if questioned.

06 Preparation: What to Do Now

DAC8 doesn't change what you should do – it makes the consequences more visible. The foundation remains: complete, understandable crypto documentation.

Step 1: Check Completeness

Are all exchanges and wallets recorded in the crypto tax tool? In practice, older exchange accounts, DeFi wallets, or smaller platforms that closed in the meantime are often missing. Every gap can lead to discrepancies in the DAC8 comparison.

Step 2: Identify Tool Errors

Negative balances, missing assignments, or incorrect classifications are typical errors in crypto tax tools. They directly affect tax calculation. The more transactions, wallets, and years involved, the more likely such errors are.

Step 3: Secure Evidence

CSV exports from exchanges, transaction histories, and wallet connections should be backed up regularly. Exchanges change export formats or cease operations. Anyone who doesn't secure the data in time may not be able to obtain it later.

TX-Partner Crypto Documentation

TX-Partner specializes in exactly this preparation: making the transaction history in the crypto tax tool complete, correct, and understandable – audit-ready for tax advisors and tax authorities.

• Record all wallets and exchanges – including DeFi, bridges, multi-chain
• Close gaps in transaction history – missing transfers, unknown deposits
• Correct errors in crypto tax tools – negative balances, incorrect assignments
• Clean crypto documentation – reliable for DAC8 comparison and tax authority inquiries

07 DeFi, NFTs, and Self-Custody: What DAC8 Doesn't Cover

DAC8 primarily covers regulated crypto service providers. But a growing portion of crypto activities occurs outside these platforms, and that's where the biggest documentation gaps arise.

DeFi Transactions

Swaps on decentralized exchanges like Uniswap or Jupiter, lending on Aave, liquidity pools on Curve – none of this is reported by a regulated exchange. Nevertheless, these transactions are tax-relevant.

The core problem: an exchange reports the withdrawal to your wallet. What happens afterward – token swaps, yield farming, bridge transfers between chains – doesn't appear in the DAC8 report. The tax authority sees a withdrawal without visible return. Your own crypto documentation must close this gap.

NFTs

NFT transactions also don't fall under the DAC8 reporting obligation of regulated exchanges. Purchases and sales on marketplaces like OpenSea, Magic Eden, or Blur are tax-relevant – but don't appear in exchange reports. Anyone holding NFTs must maintain documentation independently: purchase price, sale proceeds, minting costs, and any royalties.

Self-Custody Wallets

Hardware wallets and self-hosted software wallets are not subject to reporting obligations. But: every interaction between a regulated exchange and your own wallet is documented on the exchange's side. The challenge lies in making the complete transaction path understandable – from the exchange via the wallet to potential return.

08 Germany and Austria: Differences in the Context of DAC8

DAC8 is an EU-wide directive, but the tax treatment of crypto assets differs between countries. The reported data is identical – the tax consequences are not.

Austria — MPfG clarification (February 2026): Austria's Crypto Reporting Act (MPfG) is the national implementation of DAC8. The BMF clarified on 13 February 2026 that the MPfG also applies to foreign providers — not just exchanges based in Austria. Binance, Kraken, and Coinbase are required to report data on Austrian users. Anyone who believed foreign exchanges were exempt is mistaken. First reporting deadline: 31 July 2027 for the 2026 reporting year.

For crypto documentation, this means: the same DAC8 reporting data has different tax implications in Germany and Austria. Documentation must be adapted to the respective tax system – correct recording of transaction history is the foundation in both cases. For a detailed breakdown of the Austrian rules, see our complete guide to crypto taxation in Austria 2026. For Germany (holding period, FIFO, Anlage SO), see our complete guide to crypto taxation in Germany 2026.

Source: BMF Austria, EStG Germany. As of: March 2026. Not tax advice – please clarify individual cases with your tax advisor.