Tax Authority Inquiry
About Your Crypto?

Q: Do I have to respond to a tax authority inquiry immediately?

A tax authority inquiry is an information request, not criminal proceedings. You must respond within the stated deadline, typically two to four weeks. If that is not enough time, a reasoned extension is usually granted.

Q: What happens if I miss the deadline?

If you do not respond on time, the tax authority can estimate your income (AO §162 / BAO §184). A complete, on-time response replaces the estimate with your actual figures.

Q: What if I am missing old transaction data?

Missing data is not a reason to skip responding. Reconstruction goes only so far: deposits and withdrawals are visible on-chain, the trades inside an exchange need the export or a data request under Art. 15 GDPR.

Q: Should I consider a voluntary disclosure?

If you have not declared crypto income so far, a voluntary disclosure may come into question. It is evaluated before the response, and the assessment sits with the tax advisory. An inquiry that has already arrived may have closed that window.

An information request, not criminal proceedings. The answer stands or falls with your data.

Book a consultation

30 minutes · Consultation and quote free

9years Together in crypto accounting

Fixed price Cost certainty upfront

Independent Not tied to any tool

Robert & Johannes · personally review your data

Background

Why the Tax Authority Asks About Crypto

An inquiry rarely comes out of nowhere. Three routes lead there most often.

01_DAC8_MATCHING

DAC8 matching

Since 2026 regulated crypto service providers record the data, first reported in 2027. It is not the amount that triggers the inquiry, but the gap to your return.

02_BULK_REQUESTS

Bulk information requests to exchanges

Entire customer groups can be requested at once: in North Rhine-Westphalia around 4,000 accounts at bitcoin.de. From 2027 DAC8 matching adds to this.

03_RETURN_GAPS

Gaps in the tax return

When crypto income is missing from the return or the figures contradict each other, the tax authority can ask about that period.

The response

What Belongs in the Response

The letter names a period and a deadline. Four parts belong in the answer.

01_TAX_REPORT

Report from the tax tool

The report for the requested period, with no open warnings such as missing history, negative balances or missing labels.

02_RAW_DATA

Raw data and wallet addresses

The exports from every exchange used and a list of wallet addresses with their blockchain. They evidence where the report came from.

03_EXPLANATION

Notes on the complex entries

DeFi, cross-chain swaps and staking do not explain themselves. Each one needs a sentence saying what actually happened.

04_COVER_LETTER

The formal cover letter

The response is drafted and filed by the tax advisory. TX-Partner supplies the records it rests on.

What that means

What the response is measured against

Whether it is an Ergänzungsersuchen in Austria or an Auskunftsersuchen in Germany: the questions cover trading platforms, custody locations, the level of income, the records and the calculation. Five of the six points are data requests, the sixth rests on the same data.

The deadline

It is typically two to four weeks. If that is not enough, a reasoned extension is usually granted.

Completeness

The whole period is asked for, across every exchange and wallet. A partial answer creates follow-up questions and drags the case out.

The typical mistakes

Answering without structure, delivering too little, letting the deadline pass. All three end at the same inquiry, only later.

Estimates where data is missing

If no answer arrives, the tax authority can estimate the income. Evidenced figures from your history replace the estimate.

What TX-Partner makes of it

Data first, then the answer.

Data situation reviewed

TX-Partner goes through exchanges, wallets and the existing report and names where evidence is missing.

History restored

Missing stretches are reconstructed from on-chain data and exchange exports until the requested period is complete.

Handover to the tax advisory

The records are prepared so that the tax advisory can draft the response from them.

See crypto accounting for compliance

Ready?

Answer the inquiry properly.

30 minutes that make the difference.

Book a consultation 30 minutes · Consultation and quote free

If we are not the right fit for your case, we will say so in the call.

Recommended for you

Tax authority Overview

Tax Authority Inquiry Overview

The overview of the triggers, the deadlines and the records an inquiry asks for.

To the overview

Compliance Service

Crypto Accounting for Compliance

When a deadline is running: the complete history for tax authority, bank and DAC8.

Learn more

Accounting 9 min.

Tax Authority Asks About Crypto

The list of questions from real inquiries and the data it demands.

Read the article

Frequently Asked Questions

What We Get Asked Most

A tax authority inquiry is an information request, not criminal proceedings. You must respond within the stated deadline, typically two to four weeks. If that is not enough time, a reasoned extension is usually granted.

If you do not respond on time, the tax authority can estimate your income (AO §162 / BAO §184). A complete, on-time response replaces the estimate with your actual figures.

Strongly recommended. The tax advisory knows the formal requirements and can assess what has to be disclosed. TX-Partner prepares the crypto accounting so they can work with it immediately.

Missing data is not a reason to skip responding. Reconstruction goes only so far: deposits and withdrawals are visible on-chain, the trades inside an exchange need the export or a data request under Art. 15 GDPR.

If you have not declared crypto income so far, a voluntary disclosure may come into question. It is evaluated before the response, and the assessment sits with the tax advisory. An inquiry that has already arrived may have closed that window.

View all questions