Filing crypto taxes in the US is not as simple as uploading your exchange data and clicking submit. With the IRS classifying crypto as property, nearly every trade, swap, or sale creates a taxable event. Most Americans turn to crypto tax software to handle the math, but even the best tools can’t fix mistakes caused by missing data or wrong assumptions.
What many investors overlook is that tax software is only as accurate as the information you give it. If you miss importing a wallet or misunderstand a taxable event, your report could be way off. And with the IRS paying close attention to crypto trades, those errors can lead to audits or penalties.
In this article, we’ll cover the most common mistakes Americans make when using crypto tax software, and how to avoid them.
Understanding Cryptocurrency Taxation in the US
Crypto taxes in the United States are often misunderstood because many people think of digital assets as currency. But according to the IRS, cryptocurrency is classified as property, not money.
When you sell, trade, or spend cryptocurrency, the IRS treats it as the disposal of property. This means you must calculate capital gains or losses for each transaction. Unlike fiat currency, where spending or exchanging dollars does not trigger a tax event, crypto transactions must be tracked and reported.
The IRS expanded its definition of digital assets in 2023 to cover NFTs and other blockchain-based property.
Key Taxable Crypto Events You Must Track
Taxable crypto events fall into two categories: capital gains and ordinary income.
- Capital gains are triggered when you sell crypto for fiat, trade one token for another, or spend crypto on goods or services.
- Ordinary income includes crypto received from mining, staking, airdrops, hard forks, and payments for services.
Read More: Crypto Tax In USA- Ultimate Tax Guide
Most Common Crypto Tax Software Mistakes You Can Commit
Even the best crypto tax software cannot prevent mistakes if the data imported is incomplete or misclassified. From missing transactions to wrong cost basis calculations, these errors can inflate your tax bill or trigger IRS scrutiny. Here are the most common issues users encounter when relying on tax software without proper checks.
Incomplete Data Import and Broken Cost Basis
Sometimes crypto tax software can fail to import the transactions properly. Here are some instances where it can create an issue:
Missing Transaction Data from Exchanges, Wallets, and DeFi Platforms
Many crypto investors forget to import data from all the platforms they have used. If you buy crypto on one exchange and sell it on another, but only import the sale, the software assumes a zero cost basis. This creates an inflated capital gain. To avoid this, you must import every buy, sell, transfer, and income event from every exchange, wallet, and DeFi platform you have used.
API Sync Failures and CSV Errors
API integrations often fail due to expired keys, incorrect permissions, or exchange outages. Even when APIs work, they may not pull older data. CSV files are another weak point, where missing headers, incorrect transaction types, or formatting issues cause data to be skipped or misread. If you don’t regularly check your imports, these errors go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Ignoring Transfers Between Your Own Wallets or Exchanges
Transferring crypto between your own wallets is not a taxable event. But if these transfers aren’t imported and marked correctly, the software might interpret them as sales or withdrawals. This breaks the cost basis chain and creates fake gains or missing coins in your portfolio. Always import and tag your wallet-to-wallet transfers as non-taxable movements.
Incorrect Cost Basis and Capital Gain Calculations
Crypto tax software has default cost basis methods pre-applied on them. As a user you can make the following mistakes related to cost basis and CGT calculations:
Wrong Cost Basis Method Selection
The IRS allows you to use FIFO, LIFO, or Specific Identification as your cost basis method. Each approach calculates gains differently. If your software defaults to FIFO but you intended to use Specific Identification, your gains could be overstated or understated. Choosing the right method helps optimize your tax outcome.
Overlooking Fees in Calculations
Exchange fees, network fees, and gas fees are part of your cost basis and should be included when buying and deducted when selling. Ignoring these fees inflates your capital gains by making it seem like you paid less for the asset than you did. DeFi transactions, in particular, often involve multiple gas fees that tax software may miss unless you review them manually.
Read More: Crypto Cost Basis Explained
Misclassifying Crypto Income
Every crypto transaction has a different set of taxation. Therefore, classification of transactions becomes eminent for accurate calculation of crypto taxes in the USA. Here are some mistakes that can be committed related to misclassifying crypto income.
Treating Income as Capital Gains
Staking rewards, mining rewards, airdrops, and hard forks are all ordinary income when received. If you misclassify them as capital gains, you’ll underreport your income and incorrectly calculate your gains when you sell them later. Crypto tax software may attempt to categorize these, but manual review is often needed to ensure accuracy.
Missing Dual Tax Treatment on Some Activities
Crypto income activities are taxed twice: first as ordinary income when received, and later as capital gains when sold. If you only track the sale, you miss reporting the income. Staking rewards and airdropped tokens are common examples. This mistake causes underreporting of income and incorrect cost basis when calculating capital gains.
Handling Complex DeFi and NFT Transactions Incorrectly
Not all software allows you to handle DeFi and NFT transactions. Here are the issues which you can face:
DeFi Lending, Borrowing, and Liquidity Pools
DeFi activities generate taxable income and capital gains, but many software platforms struggle to identify these correctly. Lending rewards, borrowing fees, and liquidity pool income must be tracked and reported, yet these are often lumped under “unknown transactions” or missed entirely.
NFT Sales and Collectibles Tax Rates
NFT trades are capital gains events, but certain NFTs like collectibles may be taxed at a 28% long-term capital gains rate instead of the usual 0%, 15%, or 20%. If your software doesn’t distinguish these NFT types, your reported gains may be taxed incorrectly.
Incorrect Crypto Identification
Thousands of cryptocurrencies exist, and some share the same name or ticker symbol. Crypto tax software can misidentify transactions when different tokens have similar names, leading to wrong market values and faulty tax calculations. Always verify the token identifiers when importing transactions to avoid this error.
Record-Keeping and Reconciliation Mistakes in Crypto Tax Reporting
Even with crypto tax software, you are responsible for maintaining complete records of your crypto activity. Failing to keep detailed records or reconcile your tax reports regularly leads to gaps, errors, and a weak defense if audited by the IRS. Crypto taxes require both software calculations and human oversight to ensure accuracy.
Relying Only on Software Without Backups
Many users trust their crypto tax software to handle everything without keeping independent records. But exchanges may shut down, APIs may fail, and CSV files may be incomplete. You should always maintain your own records of:
- Dates of purchases and sales.
- Fair market value at the time of each transaction.
- Transaction type (buy, sell, stake, airdrop, transfer).
- Wallet addresses and transaction IDs.
- Exchange receipts and DeFi logs.
Having your own backup protects you if your software fails or the IRS asks for proof during an audit.
Failing to Reconcile Crypto Tax Software Output Regularly
Crypto tax software often flags transactions for manual review, such as missing data or unknown classifications. Many users ignore these flagged items until tax season, or worse, file without resolving them. Regularly reviewing your software output helps catch:
- Missing cost basis data.
- Duplicate or misclassified transactions.
- API connection failures or outdated CSV imports.
- Incorrect market prices for transactions.
Frequent reconciliation ensures that your crypto tax reports reflect the full and accurate picture of your holdings and activities.
Not Knowing the Difference Between Taxable and Non-Taxable Events
Crypto tax software relies on your input to properly categorize transactions. If you don’t understand the difference between taxable and non-taxable events, you may accept incorrect classifications. For example:
- Taxable events: selling crypto for fiat, trading one token for another, receiving staking rewards, mining income, or airdrops.
- Non-taxable events: buying crypto with fiat, transferring crypto between your own wallets, and holding crypto without any transaction.
Misclassifying these events can either inflate your tax bill or cause underreporting, both of which carry IRS audit risks.
Consequences of Crypto Tax Errors
Failing to correctly report your crypto transactions can lead to serious financial and legal consequences. The IRS has made cryptocurrency a key focus of its enforcement efforts. Mistakes, whether from incomplete data, miscalculations, or misunderstanding taxable events, can trigger notices, audits, penalties, and even criminal investigations in extreme cases.
IRS Notices, Audits, and Penalties
The most common consequence of crypto tax errors is receiving an IRS notice. If the IRS receives different information from exchanges, brokers, or tax forms than what you reported, they may send:
- CP2000 Notices, proposing tax adjustments for underreported income.
- Letter 6173 or 6174, warning you to correct your crypto tax filings.
- Audit notices requesting detailed explanations of your crypto activity.
Failing to respond or correct mistakes can escalate the situation to a formal audit, where your entire transaction history may be reviewed.
Underreporting and Fraud Penalties
The IRS distinguishes between honest mistakes and willful tax evasion:
- Non-willful underreporting can lead to a 20% accuracy-related penalty on the unpaid tax.
- Willful underreporting or fraud can lead to a 75% penalty, criminal fines up to $100,000 (or $500,000 for corporations), and up to five years in prison.
If the IRS believes your mistakes are intentional, the penalties increase significantly. Proactively fixing errors before the IRS contacts you helps reduce penalties.
Increased Audit Risk from Inaccurate Software Data
Even if your mistakes are unintentional, inaccurate tax software data can trigger an audit. Inconsistent cost basis calculations, missing income from staking or airdrops, and inflated capital gains from missing purchase records all raise red flags. Once audited, you’ll need detailed records to defend your filings and correct any IRS assumptions about your income.
Best Practices to Avoid Crypto Tax Software Mistakes In The USA
Using crypto tax software is only part of the solution. You also need to take proactive steps to ensure your data is complete, your calculations are accurate, and your tax filings are correct. Following these best practices reduces the risk of mistakes and keeps you compliant with IRS rules.
Select the Right Crypto Tax Software
Not all crypto tax software is built the same. General tax tools like TurboTax may not support complex crypto activities like DeFi lending or NFT trading. Instead, choose a crypto-focused platform like KoinX that:
- Supports 800+ exchanges, wallets, and DeFi protocols.
- Tracks cost basis across wallets and exchanges.
- Categorizes income and capital gains correctly.
- Generates IRS-compliant tax forms.
Your choice of software should match your trading activity and transaction complexity.
Manage Your Crypto Data Proactively
You cannot wait until tax season to collect your crypto data. Set up API connections and regularly export CSV files from all your wallets, exchanges, and DeFi protocols. Be proactive about:
- Automating data imports and checking for missing transactions.
- Updating API keys and ensuring they have read-only access.
- Reconciling off-exchange wallets and DeFi wallets.
Regular data management makes tax filing much easier and more accurate.
Keep Comprehensive Crypto Records
Relying only on your tax software’s import history is not enough. You should independently keep:
- Purchase and sale receipts.
- Exchange transaction reports.
- Wallet logs with transaction hashes and timestamps.
- Fair market value records at the time of each transaction.
Keep these records for at least 3 years, or longer if you’re involved in complex activities.
Review and Reconcile Regularly
Crypto tax software often flags transactions for manual review. Do not ignore them. Regularly check your reports for:
- Missing cost basis or broken transfer chains.
- Misclassified income.
- Incorrect market prices.
- Duplicate or missing trades.
Fixing these errors early prevents last-minute tax filing headaches.
Choose the Right Cost Basis Method
The IRS allows FIFO, LIFO, or Specific Identification. The method you choose can change your tax outcome:
- FIFO generally increases gains in rising markets.
- LIFO or Specific Identification may reduce taxable gains.
- Once you pick a method, apply it consistently each year.
Choosing the right method and sticking to it helps optimize your taxes.
Consult a Crypto Tax Professional When Needed
If you’re an active trader, use DeFi protocols, or have missed crypto income in past filings, consulting a crypto tax professional is essential. Professionals help you:
- Amend incorrect returns.
- Handle IRS notices or audits.
- Choose the right tax strategies for your situation.
They also understand the evolving IRS rules around DeFi, NFTs, and crypto staking.
How KoinX Helps You Avoid Crypto Tax Reporting Mistakes?
KoinX is built to simplify crypto tax filing for US investors. While most software struggles with incomplete data and complex transactions, KoinX automates the process and keeps your reports accurate. Here’s how it helps you avoid the most common crypto tax mistakes.
Automatically Import Transactions from 800+ Platforms
KoinX integrates with 800+ wallets, exchanges, and DeFi protocols, allowing you to automatically import all your crypto transactions in one place. Whether you’re trading on centralized exchanges like Coinbase or managing assets across multiple DeFi platforms, it consolidates your entire transaction history. This unified view ensures that no trade, income, or transfer is missed, giving you a complete and accurate tax report.
Correctly Identify Income, Capital Gains, and Non-Taxable Transfers
KoinX doesn’t just import transactions, it also categorizes them accurately. It automatically separates staking rewards, airdrops, and mining income from capital gains events like trades and sales. Wallet-to-wallet transfers are marked as non-taxable, ensuring they don’t create false capital gains. This saves you hours of manual classification and ensures that your tax forms reflect your true taxable income.
Generate IRS-Compliant Reports Like Form 8949 and Schedule D
When it’s time to file, KoinX generates ready-to-submit IRS forms, including Form 8949 and Schedule D, which detail your capital gains and losses. The platform also prepares reports for your ordinary income from crypto activities. These forms meet IRS compliance requirements, making it easy to file your taxes accurately, whether you do it yourself or through a CPA.
Portfolio Insights
KoinX is more than a tax tool. It helps you monitor your crypto investments in real time. By unifying your trade details across multiple exchanges, wallets, and DeFi protocols, KoinX gives you clear portfolio insights. You can analyze your gains, losses, and asset allocation at any time, helping you make smarter investment decisions throughout the year.
Safe and Secure
Your crypto tax data is sensitive, and KoinX takes security seriously. The platform uses end-to-end encryption to protect your identity and financial data. It also holds industry-leading security certifications: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and ISO 27001:2022. With these safeguards in place, your data stays private and secure while you prepare your taxes.
We understand that tracking your crypto trades across wallets and exchanges can be hard. KoinX makes it easier by automating imports, classifying your transactions, and preparing IRS-compliant reports. Start using KoinX today to simplify your crypto tax filing and avoid costly mistakes during tax season.
Conclusion
With IRS oversight increasing and new reporting requirements taking effect, proactive tax management protects your investments and peace of mind. A crypto tax software can make filing easier, but it’s only as accurate as the data and settings you provide. Americans often run into trouble because they miss transactions, select the wrong cost basis, or misclassify taxable income.
Tools like KoinX solve these problems by automating data imports, correctly categorizing income and gains, and generating IRS-ready reports. Start using KoinX today to simplify your crypto tax reporting, avoid costly mistakes, and file your taxes the right way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Rely Only On My Exchange’s Tax Report?
No, your exchange’s tax report often misses data from other platforms, DeFi wallets, or earlier trades. Exchanges may also fail to report staking rewards, airdrops, or off-exchange purchases. Using a crypto tax calculator like KoinX ensures you import your complete transaction history and properly calculate capital gains and income.
How Often Should I Reconcile My Crypto Tax Software?
You should reconcile your crypto tax software monthly, not just at tax season. Regular reconciliation helps catch missing data, API sync errors, or incorrect transaction classifications early. By reviewing flagged transactions and fixing broken cost basis links, you reduce the risk of errors in your final tax reports and IRS filings.
Do I Need To Report Transfers Between My Wallets?
Transfers between your own wallets are not taxable, but they still must be reported to track cost basis correctly. Crypto tax software like KoinX automatically identifies and marks these as non-taxable transfers. If you skip importing wallet transfers, your cost basis chain breaks, leading to incorrect capital gains calculations.
What Forms Does The IRS Require For Crypto Tax Filing?
The IRS typically requires Form 8949 for capital gains and losses and Schedule D for summarizing those gains on your main return. Ordinary income from airdrops, staking, or mining is reported on Schedule 1. If your crypto activity spans multiple platforms, complete reporting with these forms is essential for compliance.
