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Learn · Taxes

Cryptocurrency Tax for Individuals in 2026: Rates, Deadlines, Examples

When a cryptocurrency holder owes personal income tax, which rates apply, how to reduce the base by expenses and what happens if you fail to file a 3-NDFL return. With calculations and references to articles of the Russian Tax Code.

· 8 min read · Sogdium Editorial
A tax return form, a calculator and a matte coin on a light-colored desk, illustrating an article on cryptocurrency tax

In brief: an individual pays personal income tax (NDFL) of 13% on income from the sale of cryptocurrency within RUB 2.4 million of total annual income and 15% on the excess. Income from mining is taxed on a progressive scale of 13–22%. The 3-NDFL tax return for 2026 is due by 30 April 2027, and the tax must be paid by 15 July 2027. Simply holding cryptocurrency creates no tax, and there is nothing to declare.

Why the tax arises at all

Cryptocurrency has been recognized as property for tax purposes since 2025, as established by Federal Law No. 418-FZ of 29 November 2024, which added Article 282.3 to the Tax Code and amended Chapter 23. Since 1 September 2026, its status as property has also been enshrined in a dedicated law, Federal Law No. 282-FZ of 4 August 2026 "On Digital Currencies and Digital Rights" (breakdown of the law).

Hence a simple rule: any economic benefit from transactions in digital currency is income. At the same time, cryptocurrency transactions are not subject to VAT, whether mining, buying or selling.

When tax arises and when it does not

EventTax
Bought cryptocurrencyNo
Holding it in a wallet, the price went upNo
Sold for rubles or another fiat currencyYes, NDFL on the financial result
Exchanged one cryptocurrency for anotherFormally yes, this is a disposal of property
Received coins for miningYes, income in kind on the date of receipt
Received as a gift from a close relativeNo (clause 18.1 of Article 217 of the Tax Code)
Received as a gift from a non-relativeYes
Received by inheritanceNo (clause 18 of Article 217 of the Tax Code)
Transferred from your own wallet to your own walletNo

There is a separate gray area. The Code requires tax to be paid on any income, but it does not describe in detail how to calculate the base on a crypto-to-crypto exchange, on staking or on airdrops. In practice, taxpayers most often calculate the tax when cashing out to fiat; formally this does not comply with the letter of the law, since exchanging BTC for USDT is a disposal of property. And bear in mind: if you pay tax on an airdrop or staking only on the subsequent sale, there will be no expenses to deduct, and the entire proceeds will become the base.

NDFL rates: two different regimes

Sale of cryptocurrency

Income from the sale of digital currency and the material benefit on buying it from related parties fall into the same group of tax bases as income from securities and interest on deposits (subclause 13 of clause 6 of Article 210 of the Tax Code). The rates of clause 1.1 of Article 224 of the Tax Code apply to it:

  • 13% when the total income of this group of bases is up to RUB 2.4 million per year;
  • 15% on the amount of the excess.

The key point that almost everyone gets wrong: salary does not count toward this threshold. Wages belong to the main tax base with its five-tier scale (clause 2.1 of Article 210 and clause 1 of Article 224 of the Tax Code), while income from cryptocurrency sales belongs to a separate group of bases under clause 6 of Article 210 of the Tax Code, and the RUB 2.4 million threshold is counted separately for each of these groups. You cannot add salary and profit from selling coins together against a single threshold.

For tax non-residents the rate is 30%.

Mining

Income from mining is income in kind, valued at the market quote on the date you obtained the right to dispose of the coins (clause 1 of Article 211 of the Tax Code). This income falls into the main group of bases with the five-tier progression: 13, 15, 18, 20 or 22% depending on annual income (subclause 8.3 of clause 2.1 of Article 210 of the Tax Code).

Important: with mining, tax is paid twice. The first time is when the coins are credited, the second when they are sold. On the sale, the amount on which tax was already paid at the time of mining is recognized as an expense, so the same amount is not taxed twice.

How the tax base is calculated

The formula for a sale:

Base = sale price − substantiated purchase costs − related expenses

Related expenses include exchange and exchanger fees and the cost of custody services. Everything must be supported by documents: statements, receipts, contracts, the platform's trade history. If there is nothing to substantiate the costs, a typical situation when buying for cash "hand to hand," the tax is calculated on the entire proceeds. This is the most expensive mistake a retail investor can make.

The market quote is determined by the closing price at a foreign trade organizer, converted into rubles at the Bank of Russia (the central bank) exchange rate on the transaction date. The platform must meet two conditions (clause 2 of Article 282.3 of the Tax Code): daily trading volume in that cryptocurrency above RUB 100 billion and a published quote history of at least three years. The Federal Tax Service (FNS) maintains a separate section listing such trade organizers.

Worked examples

Example 1. A simple sale. In March 2026 you bought bitcoin for RUB 1 million and sold it in September for RUB 1.6 million. Platform fees came to RUB 5,000. There is no other income in this tax base. Base: 1,600,000 − 1,000,000 − 5,000 = RUB 595,000. Tax: 595,000 × 13% = RUB 77,350.

Example 2. A sale plus salary, calculated separately across two bases. Annual salary is RUB 3 million, profit from selling cryptocurrency is RUB 1 million, and there is no other income.

  • Main base (salary), five-tier scale under clause 1 of Article 224 of the Tax Code: 2,400,000 × 13% + 600,000 × 15% = 312,000 + 90,000 = RUB 402,000. This tax is withheld and remitted by the employer.
  • Base under clause 6 of Article 210 of the Tax Code (cryptocurrency sale), rates under clause 1.1 of Article 224 of the Tax Code: RUB 1,000,000 is below the RUB 2.4 million threshold, so the whole amount is taxed at 13% = RUB 130,000. The individual calculates and pays this tax on their own via the return.

Total for the year: RUB 532,000, of which RUB 130,000 via the 3-NDFL return. Note: if the thresholds were combined, the tax would be higher; this is the mistake that most often inflates the calculation.

Caveat: this calculation procedure relies on the structure of tax bases in the version of Chapter 23 of the Tax Code in force since 2025. If your situation includes other income from the list in clause 6 of Article 210 of the Tax Code (interest on deposits, sale of securities, sale of property), it is added to the cryptocurrency profit against a single RUB 2.4 million threshold.

Example 3. Mining and a sale. An individual (not a sole proprietor) mined coins during the year with a market value of RUB 400,000, spending RUB 60,000 on electricity with supporting documents; salary is RUB 1.5 million. Mining income falls into the same main group of bases as salary (subclause 8.3 of clause 2.1 of Article 210 of the Tax Code), so here they are added together: 1,500,000 + 400,000 − 60,000 = RUB 1,840,000. The RUB 2.4 million threshold is not exceeded, the rate is 13%: tax on the whole base is RUB 239,200, the employer withheld RUB 195,000 from the salary, and the additional payment due via the return is RUB 44,200. If those coins are later sold for RUB 500,000, the income will fall into a different base (clause 6 of Article 210 of the Tax Code) and only the RUB 100,000 gain will be taxed.

Example 4. Selling at a loss. Bought for RUB 800,000, sold for RUB 600,000. There is no tax. It is still worth filing a return: it records the expenses and the transaction history.

Special tax regimes: where it is not allowed

Self-employed individuals on the professional income tax (NPD) regime cannot conduct digital currency transactions; under the automated simplified regime (AUSN) they are expressly prohibited (subclause 35 of part 2 of Article 3 of Law No. 17-FZ of 25 February 2022); under the patent regime (PSN) such activity is not conducted. Under the simplified regime (USN) and the unified agricultural tax (ESKhN), mining is prohibited, but buying and selling are allowed. Sole proprietors on the general regime (OSNO) pay NDFL under the same rules as individuals but can apply the professional deduction. Breaching the restrictions of a special regime means losing it, with taxes recalculated under the general system, plus late-payment interest and a fine.

How and when to report

  1. Collect all transactions for the year: dates, amounts, exchange rates, fees, supporting documents.
  2. Calculate the base and the tax for each type of income separately.
  3. Fill in the 3-NDFL return: an individual not registered as a sole proprietor reports income from cryptocurrency transactions in Appendix No. 1 to the return.
  4. File it via the personal account on the FNS website, in person at the tax inspectorate or by mail with a list of enclosures, and pay the tax.

Deadlines for 2026: the return is due by 30 April 2027, payment by 15 July 2027.

Miners have an additional obligation: information on digital currency received is submitted to the FNS by the 20th of the following month, specifying the identifier address, including the mining pool address. Legal entities and sole proprietors must be in the FNS register of miners; an individual can mine without being in the register if consumption does not exceed 6,000 kWh per month.

What happens if you do not pay

  • Late-payment interest of 1/300 of the Bank of Russia key rate for each day of delay. At the current rate of 14%, that is roughly 0.047% per day, or about 17% per year (see the Bank of Russia rate decision).
  • Fine of 20% of the underpayment for an unintentional error and 40% for deliberate understatement.
  • Criminal liability for non-payment on a large scale (over RUB 2.7 million over three years) and on an especially large scale (over RUB 13.5 million).
  • For mining infrastructure operators, a separate fine of RUB 40,000 applies for failure to submit information on mining (Article 129.16 of the Tax Code).

What will change when the regulated market launches

Right now the FNS does not see cryptocurrency transactions automatically: there are no Russian licensed exchanges, brokers or exchangers dealing in cryptocurrency yet, and trades take place on foreign platforms. This will change as the infrastructure provided for by Law 282-FZ is launched.

The key innovation under discussion is a companion bill under which brokers and trust managers will become tax agents for NDFL on cryptocurrency transactions. Tax would then be withheld automatically, as on a brokerage account with shares, and self-assessment would remain only for transactions outside the Russian perimeter. The obligation of residents to trade through licensed intermediaries takes effect on 1 July 2027.

FAQ

Do I need to file a 3-NDFL return if I just hold cryptocurrency? No. Holding generates no income. A return is needed only if there is taxable income: a sale, an exchange, a gift from a non-relative, mining.

Do I pay tax if I sold at a loss? There will be no tax, since the base is negative or zero. Filing a return is useful for recording the expenses.

What if I converted BTC into USDT and did not cash out into rubles? Formally this is a disposal of property and a taxable event. In practice, the procedure for calculating the base on a crypto-to-crypto exchange is not spelled out in detail in the Code, so the widespread practice is to pay when cashing out to fiat. This is an area of tax risk, not a guaranteed exemption.

Can I deduct the cost of graphics cards and electricity? For mining, yes: documented expenses on equipment, electricity and infrastructure reduce the income. For an ordinary purchase and sale, only the acquisition costs and fees are deductible.

What if I am a tax non-resident? The NDFL rate on income from sales is 30%; the progression and the RUB 2.4 million threshold do not apply.

Inheritance and divorce: what happens to cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrency is recognized as property, so it forms part of the estate and of the division of jointly acquired property. No NDFL is charged on receiving an inheritance. A separate practical problem is access to the asset: without the seed phrase, the heirs get nothing (see How to store cryptocurrency).

Sources

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