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Crypto tax in France 2026
France taxes crypto only when you exit to euros or spend it — swapping one coin for another is not a taxable event, a rule that sets France apart in Europe.
When you do cash out, occasional investors pay the 31.4% flat tax (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social charges, up from 30% in 2025); total disposals under €305 in a year are exempt entirely.
At a glance
- top rate
- 31.4% flat on realised gains
- entry band
- 0% if all disposals in the year total under €305
- tax year basis
- Calendar year
- filing deadline
- Annual return (May–June), with foreign-account declarations
- residency basis
- Residents taxed on crypto gains worldwide
- regime flag
- Crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed
Rates
Crypto taxation for individuals (2026)
| Rate | Base | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 31.4% | Realised gain | Cashing out to fiat or paying for goods/services — occasional investors |
| 0% | — | Crypto-to-crypto swaps, and years where total disposals stay under €305 |
| Band rates option | Realised gain | Electable instead of the 12.8% leg — helps only in the lowest bands |
| Band rates + social charges | Net profit | Professional-scale trading, taxed as business-type income |
Thresholds & allowances
- Small-disposals exemption€305 per year
If all your disposals together stay under this, no tax at all
Residency
Residency trigger
French residents owe the flat tax on crypto cash-outs wherever the platform sits; the gain is computed against the average cost of the whole portfolio, not coin by coin.
Non-resident treatment
Non-residents are outside French crypto tax on personal holdings; French business activity is different.
Notes
- The portfolio-average cost method means every cash-out realises a slice of your overall unrealised gain — you cannot cherry-pick high-cost coins.
- Foreign exchange accounts must be declared with the annual return; missing declarations carry fixed fines per account.
- Frequent, sophisticated, leveraged trading risks reclassification as professional income at the progressive bands plus social charges.
- Staking and mining rewards fall outside the flat-tax capital gains regime and are generally read as taxable income when received — official guidance does not cover every staking form, so take advice for material amounts.
FAQ
Is swapping crypto taxable in France?
No — crypto-to-crypto trades are expressly not taxable events. Tax arrives only when you convert to euros or spend crypto, at the 31.4% flat rate.
What rate applies when I cash out crypto in France?
31.4% from 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social charges), on gains computed against your portfolio's average cost — with a full exemption if the year's disposals total under €305.
Figures: tax years 2025–2026, compiled from public sources. Not tax advice.