France Cryptocurrency Tax Guide (Fiscalité des Crypto-monnaies)
the French taxation of cryptocurrencies. The guide covers: the tax regime — capital gains on the sale of cryptocurrencies (the "plus-values sur cession d'actifs numériques") are subject to the PFU at 30% (12.8% income tax + 17.2% social charges) under the " régime des plus-values sur cession d'actifs numériques" (Article 150 VH bis of the CGI); the taxpayer can opt for the progressive rate (the "option pour le barème progressif") if more advantageous; the taxable event — a taxable event occurs when the taxpayer sells or exchanges a cryptocurrency for (a) fiat currency (EUR, USD), (b) goods or services (payment for a purchase), (c) other digital assets that are NOT also cryptocurrencies (the sale of a cryptocurrency for another cryptocurrency is a taxable event in France, unlike in many other countries — the "cession de crypto-monnaie contre une autre crypto-monnaie" is a taxable event: each time you exchange one crypto for another, a capital gain (or loss) must be calculated); the calculation of the gain — the gain is calculated as the difference between the sale price (in EUR) and the acquisition price (in EUR), using the weighted average cost basis (PUMP — Prix Uniataire Moyen Pondéré) across all crypto assets; the formula: Gain = Sale Price — (Acquisition Price × (Quantity Sold / Total Quantity)); the acquisition price is the EUR value at the time of acquisition; the non-taxable events — the following are not taxable: (a) the purchase of cryptocurrencies with fiat currency, (b) the transfer of cryptocurrencies between the taxpayer's own wallets, (c) the holding of cryptocurrencies (no unrealised gains tax), (d) the conversion of crypto to fiat if the total annual realised gains are below €305 (the annual threshold for reporting the capital gain); the mining income — income from cryptocurrency mining is taxed as BIC (bénéfices industriels et commerciaux) — the taxpayer must file a BIC return (the "déclaration n° 2031" for the micro-BIC regime or the réel regime); the 71% standard deduction applies under the micro-BIC regime (the "abattement forfaitaire de 71%" for the "ventes de biens" — the mining income is treated as a commercial activity); the staking and DeFi income — the income from staking, lending, and other DeFi activities is currently subject to debate in France; the DGFiP (the tax administration) considers that staking rewards are taxable either as BIC (if the activity is regular and profit-seeking) or as capital gains (if the activity is occasional); the French tax authorities have not yet issued a comprehensive guideline on DeFi (as of 2026), but the general principle is that the creation of new assets (through mining or staking) is a "création de valeur" that is taxable; the reporting obligations — (a) the annual tax return (the "déclaration des revenus" — form 2042) — the taxpayer must report the total capital gains or losses from crypto transactions in the dedicated section (the "plus-values sur cession d'actifs numériques"), (b) the form 2086 (the "déclaration des comptes d'actifs numériques") — the taxpayer must report all foreign crypto accounts (exchanges, wallets) if the total balance exceeds €305 at any point during the year; the failure to file the form 2086 can result in a penalty of €750 per account (or €125 per account if the balance is between €50 and €305); the professional crypto trading (BIC/BNC) — if the taxpayer buys and sells cryptocurrencies as a regular and habitual activity (the "habitude" — e.g., daily trading, algorithmic trading, or providing crypto services), the income is taxed as BIC (business income) or BNC (professional income) and is subject to the progressive IR rates (up to 45%) and the CEHR (up to 4%), plus the social charges (17.2%).
France treats crypto-to-crypto exchanges as taxable events, which is stricter than many other countries. All amounts in Euros (EUR). For related reading, see our Investment Income Tax Guide → and Tax Filing Procedures Guide →.
Taxable Events and Calculation
- Crypto-to-crypto is taxable: Unlike many countries (e.g., Germany, Switzerland), France taxes crypto-to-crypto exchanges as a disposal event. If you sell BTC for ETH, you must calculate the capital gain on the BTC at the EUR value of the ETH received. The PUMP (weighted average cost) method applies across all crypto assets.
- Annual threshold of €305: If the total realised gains from crypto transactions in a year are below €305, the gains are non-taxable and do not need to be reported. This threshold is per taxpayer (not per transaction).
Reporting Obligations
- Form 2086 — foreign crypto accounts: Any taxpayer holding a foreign crypto account (exchange like Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, or a foreign wallet) must file form 2086 with the annual tax return. The form requires: (a) the name and address of the exchange/platform, (b) the account number or identifier, (c) the balance as of 31 December. Penalty for non-filing: €750 per account. The form must be filed even if the account is empty at year-end (if the account existed during the year).
- Main tax return: The total net capital gain from crypto transactions must be reported in the "Plus-values sur cession d'actifs numériques" section of the 2042 tax return. The gain is calculated using the PUMP method. The taxpayer must keep a detailed journal of all transactions (date, quantity, EUR value, purpose).
For the personal income tax filing procedures, see our Tax Filing Procedures Guide →. For the professional trading rules and the BIC/BNC regimes, see our Starting a Business Guide →.