EU’s DAC8 Crypto Tax Rules: What Every Investor Must Know for 2026

• The EU’s DAC8 directive will enforce crypto tax reporting starting January 1, 2026.
• Crypto service providers must prepare systems, customer checks, and reporting frameworks by July 1, 2026.
• First reports for EU-resident users are due by September 30, 2027, marking a major push for global tax transparency.

The European Union is tightening oversight on the crypto market with its new tax transparency law, DAC8, which takes effect on January 1, 2026.

The directive expands the EU’s existing administrative cooperation framework to cover crypto-assets and their service providers. This includes exchanges, brokers, and other operators handling digital assets.

According to DAC8, CASPs are required to collect and disclose information about users and transactions to the concerned country’s taxation authority.

The taxation authority is required to automatically exchange this information among all EU countries. It aims to minimize the loopholes that have been exploited to evade taxes by people dealing in cryptocurrency.

Also Read: Crypto Tax Evasion Targeted by Hong Kong with 2028 Data Sharing Plan

EU Crypto Firms Face Compliance Deadline by July 2026

The crypto companies operating in the European Union have a time limit during which they have to prepare their systems, complete customer due diligence, and put internal controls in place by 1st July 2026.

The service providers that are not licensed under MiCA regulation have to register with a member state and begin gathering reportable data for users that reside in the European Union from 1st January 2026.

The reporting year for country-wise reporting is 2026. The time period within which this reporting has to be done is nine months after closing that year.

Therefore, firms should make these first-year reports no later than September 30, 2027. They could also refer to domestic laws on which year to report accordingly.

This directive obliges CASPs to track investment transactions carried out by non-resident investors, undertake due diligence, and submit the resulting data to their domestic tax authorities, who are then required to share such data with tax authorities in the residence state of the investor.

DAC8 Follows OECD’s Global Crypto Tax Framework

The DAC 8 aligns with the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework developed by OECD. It is a standard that is aimed at improving tax compliance for crypto assets.

The G20 countries and 58 member countries of the Global Forum on Transparency have agreed that they will adopt this standard from 2027. As a result, cross-border crypto transactions are set to be carefully scrutinized, thereby reducing tax evasion.

The regulation affects many types of crypto-assets, including decentralized tokens, stablecoins, e-money tokens, and certain types of NFTs. It also says that crypto innovations must remain transparent, while the development of crypto assets must cooperate with sound tax systems.

Also Read: Bipartisan Bill Targets Crypto Tax Loopholes and Stablecoin Rules: Report