Crypto Tax-Loss Harvesting Calculator
Sitting on a coin that's down? Enter your position and see how much tax you could save by realizing the loss — with rules for the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia.
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Estimate for informational purposes only — not tax advice. Actual results depend on your full return, other deductions and current law. This simplified calculator assumes one marginal rate; investments across multiple brackets, state/provincial surtaxes and the German Solidaritätszuschlag are not modeled.
How Tax-Loss Harvesting Works
Here's the core idea: the tax code only taxes you on gains you actually sell. The flip side is that selling an asset below your purchase price locks in a capital loss — and a realized loss can cancel out realized gains. If you have an $8,000 gain elsewhere and harvest a $5,000 loss, only $3,000 of that gain is taxed. That is real, immediate money back in your pocket.
Step 1 — sell the loser. The sale has to actually happen; an unrealized loss on your screen does nothing for your tax bill.
Step 2 — offset gains. The loss first cancels capital gains in the same tax year, including gains from stocks or property depending on your country.
Step 3 — carry forward the rest. Whatever you cannot use typically rolls into future years. In the US, up to $3,000 per year can additionally deduct your ordinary income — one of the most generous rules anywhere.
Watch the repurchase trap. Selling and buying the same asset back within the wash-sale window can void the loss (30 days in Canada and the UK; the US wash sale rule currently targets securities rather than crypto, but legislation has been proposed). If you want to keep exposure, swap into a different asset with similar risk instead of buying the identical coin straight back.
Loss Rules by Country
| Country | What Losses Offset | Unused Losses | Repurchase Trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | Capital gains + up to $3,000 of ordinary income | Forward indefinitely | Wash sale rule currently does not cover crypto (may change) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Capital gains only (18% / 24%) | Forward indefinitely; register within 4 years | 30-day Bed & Breakfast rule |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Other § 23 EStG private-sale gains only | Forward; one year back on application | Sale must be genuinely completed |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Capital gains (50% inclusion); no salary income | Back 3 years / forward indefinitely | Superficial loss rule (±30 days) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Capital gains only (before 50% discount) | Forward indefinitely | Same-asset repurchase analyzed case-by-case |
Tax-Loss Harvesting FAQ
What is crypto tax-loss harvesting? ▾
Tax-loss harvesting means selling cryptocurrency that is worth less than you paid for it, realizing the capital loss, and using that loss to reduce your taxable capital gains (and, in the US, up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year). Any unused loss is carried forward to future years.
How much tax does harvesting a crypto loss save? ▾
It depends on your country, the size of the loss, your other capital gains, and your marginal tax rate. In the US, savings equal your marginal rate on the amount offset; in Canada and Australia only a fraction of gains is taxable, so the effective saving is roughly half your marginal rate; in the UK losses offset gains taxed at 18% or 24%; in Germany losses offset other private-sale gains under § 23 EStG. This calculator gives you an instant country-specific estimate.
Can I immediately buy back the crypto after selling at a loss? ▾
In the US, the wash sale rule currently applies to stocks and securities but not cryptocurrency — though that may change. Canada denies the loss under its superficial loss rule if you repurchase the same or identical crypto within 30 days before or after the sale, and the UK's 30-day Bed & Breakfast rule resets your cost basis. Germany requires genuinely completing the sale. Check your local rule before repurchasing.
What happens to losses I cannot use this year? ▾
In the US, UK, Canada and Australia, unused capital losses carry forward to future tax years (in Canada they can also be carried back up to 3 years; in the US up to $3,000 per year can offset ordinary income). In Germany, losses from private sales can be carried forward to following years and, on application, one year back.