Crypto Taxes: How They Work, 2025 Rates and Rules
Yes, you likely have to pay crypto taxes. Profits from crypto are subject to capital gains taxes, just like stocks.

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When you sell cryptocurrency, your profits are subject to federal capital gains tax rates of 0%, 15% or 20% if you held the crypto for more than a year, or rates of 10% to 37% if you held the crypto for less than a year. What you pay also depends on your taxable income and your tax-filing status.
How and when is crypto taxed?
Crypto is taxed when it is sold for a profit. This taxable profit is equal to the difference between your adjusted basis in the crypto and the amount you received in exchange for the virtual currency. You report the sale on your federal income tax return in U.S. dollars.
You are only taxed on cryptocurrency if you sell it, whether for cash or for another cryptocurrency. So, if you bought $100 of cryptocurrency that is now worth $200 and you still own it, you aren’t taxed.
If you exchange your crypto for other property, goods, services or for another virtual currency, your gain is still taxable.
» Calculate your crypto profit or loss
How much are crypto taxes?
How much tax you pay on crypto depends on how long you owned it before selling, as well as your taxable income and your filing status. Capital gains are subject to either short-term tax rates (if you owned the crypto for less than a year) or long-term tax rates (if you owned the crypto for more than a year).
Selling crypto for a loss or moving wallets generally won't generate tax liability.
» Estimate your potential tax bill with our free crypto tax calculator.
Short-term capital gains tax for crypto
If you own cryptocurrency for one year or less before selling, you’ll pay the short-term capital gains tax on the profit. Short-term capital gains on crypto are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Threse rates are usually higher than long-term capital gains tax rates.
Short-term capital gains tax rates on crypto sales in 2025
Tax Rate | Single Filer | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse | Head of Household | Married Filing Separately |
---|---|---|---|---|
10% | $0 to $11,925 | $0 to $23,850 | $0 to $17,000 | $0 to $11,925 |
12% | $11,926 to $48,475 | $23,851 to $96,950 | $17,001 to $64,850 | $11,926 to $48,475 |
22% | $48,476 to $103,350 | $96,951 to $206,700 | $64,851 to $103,350 | $48,476 to $103,350 |
24% | $103,351 to $197,300 | $206,701 to $394,600 | $103,351 to $197,300 | $103,351 to $197,300 |
32% | $197,301 to $250,525 | $394,601 to $501,050 | $197,301 to $250,500 | $197,301 to $250,525 |
35% | $250,526 to $626,350 | $501,051 to $751,600 | $250,501 to $626,350 | $250,526 to $375,800 |
37% | $626,351 or more | $751,601 or more | $626,351 or more | $375,801 or more |
Source: Internal Revenue Service |
Long-term capital gains tax for crypto
If you sell cryptocurrency after owning it for more than a year, you’ll pay long-term capital gains. The rates are 0%, 15% or 20% depending on your income and filing status.
» New to crypto investing? Here's our guide to getting started
Long-term capital gains tax rates for crypto sales in 2025
Tax rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Married filing separately | Head of household |
---|---|---|---|---|
0% | $0 to $48,350 | $0 to $96,700 | $0 to $48,350 | $0 to $64,750 |
15% | $48,351 to $533,400 | $96,701 to $600,050 | $48,350 to $300,000 | $64,751 to $566,700 |
20% | $533,401 or more | $600,051 or more | $300,001 or more | $566,701 or more |
Short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income according to federal income tax brackets. |
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