U.S. cryptocurrency tax deadline: Key information investors need to know by October 15

U.S. cryptocurrency investors who have received deferred filings enter the final sprint stage of 2025 federal tax returns

For U.S. cryptocurrency investors who have received deferred tax returns, the 2025 federal tax return deadline of October 15, 2026 has entered the final stage. Despite the extension, taxes payable for 2025 will usually still be paid in April.

Key Points

• Filing Deadline: October 15 is the federal deadline for most 2025 tax returns with valid extension applications.
• Tax Deadline: Despite the extension, 2025 taxes are usually due before April 15.
• Table Information Limitations: Most 2025 1099-DA Forms only report the sales revenue of cryptocurrency and do not include the taxpayer's Cost Basis.
• Taxable Events: Sales, conversions, pledge rewards, and payments of cryptocurrencies may trigger reporting obligations on federal tax returns.
• Late penalties: According to guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), delayed filings can result in fines of up to 25% per month for unpaid taxes.

The IRS said taxpayers who applied for an extension before the April 15 deadline were given additional time until October 15 to file their returns, but the extension did not delay the payment period of taxes due. Since the original deadline, unpaid balances have begun to generate interest and possible late fees.

对于加密货币投资者来说，这一截止日期恰逢许多托管经纪商首次通过1099-DA表格报告2025年数字资产销售数据的联邦申报季。新表格为国税局提供了更多的交易数据，但大多数2025年的报表并未向投资者提供其成本基础信息。

10月15日并非所有数字资产持有者的特殊截止日

10月15日并非适用于所有拥有比特币、以太坊或其他数字资产的美国人的特殊截止日期。它是大多数按日历年度计算并按时获得2025年度联邦所得税申报延期的个人的延长申报日期。

根据《国税局出版物17》（IRS Publication 17），2026年4月15日是大多数按日历年度计算的纳税人的常规截止日期，而10月15日是覆盖自动延期申报表的截止日期。国税局的电子申报日历单独将10月15日列为提交Form 4868延期申报表的最后日期。

Form 4868仅延长申报日期。如果纳税人对2025年负有税款，通常必须在4月15日之前估算负债并进行支付。因此，在10月15日提交申报表并不能消除在六个月内可能累积的利息或付款罚款。

Deadlines may vary for some taxpayers. IRS guidance states that eligible people in affected areas can receive extensions of filing dates, while special rules apply to certain U.S. citizens and residents living overseas. Investors covered by these regulations are required to use the deadline applicable to their own returns.

Form 1099-DA may not show investors 'purchase costs

The biggest change in the 2025 cryptocurrency tax year is Form 1099-DA. The Department of Finance and the Internal Revenue Service require regulated custodian brokers to report all proceeds from the sale of certain digital assets starting January 1, 2025 (Gross Proceedings). Brokers are required to provide clients with reports that include information reported to the IRS.

Total income is not equal to taxable profit. If an investor purchases a token for $8,000 and then sells it for $10,000,$10,000 is the gain, and the gain is usually calculated starting from the difference of $2,000 and minus the applicable adjustments.

For most 2025 transactions, brokers have not yet been required to report a cost basis. The IRS warns that most 2025 1099-DA forms will leave taxpayers with the responsibility of calculating the original asset purchase cost needed to determine profits and losses.

Previously reported that some cryptocurrency investors approaching the extension deadline are still trying to check incomplete or uncertain 1099-DA information. An August survey of 1,000 U.S. cryptocurrency investors showed that 21% of respondents who had filed or planned to file extensions were still waiting for information from exchanges or platforms.

国税局并不将收到税务表格作为报告交易的先决条件。其数字资产常见问题解答（FAQ）指出，即使从未收到1099表或其他信息回报表，纳税人也必须报告应税收入、收益和损失。

加密货币投资者需报告的内容不止现金销售

2025年度Form 1040表格要求每位申报者回答关于数字资产的问题，并必须给出“是”或“否”的答案。

国税局解释称，纳税人通常在通过挖矿、质押、奖励或支付获得数字资产，或在出售、交换或以其他方式处置数字资产后，回答“是”。即使交易中没有美元流入，将一种加密货币兑换为另一种也可能被视为处置行为。

用加密货币购买商品或服务也会触发相同的报告要求。使用数字资产支付交易费用本身也可构成数字资产交易。一般将资产作为资本资产出售的投资者，通常使用Form 8949计算收益或损失，并通过Schedule D报告最终总额。

接收质押、挖矿或其他特定奖励遵循的是收入路径，而非单纯视为资本处置。国税局表示，作为补偿或普通收入获得的数字资产，必须按照适用于该类型收入的规则进行报告。

仅仅持有加密货币并不会自动产生应税交易。用美元购买数字资产并持有，若未发生其他情况，通常允许对数字资产问题回答“否”。在同一纳税人控制的钱包或账户之间转移资产通常也属于此类，但使用数字资产支付转账费用可能会产生可报告的transaction。

目前的国税局加密货币税收规则区分了应税处置与简单的购买和持有，其中加密货币对加密货币的交易、支付和资产出售通常需要计算收益或损失。

错过10月15日可能面临单独的申报罚款

一旦延期过期，仍有未缴税款的纳税人可能面临未按期申报的罚款。

国税局指导规定，通常的未按期申报罚款为未缴税款每月5%，按整月或部分月计算，上限为25%。对于要求在2026年申报且逾期超过60天的申报表，最低罚款金额为525美元或未缴税款的100%，以较小者为准。

单独的未按期付款罚款通常为未缴税款每月0.5%，上限为25%。当同一月份同时适用两种罚款时，国税局通常会减少申报部分的罚款，使合并后的月度费率为5%。利息将继续在未缴联邦税款上每日复利累积。

无法全额缴纳税款的纳税人仍可提交申报表。国税局提供付款计划选项，而在截止日期前申报可以防止在现有未缴余额上加收未按期申报的费用。

10月15日的日期涉及联邦申报表。它并未创建单独的仅针对加密货币的申报流程，1099-DA表格也不取代来自交易所、私人钱包、去中心化平台或早期购买的纳税人自有记录。

新的加密规则将在2025年后扩大基础报告范围

对于2026年进行的交易，经纪商报告将更加详细。国税局表示，强制性的成本基础报告将从2026年1月1日或之后生效的某些受监管交易开始实施。2026年之前购买的数字资产或从其他地点转入经纪商的资产，在报告目的下可能仍被视为非覆盖资产，从而留下投资者负责保管卖方经纪商不拥有的记录的责任。

新系统不会改变目前因延期而需提交的2025年度申报表。正如此前报道，第一个1099-DA纳税季主要向国税局提供了全部收益信息，而大多数投资者仍需自行重建其成本基础。

国会正在考虑对数字资产税收规则的单独变更。最近的一项众议院提案包括有关小额网络费用和其他加密货币税收处理的条款，但该提案尚未取代管辖2025年度联邦申报表的现行规则。

Cryptocurrency tax legislation currently under consideration in Congress includes a proposed $10 exemption for network fees. The CLARITY bill addresses the structure of the digital asset market, not the October 15 deadline for income tax returns. The Senate voted 49 - 50 to reject the closing debate motion on September 15, failing to meet the three-fifths threshold.

The stalled CLARITY bill leaves federal market structure legislation pending, and regulators continue to work under existing authority. The vote does not change the IRS's rules governing 2025 tax returns due to an extension on October 15.

For 2026 transactions, mandatory cost basis reporting for eligible regulated digital assets will appear on the 1099-DA statement beginning during the 2027 filing season.