How is cryptocurrency taxed in France?

In France, gains from selling cryptocurrency are taxed as capital gains on digital assets (plus-values sur actifs numériques). Since 2023, the default tax rate is the flat tax PFU of 30%, comprising 12.8% income tax and 17.2% social charges. This applies to sales, swaps between cryptocurrencies, and conversions to fiat currency.

Gains are calculated as the difference between the sale price and the acquisition price, adjusted for the proportion of your total crypto portfolio sold. France uses an average cost method: each disposal triggers a gain or loss based on the fraction of your overall portfolio disposed of relative to its total cost basis.

For the 2024 return onwards, taxpayers can opt for the progressive barème instead of the flat tax if their marginal rate is lower. Losses realised in the same year can offset gains; unused losses cannot be carried forward.

Holding crypto without selling, or simply transferring between your own wallets, is not a taxable event. Mining income and income from staking or DeFi activities may be treated differently (potentially as BNC income), and the rules in this area continue to evolve.