CARF and DAC8: crypto reporting rules, globally and in the EU.

CARF is the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework. It requires crypto exchanges, brokers and wallet providers to report their customers' crypto transactions to tax authorities, who share that information with other countries. It does for crypto what the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) does for bank accounts.

Crypto-asset service providers: businesses that exchange, transfer or broker crypto for their customers. That includes exchanges, brokers, wallet providers and some other intermediaries. They must identify which customers are reportable, collect their details and report their transactions.

Early-adopter countries started collecting data on January 1, 2026, and first reports are due in 2027. Other countries are adopting CARF on their own timelines, so confirm the dates everywhere you operate.

DAC8 is the EU's version of CARF. It's the eighth update to the EU's Directive on Administrative Cooperation, and it requires crypto-asset service providers to report their EU customers' transactions to tax authorities, who share the data across member states.

DAC8 is the EU's version of CARF. Its requirements follow CARF closely, so a provider in scope for CARF is usually in scope for DAC8 too, and the same data supports both.

Crypto-asset service providers with customers in the EU, including exchanges, brokers and wallet providers. Where your customers are matters, so providers based outside the EU can still be in scope if they serve EU users.

DAC8 applies from January 1, 2026, on the same timeline as CARF's early adopters. First reports on 2026 activity are due in 2027, and each member state sets its exact deadlines.

CRS covers traditional financial accounts. CARF is a separate framework built just for crypto. The updated CRS 2.0 also covers some digital money, like e-money and central bank digital currencies, so most crypto providers report under both. Taxbit creates both from the same data.

No. DAC8 is the EU's crypto reporting rule, filed with EU tax authorities. Form 1099-DA is the IRS form US crypto brokers file. A platform with both US and EU customers may need to file both, and Taxbit creates both from the same data.

Three decisions do most of the work. First, whether you count as a crypto service provider in each country. Second, which assets are reported under CARF and which under CRS, decided asset by asset rather than by account. Third, how e-money products are treated, since balance thresholds can change what's reportable. On top of that, each country has its own file format and exchange agreements. Taxbit builds these decisions into its rules engine and updates automatically when a country changes its format.