Calculate cryptocurrency tax obligations from transaction history. Supports FIFO, LIFO, and HIFO cost basis methods, identifies taxable events (trades, staking, airdrops), and generates Form 8949 compatible reports.
DISCLAIMER: This tool provides informational calculations only, not tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional.
Prepare transaction data by exporting CSV from each exchange:
| Exchange | Export Location |
|---|---|
| Coinbase | Reports > Tax documents > Transaction history CSV |
| Binance | Orders > Trade History > Export |
| Kraken | History > Export |
| Generic | See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/exchange_formats.md for column mapping |
Run basic tax calculation using FIFO (IRS default):
python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tax_calculator.py --transactions your_trades.csv --year 2025 # 2025 = tax year
Compare cost basis methods to understand tax implications:
python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --compare-methods
Methods: --method fifo (IRS default), --method lifo (Last In First Out), --method hifo (minimize gains)
Generate Form 8949 report as CSV:
python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --method fifo --year 2025 --output form_8949.csv --format csv # 2025 = tax year
Handle income events (staking, airdrops, mining, DeFi yield):
python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tax_calculator.py --transactions all_events.csv --income-report
Consolidate multi-exchange data into a unified report:
python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tax_calculator.py --transactions coinbase.csv binance.csv kraken.csv --year 2025 # 2025 = tax year
Reports include short-term and long-term capital gains/losses broken down by transaction, with proceeds, cost basis, and gain/loss per disposal. Summary shows total proceeds, total cost basis, net capital gain, and short/long-term split. Income report lists staking, airdrop, and mining income with fair market values.
See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/implementation.md for detailed output format examples.
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Missing columns | CSV format mismatch | Verify format matches exchange template |
| Unknown transaction type | Unrecognized event category | Review and manually categorize |
| Insufficient lots | Missing buy transactions | Check for missing imports or transfers |
Basic FIFO tax calculation - Standard IRS-default method for a single exchange:
python tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --year 2025 # 2025 = tax year
HIFO to minimize gains - Highest-cost lots disposed first to reduce taxable gain:
python tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --method hifo --year 2025 # 2025 = tax year
JSON output for processing - Machine-readable export for tax software integration:
python tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --format json --output tax_data.json
Verbose with lot details - See which specific lots were matched to each disposal:
python tax_calculator.py --transactions trades.csv --verbose --show-lots
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/implementation.md - Detailed output formats, configuration, advanced usage