Crypto tax in France

For most individuals who invest occasionally, the Direction generale des Finances publiques, known as the DGFiP, taxes the gain made on digital assets when they are disposed of, as of April 2026. A disposal that triggers tax is generally a conversion of crypto into euros or another fiat currency, or the use of crypto to pay for goods or services. A swap from one crypto asset to another is not a taxable event under the current French rules, which means the gain is calculated and taxed only when you cash out to fiat or spend.

The taxable gain is broadly the disposal value less the share of your total acquisition cost that the disposal represents, a portfolio based method set out by the DGFiP. Because the calculation depends on the cost of your whole portfolio at the time of each disposal, keeping complete records of acquisitions and disposals is essential.

The default rate is the flat tax, the prelevement forfaitaire unique or PFU. It combines a 12.8 percent income tax component with a social contributions component. The social contributions component rose from 17.2 percent to 18.6 percent from 1 January 2026, following the PLFSS 2026 social security financing law adopted in December 2025. That change lifted the headline flat tax from 30 percent to 31.4 percent, as of April 2026. This is a recent change, so confirm the current rate with the DGFiP before relying on it.

Taxpayers can instead opt for the progressive income tax scale, the bareme, applied to the income tax component while social contributions still apply. This option can be better for those in lower income brackets, and it is a global election that affects other investment income, so it is worth modelling before choosing. This is general information, not tax advice.

Not all crypto income is taxed under the flat tax. Mining income is taxed as non commercial profits, the benefices non commerciaux or BNC, at progressive income tax rates, valued in euros at the time you receive the coins, as of April 2026. The micro BNC regime can apply below a turnover ceiling and gives a fixed percentage allowance against income. Where trading is carried on in a habitual and organised way it may also be treated as professional and taxed under the BNC rather than as occasional capital gains.

The tax treatment of staking rewards is less settled in DGFiP guidance than mining, and practitioners often report it on a similar basis to mining, as income on receipt. Because this area is not fully clarified, treat it as an open point and confirm your own position with the DGFiP and a qualified tax adviser. See the France staking and France mining pages for more detail.