Aave Tax Calculator

Aave lending creates multiple taxable events that most tax tools miss entirely - the deposit, the interest accrual, the aToken cost basis, and the withdrawal are all separate tax events. DYOR.tax automatically identifies and classifies every Aave interaction from your wallet history.

Add your wallet address and DYOR.tax handles the full Aave tax lifecycle. Deposits, aToken tracking, interest income, and liquidations - calculated automatically. Free instant preview.

Try the MetaMask Calculator →

How Aave lending is taxed

When you deposit ETH into Aave, you receive aETH in return. In most jurisdictions this is treated as two simultaneous events, though the exact treatment depends on how your country classifies receipt token transactions:

When you withdraw, you dispose of your aETH and reacquire the underlying ETH - another taxable event. The interest that accrued as additional aTokens is treated as income at fair market value when received.

Aave borrowing and tax implications

Taking out a loan against your Aave collateral is generally not a taxable event - you're borrowing, not selling. However, several related events do have tax consequences:

Aave liquidations - a commonly missed tax event

Liquidations are one of the most frequently missed tax events in DeFi. When your collateral ratio falls below Aave's liquidation threshold, a liquidator repays part of your debt and receives your collateral at a discount (typically 5-10% below market). From a tax perspective, this is a disposal of your collateral at the liquidation price.

The gain or loss is: liquidation proceeds minus your original cost basis for the seized collateral. The liquidation penalty is reflected in the reduced proceeds, not as a separate deduction.

DYOR.tax automatically detects liquidation events in your wallet history and calculates the resulting gain or loss.

How DYOR.tax handles Aave

  1. Add your EVM wallet address
  2. The scanner detects all Aave V2 and V3 interactions automatically
  3. Deposits are classified as disposals of the underlying asset; aToken cost basis is tracked from entry
  4. Interest income is recorded at fair market value as it accrues
  5. Liquidations are detected and the resulting gain or loss is calculated
  6. All Aave activity merges with your exchange CSV into one unified report

Supported Aave versions and chains

DYOR.tax covers Aave V2 and V3 across all major EVM networks: Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, and all other supported EVM chains. Add your wallet address once and every chain is scanned.

Country-specific Aave tax treatment

Frequently Asked Questions

In most jurisdictions, yes. When you deposit ETH into Aave and receive aETH, this is treated as a disposal of ETH and an acquisition of aETH. The gain or loss is the difference between ETH's current market value and your original cost basis. The aETH tokens are acquired at that market value as your new cost basis.

Interest earned through Aave - which accrues as additional aTokens - is generally treated as taxable income in the year received, valued at fair market value. The characterization varies: in the US, typically ordinary income; in the UK, generally miscellaneous income if the activity does not amount to a trade. The aTokens received as interest then have a cost basis equal to the income recognized, relevant when you later withdraw and sell.

A liquidation is a taxable disposal of the collateral seized. The proceeds are the value of your collateral at the liquidation price - typically 5-10% below market due to the liquidation penalty - and the gain or loss is calculated against your original cost basis. DYOR.tax automatically detects liquidation events from your wallet history and calculates the result.

For most individuals, no. Interest paid on crypto loans is generally not deductible. In the US, investment interest expense deductions (Form 4952) are possible but subject to complex rules depending on how borrowed funds were used. In the UK, interest paid on loans is not deductible against capital gains. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

aTokens are treated as separate assets from their underlying tokens. When you receive aETH for depositing ETH, you acquire aETH with a cost basis equal to ETH's value at the time of deposit. When you later withdraw and dispose of aETH, the gain or loss is calculated from that cost basis. Interest received as aTokens is reported as income separately. DYOR.tax tracks the full aToken lifecycle automatically.

Related guides and calculators