Exporting your Coinbase history
Coinbase stores your full trading history under Statements. You need the complete CSV, not just the current year, so the calculator can build accurate cost basis queues from your earliest purchases.
- Go to accounts.coinbase.com and sign in.
- Select Statements from the left sidebar.
- Under "Generate custom statement," select All assets and All transactions.
- Set the date range from account opening to today, not just the tax year.
- Choose CSV format and click Generate.
The export includes buys, sells, sends, receives, converts, staking rewards, Coinbase Earn, learning rewards, and Advanced Trade fills - all 35+ transaction types in a single file.
Revenue, capital gains, and the 40% inclusion rate
SARS treats cryptocurrency as a financial asset, not currency. When you sell, swap, convert, or spend crypto on Coinbase, you trigger a capital gains tax event. For individuals, only 40% of the net capital gain is included in your taxable income and then taxed at your marginal rate (18%–45%).
For individuals, the annual capital-gains exclusion is R40,000 for the year of assessment ending 28 February 2026 and R50,000 for the year ending 28 February 2027. It applies across all capital assets.
SARS distinguishes between capital gains and revenue. If you trade frequently with the intention of making short-term profits, SARS may classify your crypto activity as revenue rather than capital. Revenue is 100% taxable at your marginal rate - no 40% inclusion rate or annual exclusion.
- Taxable events: Sells, crypto-to-crypto swaps, spending crypto, converting between assets.
- Non-taxable: Buying crypto with ZAR, transferring between your own wallets, holding.
- Cost basis method: FIFO (First In, First Out) - each disposal matched to the earliest purchase of that asset.
- Tax year: 1 March – 28/29 February.
- Filing deadline: November 23 (non-provisional taxpayers), January 31 (provisional taxpayers).
- Staking rewards: Likely treated as gross income when received, taxed at your marginal rate.
What the report includes
The calculator parses all 35+ Coinbase transaction types and applies FIFO matching across your complete history. For each disposal in your selected South African tax year, it calculates the base cost, proceeds, and gain or loss.
The preview illustrates gross capital gains, the selected-year exclusion, and the 40% inclusion framework for review. Staking rewards and Coinbase Earn are separated as crypto income, valued at fair market value at the time of receipt.
All values are converted to ZAR using historical daily exchange rates. The report includes a CGT summary, income section, top assets by P&L, end-of-year holdings, and a complete transaction audit trail.
SARS and Coinbase
- No tax documents: Coinbase issues zero SARS-compatible tax documentation for South African users. No IRP5, IT3(b), or any equivalent. You are responsible for calculating and reporting your own crypto gains.
- ZAR conversion: Coinbase reports all values in USD. Our calculator converts every transaction to ZAR using historical exchange rates, which is what SARS expects on your return.
- Revenue vs capital classification: If SARS classifies your Coinbase trading as revenue (frequent short-term trades, trading as a business), 100% of gains are taxable as income instead of the 40% CGT inclusion. Our report provides the gain data - your tax advisor determines the classification.
- Staking on Coinbase: Staking rewards are likely treated as gross income when received. SARS has not issued specific crypto staking guidance, but income from services or property is generally taxable at your marginal rate.
- Exchange control: South African residents have foreign investment allowances (R10 million per year with tax clearance). Holding crypto on foreign exchanges like Coinbase may have exchange control implications.
- Coinbase Earn and learning rewards: Treated as income at fair market value when received. When you later sell those tokens, the capital gain is calculated from that receipt value as base cost.
Related calculators and guides
Coinbase calculator: Coinbase Tax Calculator (all countries)
South Africa calculator: South Africa Crypto Tax Calculator (all exchanges)
Other exchanges in South Africa:
Binance South Africa ·
Kraken South Africa