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MetaMask Tax Calculator South Africa

SARS taxes MetaMask activity as either revenue or capital depending on the facts - active DeFi trading is typically analyzed as revenue income, while longer-term positions may receive capital treatment under the CGT framework. Paste your wallet address to build ZAR disposal and income records with FIFO costs and an audit trail. The calendar-year report does not calculate final tax.

Instant preview No sign-up Read-only scan ZAR conversion
Step 1
Choose your country

Apply the right tax rules from the start.

Step 2
Choose tax year

Preview the report for the year you need to file.

Steps 3-5

Add your data for an instant tax preview

Wallet scan first. Add exchange data for a complete ZAR-valued history for your SARS return. Revenue or capital depending on the facts.

Wallet-first flow Optional CSV merge No sign-up
Primary path
MetaMask wallet Read-only

Connect MetaMask or paste the wallet address you want to scan.

Paste wallet address
🇿🇦 SARS reporting ⚖ DeFi protocol attribution + review flags 💰 Max 5 wallets
Combine wallet and exchange data
Optional exchange CSV

Merge exchange history for a more complete tax picture.

⇪
Drop your exchange CSV here
Choose the exchange, then drop the file or .

Choose the exchange you want to merge, then export its account-opening-to-today CSV:

  • Coinbase: accounts.coinbase.com → Statements → Generate custom statement → account opening to today, CSV
  • Binance: Wallet → Asset History → Export Transaction Records → account opening to today → Generate
  • Kraken: Profile icon → Documents → Create Export → Ledger, account opening to today, CSV → Generate (arrives as .zip)

MetaMask-only? Skip this step and scan your wallet above.

Add a MetaMask wallet or exchange CSV to unlock your preview.
Read-only wallet scan No sign-up required Supports 40+ networks ZAR conversion

What this wallet scanner supports

Supported

  • Read-only scan by address or one-click connect - we never touch your funds or keys.
  • Ethereum and major EVM chains, plus Solana and Bitcoin in the same report.
  • Supported swaps, transfers, fees, and on-chain income are classified automatically; ambiguous activity is flagged for review.
  • Use your wallet alone, or combine it with exchange CSVs in one report.
  • PDF report with your country's cost-basis method applied.

Partly supported

  • Purchase cost for coins funded from an exchange, bridge or another wallet - we flag these; fill them in the quick review step or add the matching exchange CSV to backfill.
  • Bitcoin activity is summarized in the preview and finalized in the full report; paste each address (extended public keys / xpub are not supported yet).
  • Unusual DeFi or NFT positions may need a manual review line.

Not covered

  • This is not tax advice.
  • We never request private keys, seed phrases or spending permissions.
  • We read on-chain activity only - off-chain trades that never touched this wallet are not visible.

Read-only. No sign-up, no spending permissions.

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Revenue vs Capital Analysis

FIFO applied across your MetaMask history. Transaction listing shows each disposal with ZAR proceeds and cost base for revenue or capital treatment analysis.

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Full DeFi Coverage

Recognized Uniswap, Aave, Lido, and Curve activity is attributed from supported protocol metadata; ambiguous swaps, yield, and NFT events are flagged for review.

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40+ Supported Networks

One MetaMask address covers Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, and 35+ more. All values converted to ZAR at historical rates.

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SARS Review Preview

The preview illustrates capital-gains treatment and the 40% inclusion framework. Verify classification, the selected-year exclusion, and progressive tax before using figures in a SARS return.

Simple, one-time pricing

No subscriptions. Pay once per tax year. Exchange CSV pricing counts only disposals and income events in the selected tax year; wallet scan pricing counts scanned wallet transactions.

Up to 50 events
$29
51 – 100
$39
101 – 500
$49
501 – 1,000
$59
1,001 – 3,000
$79
3,001 – 5,000
$99
5,001+
$129

How SARS approaches MetaMask taxation

SARS has confirmed that crypto assets are subject to normal South African tax principles. The key determination for MetaMask DeFi activity is whether gains are of a revenue or capital nature. SARS applies the same test it uses for share trading and other financial assets: the taxpayer's intention at the time of acquisition, trading frequency, holding period, and overall conduct.

MetaMask does not report to SARS. You are responsible for declaring all crypto activity in your South African income tax return. SARS has also indicated that it is monitoring crypto activity through data requests to exchanges and blockchain analytics, so self-reporting from your complete wallet history is essential.

Revenue vs capital for DeFi activity

Active DeFi trading - frequent swaps on Uniswap, short-term position management, regular LP entry and exit - is more likely to be characterized as revenue in nature by SARS. Revenue gains are included in gross income and taxed at your full marginal income tax rate (up to 45%).

Longer-term positions held with an investment intention are more likely to receive capital treatment. Capital gains use the 40% inclusion framework after the applicable annual exclusion. The exclusion is R40,000 for the year ending 28 February 2026 and R50,000 for the year ending 28 February 2027.

The characterization depends on the facts of your situation. SARS can and does challenge taxpayers who claim capital treatment on what appears to be active trading activity. A qualified South African tax adviser should review your specific DeFi trading patterns.

The selected-year annual exclusion and 40% inclusion rate

For MetaMask activity treated as capital in nature, the CGT rules apply. The annual exclusion for natural persons is R40,000 for the year ending 28 February 2026 and R50,000 for the year ending 28 February 2027, across all capital assets including crypto.

After the applicable exclusion, 40% of the remaining net capital gain is included in taxable income. That included amount is taxed at your marginal income tax rate. South African marginal rates run from 18% to 45%, so the effective CGT rate on the included portion ranges from 7.2% to 18% at the highest marginal rate.

Staking and DeFi income for South African taxpayers

Staking rewards, DeFi yield, and liquidity mining returns received into your MetaMask wallet are often analyzed as gross income at ZAR fair market value when received, depending on the nature of the activity. SARS has indicated that mining rewards constitute gross income. A similar analysis applies to staking, though the characterization of passive staking versus active yield farming may differ.

The ZAR value on receipt becomes the cost base for those tokens when calculating any future gain on disposal. DYOR.tax records all staking and DeFi reward receipts with their ZAR values for inclusion in your gross income calculation.

Related calculators and guides

All countries: MetaMask Tax Calculator
South Africa country page: South Africa Crypto Tax Calculator
Other MetaMask countries: MetaMask USA · MetaMask UK · MetaMask India

DeFi guides: Uniswap Tax Calculator · Aave Tax Calculator · Crypto Staking Taxes · Airdrop Taxes

Product updates

Wallet scanner update history

We publish wallet scanner updates so you can see how the calculator is maintained against real on-chain activity and country tax rules.

Latest wallet scanner update:

View full changelog

  1. EVM wallet scanning launched

    Read-only scanning is now live for Ethereum and major EVM chains, alongside Solana and Bitcoin. South African gains are revenue or capital depending on the facts.

  2. Supported activity classified; ambiguous events flagged

    Classification is applied directly from on-chain wallet activity.

  3. Exchange-funded incoming transfers flagged for cost-basis review

    A prompt appears to add the matching exchange CSV so the cost basis can be completed.

  4. Wallet cost-basis review step added

    Enter purchase cost for on-chain sales missing acquisition history.

  5. Wallet reports priced by transaction count

    Exchange CSVs stay priced by report events.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. MetaMask is a self-custody wallet and does not send tax information to SARS. You are responsible for declaring all MetaMask crypto activity in your South African tax return. SARS has confirmed that crypto assets are subject to normal tax rules including both income tax and CGT.

The characterization depends on the facts - your intention at acquisition, trading frequency, and holding period. Active DeFi trading is more likely revenue income. Longer-term positions may receive capital treatment with the 40% inclusion rate. SARS applies the same revenue-versus-capital analysis it uses for shares and other financial assets.

For natural persons, the exclusion is R40,000 for the year ending 28 February 2026 and R50,000 for the year ending 28 February 2027. If the activity is capital in nature, 40% of the remaining net gain is included in taxable income.

Staking rewards and DeFi income received into your MetaMask wallet are often analyzed as gross income at ZAR fair market value on receipt, depending on the nature of the activity. The ZAR value on receipt becomes the cost base for future disposal calculations.

For capital gains, 40% of the net gain remaining after the applicable annual exclusion is included in taxable income. The progressive income-tax brackets depend on the year of assessment. Revenue gains are fully included.