Tax guide to income from staking in 2025: reporting and optimisation
Cryptocurrencies have long ceased to be something exotic and have become part of everyday investments. If a few years ago, most users limited themselves to buying tokens “for the long term” or speculating on the stock exchange, today, more and more attention is paid to alternative ways of earning. One of these tools has become crypto staking for passive income. It allows you to receive a reward simply by holding coins in the network, and is increasingly considered a long-term strategy.
But along with the opportunity to earn, another issue arises – taxes. In 2025, government agencies in many countries have developed clearer rules for income from staking. Investors now have to not only take into account profitability, but also understand how to declare it correctly, what reports to submit, and how to optimise the tax burden.
Why have taxes become relevant right now
Just a couple of years ago, the topic of cryptocurrency taxation remained in a “grey zone.” In some countries, only general rules for taxing investments were in effect, while in others, the authorities did not pay attention to the income of private investors at all. However, as the market grew and the volume of transactions increased, governments began to regulate this segment more actively.
Staking became the object of special attention because it generates regular income that can be compared to interest on a deposit. Government agencies considered it fair to tax such rewards because they actually increase the capital of the token owner.
In 2025, the situation has already become clear: in most countries, staking is equated to investment activity, and the coins received are considered taxable income. The only question is how exactly to correctly account for it and reflect it in reports.
When does a tax liability arise
The main point that an investor needs to understand is that the tax arises not only when selling cryptocurrency. In the case of staking, income is considered received at the moment new coins or tokens are credited to the wallet. That is, even if you do not withdraw or exchange them, the obligation to declare such income already arises.
For example, if you stake tokens through Coindepo and rewards are credited to your balance once a week, the tax liability arises at the moment these coins are credited. The token price is fixed on this day, and the income amount is calculated based on it.
Some countries make a distinction between “reward income” and “profit from sale”. In the first case, it is the value of the accrued coins that is taxed; in the second, the capital gain upon sale. It is important to take this into account in order to fill out the declaration correctly.
How to calculate the taxable base
In order not to make a mistake in the calculations, you need to clearly understand how the tax base is formed.
It depends on two factors:
- The date of reward accrual. It is on this day that the market value of the token is determined.
- The total amount of coins received. The quantity is multiplied by the price, and the income amount is obtained.
Let’s say you were credited with 5 tokens, each of which costs $20. The tax base will be $100. Even if the rate drops to $10 tomorrow or you do not sell the tokens at all, these $100 are already considered income received.
At first glance, this may seem unfair, but this is how many tax authorities interpret income. Therefore, investors need to keep accurate records of all accruals. Platforms like Coindepo help with this by providing transparent reports on rewards.
What documents are needed for reporting
Since 2025, tax authorities in many countries have required more detailed information on cryptocurrency income. The standard list of documents includes:
- Statements or reports from the platform through which you stake.
- Data on token rates at the time of accrual of rewards,
- Confirmation of transfers (if you withdraw coins to another wallet or exchange).
Here, it is again convenient to work through Coindepo, since the service automatically generates reports on all transactions. This reduces the time for preparing a declaration and minimises the risk of errors.
It is also important to understand that the tax office may request data for several years. Therefore, it is worth storing information on accruals systematically, and not just before filing reports.
The future of regulation
We can expect that in the coming years, control over cryptocurrency income will become even stricter. States are interested in replenishing the budget, and the crypto market here looks like a promising source of taxes.
However, new tools for investors will also appear. Perhaps in the future there will be uniform reporting standards, special tax regimes for cryptocurrency income, or even benefits for those who support networks through staking.
In any case, those who are already receiving income through Coindepo or other platforms today should get used to the fact that the tax part of investments is becoming as important as the profitability.
Conclusion
Staking is a convenient and promising way to receive regular income, but in 2025, it is no longer in the “grey zone”. Taxes on rewards have become a reality, and they cannot be ignored.
To work with this tool correctly, it is important to remember: income is recorded at the moment of accrual of coins, the tax base is calculated at the market price of the token, and reporting must be supported by documents.
Optimisation is possible, but it must be legal: long-term retention, accounting for losses, and the choice of reliable services like Coindepo help reduce the burden and make the strategy sustainable.
The main thing is to take the tax part as seriously as the choice of tokens for staking. Then, staking cryptocurrencies for passive income will truly become a source of stable income, and not a reason for conflicts with the tax service.