Brazil crypto tax guide: What investors should know in 2026

Key takeaways

• Crypto is taxable in Brazil.
• Receita Federal handles tax reporting and enforcement, while the Central Bank (BCB) regulates virtual asset service providers.
• Capital gains tax may apply when total monthly crypto sales exceed R$35,000.
• Income from crypto is taxed under progressive personal income tax rates.
• You can use losses to offset gains, but only under specific conditions.
• Reporting may be required both monthly and annually, including information on cross-border or non-Brazilian exchange transactions.

Brazil has one of the fastest-growing crypto markets in Latin America, with roughly 26 million investors using digital assets every day. Crypto is taxable in Brazil, so if you buy, sell, trade, or earn digital assets, you may have reporting obligations and tax liabilities.

But as the market expands, tax authorities are increasing oversight and proposing changes to Brazil’s crypto regulations. The frequent updates leave many investors unsure when and how their Web3 activities will be taxed.

In this Brazil crypto tax guide, we’ll explain what you need to know to stay compliant when filing your 2025 taxes in 2026. We'll cover what’s classified as capital gains, what may be treated as ordinary income, and explain how to report your crypto transactions correctly.

Is crypto taxable in Brazil?

Cryptocurrency is taxable in Brazil, but not the same way as legal tender. Receita Federal do Brasil (RFB) views crypto like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as assets or rights, so any increase in value between the time you acquire crypto and the time you sell or trade it may be subject to taxation.

There are two main ways crypto is taxed in Brazil, depending on how you acquired and used the asset:

• Capital gains: When you sell or dispose of crypto
• Income tax: When you receive crypto as earnings or rewards

How much tax do you pay on crypto?

The amount of tax you owe on crypto depends on your total monthly activity and the types of transactions you make. Individual investors may benefit from the low-value disposal exemption, where you generally don’t pay capital gains tax if the total value of your crypto asset sales in a single month is R$35,000 or less.

This exemption applies to the total value of sales rather than just the profit. For example, if you sell R$36,000 worth of BTC, you lose the exemption for the entire month, even if your gain was only R$1,000. In addition, this exemption applies only to capital gains for individuals. It does not apply to income events such as staking rewards or legal entities subject to Brazil's corporate tax rates.

If your monthly sales exceed that limit, RFB taxes your gains at progressive capital gains rates ranging from 15–22.5%.

Crypto you receive as income, such as salary, mining rewards, or staking rewards, is taxed at personal income rates ranging from 0–27.5% when received.

When and where do you pay crypto taxes?

To stay compliant with tax laws, you’ll need to make monthly payments and annual declarations. Here’s how that works:

• Monthly payments: If you exceed the R$35,000 sales threshold and realize gains, you must calculate the tax and pay it via a Documento de Arrecadação de Receitas Federais (DARF) by the last business day of the following month.
• Monthly reporting: If you carry out transactions outside Brazilian exchanges, additional monthly reporting may apply via the Receita Federal e-CAC system when total transactions exceed R$30,000, by the last business day of the following month. From July 1, 2026, the new DeCripto framework applies, with a monthly threshold of R$35,000.
• Annual reporting: Regardless of whether you sold assets, you may need to declare any crypto holdings in your annual Imposto de Renda Pessoa Física (IRPF) return if the acquisition cost of each type of cryptoasset was R$5,000 or more.

Who collects crypto taxes?

The RFB is the federal agency responsible for tax administration and collection in Brazil, while the BCB supervises crypto exchanges and virtual asset service providers primarily for anti-money laundering (AML) oversight and systemic risk regulation. Brazilian-based exchanges are required by law to report all user transactions directly to the RFB.

If you use a foreign crypto exchange, a decentralized platform, or a self-custody wallet, you are responsible for reporting those activities. Brazil is now moving toward the international Crypto-Assets Reporting Framework, which will increase cross-border transparency over time.

How are crypto gains and losses taxed in Brazil?

Once you exceed the monthly exemption threshold, Brazil taxes crypto earnings under capital gains rules. You’ll need to calculate the difference between what you paid for each asset and what you received when you disposed of it.

What’s the formula to calculate capital gains?

Here’s how to calculate capital gains in Brazil:

Capital gains = sale price – acquisition cost

The sale price is the fair market value (FMV) in BRL at the time the trade takes place. The acquisition cost is what you originally paid for the asset, also in BRL. For example, if you purchased a coin for R$20,000 and sold it for R$50,000, your capital gains are R$30,000.

It’s also important to note that the Receita Federal doesn’t consider transaction costs deductible for individuals. This means you can’t use fees to reduce your capital gains or increase your capital losses.

What are the capital gains tax rates?

Once your cryptocurrency sales exceed the R$35,000 threshold, these progressive rates apply to your total taxable gains.

Which cost basis methods can you use?

The RFB doesn’t mandate a single accounting method, but most Brazilian taxpayers and accountants use the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The key is to use a reasonable and consistent cost basis method.

Can you report crypto losses?

You can use losses to offset gains from crypto transactions, but there are limitations. Losses have to be realized, which means you sold, traded, or spent the crypto. If you hold crypto and the coin loses value, it’s not considered a loss you can use to offset gains.

In practice, losses from months where your total sales were below the R$35,000 exemption may not be available to offset gains in months where you exceeded that threshold.

Is stolen or lost crypto taxed?

There’s no clear guidance from the RFB about how to treat stolen or lost crypto for tax purposes. Due to this uncertainty, many investors choose a conservative reporting approach and consult a tax accountant for advice.

Which crypto transactions are taxable in Brazil?

Each of the following events triggers a taxable disposal for capital gains purposes. Keep in mind that capital gains tax is only owed in months when your total sales exceed R$35,000, but the taxable event itself occurs regardless of that threshold. The following events can trigger taxation under the capital gains rules:

• Selling crypto: If you sell crypto for Brazilian reais (fiat currency), any profit is taxable capital gains.
• Spending crypto: Using crypto to buy something, whether it’s a cup of coffee or a car, is treated as a disposal. For tax purposes, you’re essentially selling your crypto to the merchant, so you should calculate gains based on the token’s current market value in BRL.
• Trading crypto: Swapping crypto is treated as a disposal, so if you trade BTC for ETH, you’re disposing of the BTC and purchasing the ETH. This means you should determine the BTC's value at the time the trade occurred and compare it to your original acquisition cost.
• Non-fungible token (NFT) sales: NFTs are treated as assets for tax purposes, so if you sell or exchange an NFT for a profit, that transaction contributes to your R$35,000 monthly threshold and is taxed as capital gains.

What’s considered taxable income?

Some crypto activities are taxed as income instead of capital gains. Classification depends on the nature of the activity, how often you engage in it, and whether it resembles a business.

Here are a few examples:

• Staking, rewards, and referral bonuses: Crypto you receive from staking or rewards is considered taxable income. You’ll report it based on its FMV in BRL when you receive it.
• Crypto mining: Mining income is also taxable, and if you mine as an individual at a small scale, it’s typically treated as personal income. If you mine regularly or with a profit intent, the RFB may treat your earnings as business income, which carries different reporting obligations.
• Decentralized finance (DeFi) activities: Yield farming and liquidity pool rewards are generally treated as income. However, because DeFi guidelines are still evolving, the classification depends on the event’s protocol structure.

How is crypto income valued?

Crypto income is valued at its FMV in BRL at the time of receipt. That BRL value is typically the starting point for income recognition and also forms the starting cost basis for a later disposal.

What tax rates apply to crypto income?

Crypto income is taxed using Brazil’s progressive personal income tax rates. Those rates can be upto 27.5%, depending on your total income for the year.

Are there any other taxes on crypto?

Brazil doesn’t apply value-added tax, such as Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços (ICMS), to crypto trading. However, inheritance and gift taxes may apply if crypto is transferred without consideration, depending on state laws.

Which crypto transactions are not taxable?

Some crypto activities don’t create a tax liability in Brazil. However, they may still need to be reported:

• Buying crypto with BRL: Purchasing crypto assets with fiat is not a taxable event, although it does establish your acquisition cost for future calculations.
• Transferring crypto between your own wallets: Moving digital assets between two wallets you own isn’t a taxable transaction.
• Holding crypto: Holding assets without selling or using them doesn’t create unrealized taxable gains.
• Small monthly sales: If your total monthly crypto sales stay below R$35,000, you generally don’t owe capital gains tax.

How do you report and file crypto taxes in Brazil?

Reporting crypto taxes is a dual-track process. You may need one process for monthly capital gains tax and another for monthly and/or annual income tax reporting.

What tax forms do you need to file?

You might have to file three separate forms, depending on your transaction volume and the location of your exchange.

GCAP program for monthly gains

For any month where your sales exceed R$35,000, use the GCAP application provided by the RFB to calculate the tax due. The resulting calculation is used to support DARF payment.

Annual declaration of assets

Even if you didn’t sell any crypto, you may need to report your crypto holdings in your annual IRPF Declaration. You’ll list them under the “Bens e Direitos” (assets and rights) section, using Group 08 (“Criptoativos”).

Here are some code examples:

• Code 01: Bitcoin
• Code 02: Other crypto assets (ETH, Solana (SOL), etc.)
• Code 03: Stablecoins, such as USDC Coin
• Code 10: NFTs

In the “Discriminação” field, include enough information to identify the asset and where it is held. In general, you report the asset’s acquisition cost, not its current market value.

DeCripto information reporting

Beginning July 1, 2026, Brazil will require additional reporting for certain crypto transactions under DeCripto rules. If you trade only on Brazilian exchanges, those platforms automatically report your activity. However, if you use foreign exchanges or peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions without a Brazilian intermediary, you must submit all required reports by the last business day of the following month through the Receita Federal e-CAC system.

How should you file crypto taxes?

You can file your taxes manually or with professional help. Here are the options in more detail:

• Manual filing: You can use the RFB’s GCAP software for monthly gains reporting, e-CAC for monthly information reporting, and the IRPF tool for your annual returns. This requires meticulous recordkeeping for your crypto trades, including BRL conversions at the time of each transaction.
• CPA (contador): For high-net-worth individuals and DeFi users engaged in complex activities, it’s best to consult a Brazilian tax consultant to ensure compliance.

When is the crypto tax filing deadline?

There are two deadlines for crypto tax filing in Brazil:

• Monthly: DARF payments and DeCripto reports (if applicable) are due by the last business day of the following month.
• Annually: IRPF returns are typically due by the last business day of May (May 30, 2025, for the 2025 tax year).

Keep your crypto taxes simple and secure with CoinTracker

Tracking transactions across multiple wallets, exchanges, and DeFi platforms can quickly become difficult. You need to monitor monthly thresholds, calculate gains in BRL, meet various reporting and payment deadlines, and stay on top of Brazil’s crypto tax news for the latest changes.

CoinTracker helps you stay organized by tracking your entire crypto portfolio in one place. Our platform calculates capital gains using a consistent cost basis method, converts values to BRL, and helps you generate tax reports that simplify monthly calculations and annual filing.

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Disclaimer: This post is informational only and is not intended as tax advice. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.