Crypto Cost Basis Calculator

Cost basis is what an asset cost you - the purchase price plus the fees you paid to acquire it. When you dispose of crypto, your capital gain is simply proceeds minus basis, so basis is half of every tax calculation you'll ever do. Get it wrong and every downstream number is wrong.

Why it isn't one number

If you bought once and sold everything, basis is trivial. Real portfolios aren't like that: you accumulate lots - separate purchases at different dates and prices - and then sell part of the position. Which lots did you sell? The blockchain can't tell you, because coins are fungible. A cost basis method is the accounting rule that answers the question.

The four methods

FIFO (first-in, first-out) consumes your oldest lots first. It's the most widely accepted default and tends to produce long-term treatment, since the oldest coins have been held longest. LIFO (last-in, first-out) uses the newest lots first. HIFO (highest-in, first-out) picks the most expensive lots, which usually minimizes the reported gain - but often produces short-term treatment, taxed at higher rates, so the "lowest gain" isn't automatically the lowest tax bill. Specific identification lets you nominate exact lots, which is the most flexible and generally requires records showing precisely which units were sold.

One caution: tax authorities decide which methods are permitted, how consistently you must apply them, and what documentation specific identification requires. Compare the methods to understand your range - then follow the rules that apply to you.

1. Add every purchase lot. Date, quantity, price per unit, and acquisition fees for each buy of the asset you're selling - the calculator computes each lot's basis and basis per unit for you.
2. Describe the disposal. Date sold, quantity, sale price, and sale fees. Sale date drives the short- vs long-term split for each lot consumed.
3. Set your tax rates. Short-term and long-term rates so the comparison shows estimated tax, not just gain - the two can rank methods differently.
4. Compare and inspect. Press Compare, then click any method card to see exactly which lots it consumed, their terms, and the resulting gain. Choose Spec ID to tick lots yourself.

The board shows basis, proceeds, gain, the short/long split, estimated tax, and average basis per unit - plus how wide the spread is between the cheapest and most expensive method. Export the selected method's lot schedule as CSV for your records.