Margin trading: tax records beyond a profit screen

Identify the actual instrument

An exchange dashboard can group spot margin, futures and perpetuals under trading. Their tax classification is not interchangeable. Keep the instrument specification, exchange entity and settlement currency.

Rebuild the account activity

Export fills, transfers, interest, funding payments, liquidation transactions and balances. A displayed trading P&L may omit fees or use a valuation convention different from your return.

• Separate realized and unrealized results.
• Match each closed position with its opening records.
• Keep borrowing costs separate from trade proceeds.
• Do not assume a 60/40 rule applies to every crypto derivative.

Have product classification reviewed

The general digital-asset capital-gain rules do not establish the treatment of every leveraged contract. Broker reporting, business status and the exact contract must be reviewed.

Keep exploring