The OECD's CARF: global crypto tax reporting, country by country

Which providers report, what they report, and which countries start exchanging data in 2027, 2028 and 2029.

2026-10-17 · 6 min read

The Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework is doing for crypto what the Common Reporting Standard did for bank accounts: exchanges and brokers collect tax data on their customers and tax authorities swap it automatically. For a finance team, the result is that your tax authority will increasingly see your crypto activity from a third party, often before you file.

What CARF is

The OECD developed CARF with G20 countries to extend automatic exchange of information to crypto-assets, after the CRS left a gap for assets held outside traditional financial institutions [2]. The core rules were completed in 2022, and the CARF and a set of amendments to the CRS were finalised as a package in June 2023 [2]. The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes runs the process that asks relevant jurisdictions to commit to it and monitors delivery [2].

CARF is a model, not a law. Each country has to write it into domestic legislation, which is why dates and some details vary.

Who reports

The reporting party is a reporting crypto-asset service provider: any person or entity that, as a business, carries out exchange transactions for or on behalf of customers, whether as counterparty, intermediary or by operating a trading platform [2]. The definition is deliberately broad. A provider reports in a jurisdiction where it is tax resident, incorporated, managed or has a regular place of business, and these nexus tests are applied in a fixed order so the same data is not reported twice [2]. Users do not file CARF reports themselves.

Which assets and transactions

In the UK's implementation, which follows the model, a relevant cryptoasset is one recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger or similar technology that can be used for payment or investment; central bank digital currencies and specified electronic money products are excluded because the CRS covers them instead [3].

Reportable transactions fall into three groups. Exchanges between crypto-assets and fiat, and between different crypto-assets, are reported with aggregate amounts, units and transaction counts. Transfers in and out of a user's account are reported too, including transfers to wallets not known to belong to another provider. Retail payments made for goods or services are reported above a USD 50,000 threshold. The EU's version of the rules, DAC8, sets these categories out in full [6].

Providers report gross figures and fair values, not cost basis or realised gains [6]. Working out the gain remains the taxpayer's job.

Who has committed, and when

According to the Global Forum's list, last updated 14 September 2026, 77 jurisdictions have committed to start CARF exchanges by 2027, 2028 or 2029 [1].

The list also notes that some of the not-yet-committed jurisdictions say they expect to commit in due course [1]. The Global Forum's general expectation is that a jurisdiction exchanges within three years of being identified as relevant [2].

How the timeline works in practice

First exchanges happen the year after data is collected. For 2027 exchangers, collection has already started. In the UK the rules took effect on 1 January 2026, providers must register and notify users by 31 January 2027, and first reports are due between 1 January and 31 May 2027 [3]. UK providers report on UK-resident users as well as residents of other CARF countries [4]. South Africa began on 1 March 2026, aligned to its tax year, with first returns due by 31 May 2027 and the first international exchange expected in September 2027 [5]. EU member states apply the rules through DAC8 from 1 January 2026 [6].

For 2028 and 2029 exchangers, collection generally starts a year later, but local legislation sets the exact start date, so check each country rather than assuming.

What it means for companies and funds

CARF is mostly about customers of intermediaries. If your entity holds crypto through an exchange or broker in a committed jurisdiction, expect a self-certification request covering tax residence, tax identification number and, for some entities, controlling persons [4]. Answer it accurately: the data will flow to your home tax authority, and possibly to the tax authorities of your owners.

Holdings in self-custody are not reported by anyone under CARF. But transfers from a provider to a self-hosted wallet are flagged [6], so a tax authority may see assets leave an exchange and ask where they went. A well-kept register of your own wallet addresses answers that quickly.

What to do

• List every exchange, broker and custodian you use and the jurisdiction each reports in.
• Complete self-certifications consistently across providers, using the same residence and tax numbers as your tax filings.
• Keep an address register for your own wallets and document internal transfers.
• Plan an annual reconciliation of provider-reported gross figures to your ledger, starting with calendar or tax year 2026.
• If your group operates in a 2028 or 2029 country, watch for local rules and start date announcements.

Sources

1. Jurisdictions committed to implement the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) in time to commence exchanges in 2027, 2028 or 2029 (last update 14 September 2026) (OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes)
2. Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework: 2025 Monitoring and Implementation Update (OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes)
3. Check if you need to report cryptoasset data to HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK))
4. Collecting cryptoasset user and transaction data (HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK))
5. Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) (South African Revenue Service)
6. Council Directive (EU) 2023/2226 (DAC8) (EUR-Lex (Official Journal of the European Union))

General information for finance teams, current as of publication. Not legal, tax or accounting advice.

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