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You can file crypto taxes yourself when you have a few trades and complete records. A professional is worth a look with many transactions, business income, foreign property or a CRA letter. An accountant or a tax lawyer can help, but you still review and sign your own return.
When can you file crypto taxes yourself?
Many people can. If you bought a few coins, sold some and have exports from every platform you used, the work is a list of dispositions, a cost for each and one line on Schedule 3. The CRA says half of a capital gain is the taxable part, and it expects you to keep records that support every figure. Our page on reporting crypto on your 2026 return walks through those steps.
The signs that a do it yourself return is realistic are simple. All the trades are in Canadian dollar markets or can be converted with one method. You have no income from mining or staking. You held no coins outside Canada worth more than the foreign property limit. You are not answering a letter from the CRA. When one of those is false, the work grows quickly, and a second pair of eyes starts to make sense.
Which situations call for a professional?
The CRA has no list of situations that require a professional, and the law does not make you hire one. These cases are the ones where the CRA crypto pages leave open questions or where the paperwork is heavy:
- Hundreds or thousands of transactions, many wallets, or platforms that have closed. Rebuilding the cost of each coin takes time, and our page on the adjusted cost base shows how many steps one coin needs.
- Frequent trading that the CRA could treat as business income, because the factors it lists include how often you trade, how long you hold and the time you spend on it.
- Staking, mining, airdrops, forks and DeFi, where the CRA pages cover only part of the ground.
- Coins held abroad that may bring a T1135 foreign property filing.
- Past years in which crypto was left off a return, or a CRA review or audit letter.
- Death of a holder, a move into or out of Canada, or a transfer to a corporation.
None of these means you must pay for help. They mean the cost of an error is higher than usual, and a person who has seen the facts can tell you which rule applies.
Accountant or tax lawyer?
The two jobs overlap but start from different places. An accountant, usually a chartered professional accountant, prepares the return, builds the schedules and keeps the numbers organized. A tax lawyer advises on what the law says, takes part in disputes and appeals, and may handle a disclosure to the CRA. Many people who need both use one for the return and the other for the dispute.
A simple way to choose is to ask what the problem is. If it is a calculation or a filing, start with an accountant. If it is a question about how the Income Tax Act applies, a letter that alleges something, or a possible penalty, a lawyer is often the better first call. Our page on a CRA audit and voluntary disclosure covers that second case. Fees and approach differ between firms, and this page does not recommend one.
How do you check a credential?
For a lawyer, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada says every lawyer in Canada must belong to a provincial or territorial law society and follow its rules. Each society lists its members, so you can check the name there. The Federation's site links to all 14 societies.
For an accountant, ask which designation they hold and which provincial body regulates it, then look the person up with that body. For a preparer who files electronically, the CRA keeps a directory of preparers certified for EFILE, and our page on checking a tax preparer explains how that works. A certification to file is not the same thing as a professional designation, so ask about both.
It is also fair to ask whether the person has worked with crypto before, how they find the cost of coins bought on several platforms, and who answers if the CRA writes back months later.
What should you bring to the meeting?
The CRA crypto page on books and records says to keep records of every transaction, including the date, the type, the value in Canadian dollars, the wallet addresses and the platform. A professional can only work with what you hand over, so gather this before the first call:
- Full transaction exports from every platform, for every year you traded.
- Wallet addresses, and a note of which ones you control.
- Last year's return and notice of assessment.
- Records of any mining or staking income, with dates and amounts.
- Any letters from the CRA.
- A short written list of questions.
The CRA says to keep records for six years after the last tax year they relate to. The page on what the CRA asks in an audit shows how the same records get used later.
What does it usually cost?
We cannot give a price. The CRA page on using a tax preparer says preparers charge a fee and states no amount, and we found no official figure for crypto work. Fees depend on the number of transactions, the state of your records and who does the work. Our page on tax preparer fees in Canada explains how pricing usually works for ordinary returns.
Ask three things before you agree: what is included, how the fee is set (flat, hourly or per transaction), and what happens to the price if your records turn out to be incomplete. Get the answer in writing. A written scope also protects you if the work grows.
What does the professional not do?
A professional does not change the law and cannot promise what the CRA will decide. The CRA page on tax preparers says you should review the prepared return and Form T183 before it is sent, and that the information on T183 must match the electronic return. You sign Part F of that form to authorize the filing, so the return is still yours.
Giving a preparer access to your CRA account is optional. The CRA says you can add an authorized representative in your account, or your representative can ask for authorization through Represent a Client and you confirm it. Form AUT-01 gives offline access only, meaning phone, mail, fax or in person. You can end an authorization later.
This page is information only. We do not prepare returns, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we do not refer you to anyone, and we do not guarantee the content fits your case. We accept no liability for decisions based on it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an accountant to report crypto in Canada?
No. Nothing in the CRA crypto pages requires you to hire one. If your trades are few and your records are complete, you can report the results on Schedule 3 yourself. A professional becomes worth a look when the volume, the type of income or a CRA letter makes errors costly.
Is a crypto tax lawyer better than an accountant?
Neither is better in general. An accountant usually prepares the return and schedules. A lawyer advises on how the law applies and handles disputes, appeals or a disclosure to the CRA. Match the person to the problem, and ask each one about crypto work they have done before.
How can I check that a tax professional is real?
For a lawyer, check the provincial or territorial law society, since the Federation of Law Societies says every lawyer must belong to one. For an accountant, check the regulating provincial body for the designation. For electronic filing, the CRA keeps a directory of certified EFILE preparers.
Can my accountant deal with the CRA for me?
Only if you authorize it. The CRA says you can add an authorized representative in your CRA account, or your representative can request authorization through Represent a Client and you confirm it. Form AUT-01 gives offline access by phone, mail, fax or in person only.
What records should I give my tax professional?
Bring full exports from every platform, wallet addresses you control, last year's return and notice of assessment, and any CRA letters. The CRA books and records page says to keep the date, type, Canadian dollar value, wallet addresses and platform for each transaction, for six years.
How much does a crypto tax accountant cost?
We cannot give a verified price. The CRA says preparers charge a fee but lists no amounts. Cost depends on how many transactions you have and how complete your records are. Ask what is included, how the fee is set and how it changes if your records are incomplete, and get the answer in writing.