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The CRA expects a record of every crypto transaction: units, coin type, date and time, the Canadian dollar value, the other party and your wallet addresses. Keep them at least six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. A sample table below shows one line per event.
What records does the CRA expect for crypto?
The CRA page on books and records for crypto-assets lists what to keep. For every transaction it names the number of units and the type of crypto-asset, the date and time, the value in Canadian dollars at that moment, a description of the transaction and the other party (even if that is only an address), and the addresses of every digital wallet you used. Once a year it asks for the beginning and ending balance of each wallet, with the cost of the beginning balance.
It also asks for receipts for accounting, legal and third-party software costs, and for platform records: trade ledgers covering buys, sells and swaps, and transfer ledgers covering deposits and withdrawals of coin and of government-issued currency. Miners add hardware and expense records, which our page on crypto mining tax covers.
The CRA says you must be able to support what you report. Our hub on crypto tax in Canada shows how those records feed the return.
How long do you keep crypto records?
The CRA says to keep them for at least six years from the end of the last taxation year they relate to. In practice the "last year" is the year of the sale, not the year of the purchase. A coin bought in 2026 and sold in 2030 needs its purchase record until the end of 2036, because that record supports the cost used in the 2030 return.
A simple rule follows. Keep each purchase, transfer and sale record until six years after the year in which the coin finally leaves your hands. If you still hold the coin, the clock has not started. Electronic copies are fine, and the CRA encourages electronic records. It says it does not endorse any software product.
A yearly habit makes the six years easier to carry. Once your return is filed, save the final log, the platform exports and a snapshot of every wallet balance in one folder named for the tax year. At the start of the next year, copy the closing balances and their cost into the opening line of the new log. That is the beginning balance with its cost that the CRA asks for, and it ties one year to the next.
Which fields should one line hold?
One line per transaction keeps things readable. Every field below comes from the CRA list, with a column for the fee and a note. The table is an example with made up numbers, computed in a script. You can copy the column names into your own spreadsheet.
| Date and time | Type | Coin | Units | Price in CAD | Value in CAD | Fee in CAD | Other side | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-10 14:05 | Buy | Coin A | 0.5 | $40,000 | $20,000 | $20 | Platform 1 | Platform 1 account |
| 2026-03-02 09:41 | Transfer out | Coin A | 0.5 | $42,000 | $21,000 | $0 | Own wallet | Platform 1 to Wallet X |
| 2026-06-18 19:20 | Sell | Coin A | 0.2 | $45,000 | $9,000 | $15 | Platform 2 | Wallet X to Platform 2 |
The first line is a purchase of 0.5 coin at $40,000 plus a $20 fee, so the cost is $20,020 and the cost per coin is $40,040. The second line moves the coin to your own wallet, which does not change the cost. The third sells 0.2 coin for $9,000 with a $15 fee, so the gain is $9,000 minus $15 minus 0.2 times $40,040, which is $977. Our adjusted cost base page explains the averaging, which the CRA crypto pages do not address, and the wallet transfer page covers the second line.
How do you rebuild missing history?
The CRA says to export your activity regularly, since a platform can stop operating, stop serving Canada, or you can lose access to the account. If that has already happened, rebuild from whatever still exists. We have not found a CRA page that gives a fallback for missing cost, so treat this as practical housekeeping and not as an official method.
- List every platform and wallet you have used, even short-lived ones.
- Request or download the full history from each, including deposits and withdrawals.
- Pull the on-chain history for each wallet address you own.
- Match each withdrawal to the deposit on the other side, to separate transfers from sales.
- Look up Canadian dollar values with one method and write the method down.
- Note every gap, with the reason, and bring it to the CRA or a qualified professional.
Our page on CRA crypto audits and voluntary disclosure covers what to do when old years are wrong.
Can you rely on exchange statements alone?
No. The CRA asks you to confirm that you can reach the information you need on each platform, because platforms keep different records. A statement may show prices in another currency, may leave out coin you bought elsewhere and may not know your wallet addresses. It also cannot show what happened in a wallet you control.
Use the statement as one source. Reconcile it to your own log by comparing total units bought and sold, and write down any difference with the reason. A report that was correct for the platform can still be wrong for your return.
What about wallets you no longer use?
Keep their records. The CRA asks for the addresses of each wallet you used and for the beginning and ending balance of each wallet for each year. An old wallet that held coin in 2026 belongs in that list even if you emptied it later. If a platform closed, hold on to the last export, the closing balance and the date the account ended.
Write down where the coins went. A transfer out of an old wallet to a new one you own is not a sale, while a payment from it may be. The 2026 return page shows where that history ends up on the forms.
What does a good record look like?
A good record answers five questions without a phone call. What did you hold, and how many units? When did the event happen? What was it worth in Canadian dollars, and how did you find that value? Who or what was on the other side? What happened to the cost?
- One row per event, in date order, with no merged cells.
- Canadian dollar value in its own column and the method in a note.
- Both wallet addresses on every transfer.
- A running cost per coin for each type of coin.
- The source file, such as a platform export, saved next to the log.
This page is information only. We do not prepare returns, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we do not guarantee that the figures fit your case and we are not liable for decisions based on this page. The sample is made up. The CRA publishes the full list on its books and records page and its page on tax obligations.
Frequently asked questions
What records does the CRA want for crypto?
The units and type of coin, the date and time, the Canadian dollar value, a description of each transaction and the other party, the addresses of every wallet you used, and each wallet balance at the start and end of the year. It also wants platform trade and transfer ledgers.
How long do I keep crypto records in Canada?
At least six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. For a coin sold in 2030, the purchase records need to last until the end of 2036, since they support the cost on that return. Electronic copies are accepted.
Is a CSV export from my platform enough?
It is a good source, not the whole record. Platforms keep different data and may not show other wallets or purchases elsewhere. The CRA suggests exporting regularly in case the platform shuts down. Match the export to your own log and keep both.
What if my exchange closed and I lost the history?
We have not found a CRA page that sets a fallback. Gather bank records, emails, wallet history and any old exports, rebuild what you can and note the gaps. Then ask the CRA or a qualified professional how to treat what is missing.
Do I need to keep records for wallet transfers?
Yes. The CRA says a transfer between wallets you own is not a taxable disposition, but it still asks for wallet addresses and balances. Transfer records show where a coin and its cost came from, which you need when the coin is eventually sold.
Should I send the records to the CRA with my return?
The CRA pages we read do not ask you to attach them to a T1. You keep them and produce them if the CRA asks. Our crypto audit page explains how such requests work. Confirm the current practice on the CRA site before you file.