Cryptocurrency is an established part of the French tax landscape, with the Direction générale des finances publiques (DGFiP) setting out specific rules for how gains on digital assets are taxed. This guide breaks down how crypto transactions are taxed in France for private investors, and how Summ (formerly Crypto Tax Calculator) calculates this for you.

Yes. For private investors, gains made on the disposal of digital assets are taxed under the Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique (PFU), also known as the "flat tax", at a combined rate of 30%. This is made up of 12.8% income tax and 17.2% social contributions. This 30% rate applies to 2025 income, declared in 2026.

Since the 2023 tax year, occasional investors may instead opt for the progressive income tax scale to apply to the 12.8% income-tax portion, if that is more favourable. This option is elected by ticking box 2OP on your return, and is generally only worthwhile if your marginal income-tax bracket is 0% or 11%. The 17.2% social contributions still apply either way, and the 30% flat tax is the default.

A key feature of the French regime is that crypto-to-crypto trades are not taxable. You only realise a taxable gain when you dispose of a digital asset for fiat currency (such as EUR), or use it to pay for goods or services.

This means:

There is also an annual exemption: if your total disposals (sale proceeds) for the year are under €305, your gains are exempt from tax. Note that even when you are under this threshold, any accounts held on foreign platforms must still be declared (form 3916-bis, see below).

France uses a distinctive whole-portfolio method to calculate the gain on each taxable disposal, rather than matching specific lots like First In First Out or Average Cost. The cost basis applied to a disposal is your total acquisition cost scaled by the proportion of your total portfolio value being sold:

Gain = Sale price − (Total acquisition cost × Sale price ÷ Total portfolio value at time of sale)

Simple example

Suppose you have invested a total of €10,000 across your whole crypto portfolio. At the time of a sale, your entire portfolio is worth €40,000, and you sell €4,000 worth of crypto for euros.

Because the calculation depends on your total portfolio value at the moment of each sale, results can differ significantly from per-lot methods used in other countries.

The PFU flat tax described above applies to occasional (private) investors. Importantly, since the 2022 Finance Act, how often or how much you trade no longer determines whether you are a professional. An individual managing their own portfolio remains under the PFU regardless of how actively they trade.

You only fall outside the PFU and into the non-commercial profits regime (Bénéfices Non Commerciaux, BNC) if you trade in conditions analogous to a professional — for example, using your own dedicated trading infrastructure or managing external funds. Professional trading gains are taxed as BNC under Article 92 of the French tax code (CGI).

Mining income is also taxed as BNC, assessed at the value of the assets when received. BNC income (such as mining) is declared on form 2042-C-PRO — a separate line from the capital-gains flow, not the 2042-C used for disposals. If you think your activity may fall into the professional category, speak to a French tax professional, as the rules and rates differ.

Before calculating your crypto taxes, make sure you have accurate records of all your transactions valued in euros, including the date of each transaction, the assets involved, the amounts, and any fees. You will also need details of any accounts held on foreign exchanges, as these must be declared separately (see below).

Summ makes it simple to import all your crypto activity into one place by connecting your exchanges and pasting your public wallet addresses. Once imported, you can categorise your transactions and Summ will produce a tax report in line with the French rules.

For French users, Summ defaults to the PFU inventory method, which applies the whole-portfolio cost basis calculation described above and treats crypto-to-crypto trades as non-taxable. The report provides the figures you need for the Cerfa 2086 form (computation of gains), which are then carried to your income tax return (form 2042-C). Accounts held on foreign platforms generally also need to be declared on form 3916-bis.

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