CARF tax rules go live on Jan. 1: What crypto users and exchanges need to know
CARF data collection starts Jan. 1, 2026, in 48 jurisdictions, including the UK and EU, pushing crypto platforms to gather tax residency details and report transactions.
From Jan. 1, 2026, crypto users in 48 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, will start to feel the first real effects of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) as early‑moving jurisdictions begin collecting standardized data from exchanges and platforms.
CARF requires in-scope providers to gather more detailed customer information, verify tax residency and report users’ balances and transactions annually to their domestic tax authorities, which will then share that data across borders under existing information‑exchange agreements.
Lucy Frew, partner and head of the global Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group at international law firm Walkers, told Cointelegraph that CARF is a “game-changer,” and “set to reshape compliance for digital asset businesses and customers.”
