Crypto Staking Income Tax Calculator
Estimate the ordinary income tax on staking rewards, taxed at their fair-market value when you gain control of them.
How it works
Ordinary income = FMV of rewards at receipt · Tax = fed tax(income + rewards) − fed tax(income) · Basis of coins = FMV at receipt
Staking rewards are ordinary income in the year you gain dominion and control over them, valued at their fair-market price at that moment. That value is taxed at your ordinary rate on top of your other income, and it also becomes the cost basis of the coins — so when you later sell, only the change in price since receipt is a capital gain or loss. Keeping a record of the dollar value on each reward date is essential.
Worked example
You earn $6,000 of staking rewards on top of $80,000 of income (single). The rewards stack into the 22% bracket, adding about $1,320 of income tax. Your basis in those coins is $6,000, so if you later sell them for $7,500 you have a $1,500 capital gain — not $7,500.
Frequently asked questions
When are staking rewards taxed?
IRS guidance (Rev. Rul. 2023-14) says rewards are taxable as ordinary income when you gain dominion and control — typically when they hit your wallet and you can transfer them — at their fair-market value that day.
Am I taxed again when I sell the coins?
Yes, but only on the change in value. The FMV taxed as income becomes your cost basis, so a later sale produces a capital gain or loss measured from that basis, not from zero.
Do I owe self-employment tax on staking?
For most individual stakers, rewards are investment-type ordinary income, not self-employment income. Running staking as an active business can change that; this estimate covers only the income tax.
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Educational estimate using 2024 U.S. federal figures — ignores state tax, credits, phase-outs and your full situation. Not tax advice; confirm with a professional or the IRS.