DAC8 is the EU directive that makes crypto exchanges, brokers and other crypto-asset service providers report their users' transactions to tax authorities. It applies from 1 January 2026. Platforms now collect each user's tax residence and tax ID, record a yearly summary of their crypto activity, and send it to a national tax authority, which passes it to the user's country of residence.
The name stands for the eighth amendment to the EU's Directive on Administrative Cooperation in taxation. DAC8 is the EU's version of the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), with a few EU-specific additions. The first exchange of data between EU tax authorities, covering calendar year 2026, is due by 30 September 2027.
This guide explains what DAC8 requires, who is covered, what data is shared, and what it means for people who hold crypto while living in, leaving or moving to the EU.
Key takeaways
- DAC8 is Council Directive (EU) 2023/2226, adopted on 17 October 2023 and applicable from 1 January 2026.
- Crypto platforms must collect each user's name, address, date of birth, tax residence and tax ID, and report annual totals of trades and transfers.
- Reporting follows tax residence. Nationality and the platform's location do not change where the data goes.
- Data for 2026 must be exchanged between EU tax authorities by 30 September 2027.
- DAC8 also extends EU tax reporting to some non-crypto items, including certain dividends, e-money and large cross-border tax rulings.
What DAC8 is
The EU has run automatic exchange of tax information for over a decade through a series of amendments to Directive 2011/16/EU. DAC2 brought in the Common Reporting Standard for bank and investment accounts. DAC7 covered digital platforms such as marketplaces and rental sites. DAC8 adds crypto.
According to the European Commission's DAC8 page, the Council adopted the directive on 17 October 2023 and it was published in the Official Journal on 24 October 2023. Member states had to write it into national law by 31 December 2025, and its rules apply from 1 January 2026. The Commission adopted an implementing regulation with the standard forms and data formats on 12 November 2025.
DAC8 is built on the OECD's CARF, so the definitions, due diligence steps and reporting categories match closely. Our separate guide to the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework covers the global version and the timeline outside the EU.
Who must report under DAC8
The reporting duty falls on Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (RCASPs). These are individuals or entities that, as a business, carry out exchange transactions in crypto-assets for customers. That includes exchanges, brokers, dealers and crypto ATM operators.
DAC8 links closely to MiCA, the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Providers authorized under MiCA report in their home member state. Providers that are not authorized under MiCA but serve EU users must register in one member state and report there. The goal is that a platform cannot avoid EU reporting simply because it is based outside the Union.
Reporting covers both domestic and cross-border users. A platform in Germany reports on its German-resident users to the German tax authority, and on its French-resident users so that the data can be passed to France.
Which crypto-assets are covered
The Commission describes a broad scope:
- crypto-assets as defined in MiCA
- crypto-assets issued in a decentralized way, such as Bitcoin
- stablecoins, including e-money tokens
- certain NFTs, mainly those that can be traded or used for investment
Central bank digital currencies are handled differently. Under the OECD's 2023 updates to the CRS, which DAC8 also brings into EU law, central bank digital currencies and certain electronic money products are reported more like bank accounts.
What data is collected and reported
DAC8 has two parts: identifying the user and summarizing the user's activity.
| Data point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name and address | Full name and residence address of individual users; legal name and address of entities |
| Tax residence | Every country where the user is tax resident |
| Tax identification number | The tax ID issued by each country of residence |
| Date of birth | For individual users and for the people who control certain entities |
| Crypto for fiat | Aggregate amounts paid or received per asset type |
| Crypto for crypto | Aggregate fair market value of assets acquired and disposed of |
| Transfers | Aggregate value and number of transfers in and out, by type where known |
| Transfers to outside wallets | Aggregate value of transfers to addresses not linked to a regulated provider |
| Large retail payments | Crypto payments to merchants above the reporting threshold |
There is no minimum balance. A small account is reportable in the same way as a large one, although the report shows yearly totals rather than individual trades.
The self-certification sits at the heart of the system. Users declare their tax residence, and the provider checks that the answer is reasonable against the information it already holds from anti-money-laundering checks. The OECD model expects countries to have strong measures to make sure valid self-certifications are always collected, and EU member states set the penalties for platforms that fail to comply. DAC8 adds a rule that goes further than the OECD model: if a user still has not provided the required information after two reminders and more than 60 days after the first request, the provider must stop that user from making reportable transactions, according to a summary by law firm Maples.
Other changes inside DAC8
DAC8 is often described only as a crypto rule, but it amends the wider directive in several ways:
- Non-custodial dividends. Member states exchange information on certain dividends paid outside custodial accounts, with exemptions for some intra-group dividends.
- Cross-border rulings. Advance cross-border rulings involving more than €1.5 million, and rulings that determine a person's tax residence, are added to the exchange.
- E-money and digital currencies. The CRS side of the directive is updated to cover certain e-money products and central bank digital currencies.
The ruling provision is relevant to wealthy individuals, because tax residence rulings issued by one member state now reach the others.
DAC8 timeline
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 17 October 2023 | Council adopts Directive (EU) 2023/2226 |
| 24 October 2023 | Directive published in the Official Journal |
| 12 November 2025 | Commission adopts the implementing regulation with forms and formats |
| 31 December 2025 | Deadline for member states to transpose the rules |
| 1 January 2026 | Platforms start collecting data on users |
| 2027 | Platforms report 2026 data to national tax authorities |
| By 30 September 2027 | First exchange of 2026 data between EU tax authorities |
After the first cycle, the pattern repeats each year: data is collected during the calendar year, reported in the following year, and exchanged within nine months of the year end.
Outside the EU, the timing depends on each country's CARF commitment. The OECD's list of CARF commitments, updated on 14 September 2026, places 26 EU member states in the group exchanging by 2027 and lists Cyprus in the 2028 group.
What DAC8 means for crypto users
It is based on tax residence, not passport. An American, Brazilian or Australian who is tax resident in Portugal is reported to Portugal. An Italian who is genuinely tax resident outside the EU is reported to the new country of residence, if it exchanges data with the EU, rather than to Italy. A second passport does not change where DAC8 data goes while a person remains tax resident in an EU state.
Moving out of the EU does not erase past data. Platforms collect data year by year. If a person was EU tax resident in 2026 and moves in 2027, the 2026 data still reaches the 2026 country of residence.
The data is a summary, not a tax return. Tax authorities receive yearly totals. They will use them to compare with what people declared. Gains, losses and cost basis still come from the taxpayer's own records. Our guide to crypto taxes when you move abroad explains why good records matter when residence changes.
National tax rules still decide the bill. DAC8 only covers reporting. Each member state sets its own crypto tax rates and exemptions, and those vary widely. Greece, for example, published a draft bill in October 2026 that would tax crypto gains at 10%, as covered in our article on the Greek crypto tax proposal.
Privacy and security concerns
DAC8 has critics. Privacy advocates argue that a large, centralized database of who holds crypto creates a target for criminals, and they point to a series of violent kidnappings and extortion attempts against crypto holders and their families in France in 2025. Others question whether yearly totals justify collecting detailed data on every user regardless of size. Supporters reply that crypto had become a blind spot in tax transparency and that DAC8 simply applies to crypto the reporting that has applied to bank accounts for years.
Whatever view one takes, DAC8 is in force. People who value privacy often look at lawful options such as self-custody, which keeps keys under the owner's control, while still reporting gains in full where they are taxable.
Frequently asked questions
When does DAC8 start?
DAC8 applies from 1 January 2026. Platforms collect data during 2026, report it to their national tax authority in 2027, and EU tax authorities must exchange the 2026 data by 30 September 2027.
Does DAC8 apply to non-EU crypto exchanges?
Yes, if they serve EU users. Providers without a MiCA authorization must register in one member state and report there. Outside the EU, many countries apply the OECD's CARF, which covers similar ground.
Is there a minimum amount before DAC8 reporting applies?
No general minimum applies to user accounts. Reports show annual totals for each user, so small and large accounts are both reportable. A separate threshold applies only to the category of large retail payments to merchants.
Does DAC8 report self-custody wallets?
Platforms report the aggregate value of transfers from the platform to wallets not linked to a regulated provider. They do not report the wallet balance, and transactions that never touch a reporting platform are outside DAC8, although they can still be taxable.
Does a second citizenship take someone out of DAC8?
No. DAC8 follows tax residence. A new passport has no effect on reporting while the person is tax resident in an EU member state.
Important: This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules change often and depend on your personal circumstances. Speak with a qualified professional in each relevant country before you act.