CRA asks crypto users to keep, for every transaction, the date, the type and number of units, the CAD value at the time, what the transaction was and who the other party was, plus wallet addresses and yearly opening and closing balances. Keep them for at least six years after the last tax year they relate to.
Figures as of October 31, 2026.
CRA’s page on books and records for crypto-assets (modified November 10, 2025) lists what to keep. Here is that list, translated into what a crypto card actually produces.
| CRA asks for | On a crypto card that means |
|---|---|
| Date and time of each transaction | Every reward credit, every conversion at the till, every top-up and withdrawal |
| Type and number of units | For example 0.00004120 BTC reward; 0.0015 BTC sold for a purchase |
| CAD value at the time | The CAD value of each reward on the day credited; the CAD amount of each purchase |
| Nature of the transaction and the other party | Reward, purchase (merchant name), stake, unstake, transfer |
| Addresses of each wallet you use | Deposit and withdrawal addresses for on-chain transfers to or from the platform |
| Opening and closing balance of each asset each year, with cost | A year-end snapshot of each coin held on the card platform and elsewhere |
| Platform trade and transfer ledgers | The CSV exports from the card app |
How long to keep it
At least six years from the end of the last tax year the records relate to (CRA). Staked tokens and rewards you keep for years extend that window, because the record matters when you finally sell.
Turning records into ACB
Your adjusted cost base per unit is an average across identical units you hold. Use our reward records tool to see how monthly credits change your average and what a later sale would report under two common treatments.
What does a year of reward credits look like in a spreadsheet?
Put one row per event, not one row per month. A Shakepay customer spending $1,500 a month at Base status gets a small bitcoin credit after each purchase settles, typically 1 to 14 days later, at the BTC/CAD rate on the day it is paid. That can mean 40 or more reward rows a month. Columns that make the tax step easy later: date credited, card, units received, CAD price per unit that day, CAD value, and a running total of units held.
| Column | Why you need it | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time credited | Sets the CAD value and the order for average cost | Card app transaction history |
| Units received (e.g. 0.00002210 BTC) | Adds to your holdings | Reward line in the app |
| CAD value per unit that day | Income value under one treatment; cost under the other | The app’s rate on the credit, or a published price |
| Type (reward, purchase, stake, unstake, transfer) | Separates income-like events from dispositions | Your own label |
| Wallet address (for transfers) | CRA lists addresses as records to keep | Withdrawal confirmation |
| Running units and average cost | The ACB you subtract when you sell | Your spreadsheet or the reward records tool |
What changes if my card sells crypto at the till?
Each purchase becomes a disposition and needs its own row: units sold, CAD amount, and the average cost of those units. Shakepay and Crypto.com avoid this because they spend a CAD balance. MetaMask Card converts the token you spend at checkout, and ether.fi’s Direct Pay Mode spends assets in your Vault, so on those cards every purchase from a crypto token is a sale for tax.
What if the platform closes or leaves Canada?
CRA advises exporting activity history regularly for exactly this reason. Download the CSV the first day of each month and keep it with your other tax records. If a platform stops serving Canada, your export is the only record of cost you control. For offshore cards that are not on the CSA list, this matters more: there is no Canadian regulator holding the platform to a record-keeping standard on your behalf.
How do staking and lock-ups fit in?
Locking CRO for a Crypto.com tier is not a sale, but record the units and date locked and unlocked. Rewards paid on a staked tier are, in CRA’s words for centralized-platform staking, generally income when credited. ether.fi locks cashback for 7 days before you can claim it; record the credit when it lands in your account and keep the claim date as well.
| Reward credits | 0.00025, 0.00026 and 0.00031 BTCcredited at $82,000, $79,000 and $66,000 per BTC |
|---|---|
| Later sale | 0.0006 BTC at $90,000 per BTC |
| CAD value when credited (all three) | $61.50 |
| Proceeds of the sale | $54.00 |
| A: gain if rewards were income when credited | $9.00average cost $75,000.00 per BTC; taxable half $4.50 |
| B: gain if rewards had nil cost | $54.00taxable half $27.00 |
Try your own credits in the reward records tool →Computed 2026-11-03.
What this means for you
Download the card app’s CSV on the first of each month and keep it for at least six years after the last tax year it covers.
Write down wallet addresses for any transfers to or from the platform; CRA lists them as records to keep.
Questions people ask
Do I need to record every small bitcoin reward?
Yes. Each credit adds units to your holdings and, under one common treatment, is income on the day it lands. CRA asks crypto users to keep the date, units, CAD value and nature of every transaction. A monthly CSV export from the card app captures them all at once.
What if my card app does not show the CAD value of a reward?
Use a reputable published price for that coin at the time of the credit and note the source you used. CRA’s crypto pages ask you to record how you determined fair market value.
Can I use one spreadsheet for all my crypto?
You should: your average cost covers every identical unit you hold, on every platform and wallet. Rewards on a card and coins bought on an exchange share one average for the same coin.
How long do I keep crypto card records?
At least six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. For coins you hold for years, that clock starts only after the year you finally sell them.
Sources
- CRA — Keeping books and records of crypto-assets for tax filing — page dated November 10, 2025
- CRA — Special rules and other transactions (identical properties, average cost) — page dated February 5, 2026
- CRA tax tip — Reporting your capital gains as a crypto-asset user — page dated October 22, 2024
Educational information, not financial, tax or legal advice. 5 min read. Reviewed October 31, 2026.