BR Academy

Crypto Tax and Accounting: Cost Basis, DeFi and Reporting

Master crypto tax filing: cost basis, DeFi, staking income, and how to work with a CPA. 25+ lessons, worked examples, capstone project, certificate.

Intermediate31 lessons6.5 hoursCertificate

About this course

Crypto taxes are complicated. Exchanges don’t report to the IRS the way brokers do. DeFi transactions are hard to track. Staking and airdrops are income, not gains. And one mistake can cost you thousands in penalties.

This course teaches you the complete US tax treatment of crypto assets — the rules, the methods, and the step-by-step process to file accurately.

**What you’ll learn:**
– The five taxable events every investor must track (and the two most people miss)
– How to calculate cost basis using FIFO, LIFO, and specific identification — and which method saves you the most tax
– Why the wash-sale rule doesn’t (yet) apply to crypto, and how tax-loss harvesting works
– How to report staking rewards, airdrops, mining, and DeFi income on your tax return
– How to reconcile transactions across exchanges, wallets, and protocols into one master log
– How to fill out Form 8949, Schedule D, and Schedule 1 correctly
– How to work with a CPA and what to hand them
– The 2026 Form 1099-DA reporting rules that apply to your portfolio

**Who this is for:**
You hold crypto on exchanges, in self-custody wallets, or in DeFi protocols. You file your own taxes or want to understand the rules before you hire a CPA. You want to avoid mistakes, reduce your tax bill legally, and have confidence in your filing.

**What you’ll get:**
– 31 video lessons (2–60 minutes each) with worked examples
– Downloadable templates: transaction log, cost basis calculator, gain/loss worksheet
– 6 module quizzes to check your understanding
– A capstone project: prepare a complete tax return for a real portfolio
– A certificate of completion, shareable on LinkedIn
– Lifetime access to course updates (including 2026 rule changes)

**The capstone project:**
You’ll receive a portfolio with 50+ transactions across exchanges, wallets, and DeFi. You’ll reconcile every transaction, choose a cost basis method, calculate gains and losses, and complete the tax forms. This is the same process you’ll use for your own taxes.

**After you finish:**
You’ll understand exactly how much tax you owe, how to organize your records for a CPA, and how to avoid the mistakes that trigger audits. You’ll also get access to the Block Relations tax newsletter and invitations to advanced courses on business accounting and DeFi strategies.

**Start today.** Enroll now and file your 2026 taxes with confidence.

What you will be able to do

Can identify the tax classification of crypto assets (property, income, or collectibles) and the holding period rules that apply
Can calculate cost basis using FIFO, LIFO, and specific identification methods and explain when each is advantageous
Can identify taxable events (sales, trades, staking rewards, airdrops, DeFi swaps, NFT transfers) and compute the gain or loss on each
Can reconcile transactions across exchanges and wallets, identify missing data, and prepare a complete transaction log for tax filing
Can report crypto income (staking, mining, airdrops) on Schedule 1 and explain the timing rules
Can organize records and work with a CPA or tax software to file Form 8949 and Schedule D
Can apply the 2026 tax rules (including any new reporting requirements) to a multi-year portfolio
Can identify common mistakes and red flags that trigger audits

Curriculum 7 modules · 31 lessons

1Module 1: Crypto Tax Basics4 lessons

What the IRS Says Crypto Is, and Why It Matters Preview8 min
Every Transaction That Triggers a Tax Event 10 min
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Capital Gains and the 1-Year Rule 8 min
Staking Rewards, Airdrops, and Mining as Ordinary Income 10 min

2Module 2: Cost Basis and Gain/Loss Calculation6 lessons

What Cost Basis Is and Why It Matters 8 min
First-In, First-Out Cost Basis with Worked Examples 12 min
Last-In, First-Out Cost Basis and When to Use It 12 min
Specific Identification and How to Elect It 10 min
Calculating Realized Gain or Loss on a Sale or Trade 12 min
Wash-Sale Rules in Crypto and the 30-Day Rule 10 min

3Module 3: Income and Special Transactions5 lessons

Staking Rewards as Ordinary Income: Timing and Basis 12 min
Airdrops, Hard Forks, and Free Coins 10 min
Swaps, Liquidity Pools, and Yield Farming 14 min
NFT Purchases, Sales, and Transfers 10 min
Mining, Lending, and Other Income Sources 10 min

4Module 4: Record Keeping and Reconciliation5 lessons

Exporting Transaction History from Major Exchanges 10 min
Tracking Self-Custody Wallets and On-Chain Transactions 12 min
Pulling DeFi Transaction History and Reconciling It 12 min
Identifying Gaps and Reconstructing Missing Transactions 10 min
Building a Master Transaction Log in a Spreadsheet 14 min

5Module 5: Filing and Working with a CPA5 lessons

Filling Out Form 8949 (Sales of Capital Assets) 12 min
Schedule D (Capital Gains and Losses) and Net Gain/Loss 10 min
Schedule 1 (Other Income) for Staking, Airdrops, and Mining 10 min
What to Give Your CPA and What to Ask Them 10 min
Using Crypto Tax Software vs. Manual Filing 10 min

6Module 6: Advanced Topics and 2026 Rules5 lessons

Trader Status, Business Income, and Self-Employment Tax 12 min
Crypto Tax Rules for Non-US Residents and US Expats 10 min
Common Mistakes and What Triggers IRS Scrutiny 10 min
New Reporting Requirements and Rule Changes for 2026 12 min
A Complete Multi-Year Portfolio from Start to Filing 20 min

7Module 7: Capstone Project1 lesson

Capstone: Prepare a Complete Tax Return for a Provided Portfolio 60 min

Taught by Block Relations

Research & Education · Built for a crypto investor or trader (retail or small business) who holds assets on exchanges, in self-custody wallets, or in DeFi protocols, and needs to report gains, losses, and income to the IRS. They may have never filed crypto taxes before, or they file manually and want to understand the rules better. They are not tax professionals; they want practical, step-by-step guidance and worked examples they can apply to their own transactions.