MONEY GLOBE XInsights · Money Globe X Research · November 9, 2026
Crypto Adjusted Cost Base and Capital Gain in Canada Explained
In Canada, your adjusted cost base (ACB) is the average cost of all identical units you hold: total cost, including fees, divided by units held. Your capital gain is the value you receive when you dispose of units, minus the ACB of those units. As of November 6, 2026, 50% of a capital gain is taxable.
Key points
- Canada uses the average cost of identical units, not first-in, first-out.
- Include fees in your total cost when you work out the ACB.
- Trading one crypto for another is a disposition at fair market value in Canadian dollars.
- A loss is denied if you buy the same property back within 30 days before or after the sale.
- As of November 6, 2026, 50% of a capital gain is taxable.
What the adjusted cost base means
The adjusted cost base, or ACB, is the amount the tax system treats as your cost for a property. For crypto, it is what you paid, adjusted as you buy more. It is the starting point for every gain or loss you work out.
Canada uses the average cost of identical properties. That means all units of the same coin are pooled together. You add up the total cost of every unit you bought, including fees. Then you divide that total by the number of units you hold.
The result is your ACB per unit. Different coins get separate pools. Bitcoin and Ether, for example, are not identical, so each has its own average.
How to calculate the ACB and the gain, step by step
Start with a record of every purchase of one coin. For each one, write down the date, the units bought and the total cost in Canadian dollars, fees included.
Step one: add up the cost of all purchases. Step two: add up the units you hold. Step three: divide the total cost by the total units. That is your ACB per unit.
When you sell, work out your proceeds. Proceeds are the Canadian dollar value you receive for the units you dispose of. Then multiply your ACB per unit by the number of units you sold. That gives the ACB of the units sold.
Your capital gain is the proceeds minus that ACB. If the answer is negative, you have a capital loss instead.
After a sale, your ACB per unit stays the same for the units you still hold. The total cost left in the pool drops by the ACB of the units you sold. Each time you buy more, you repeat the average with the new cost and the new units.
Crypto-to-crypto trades and the 30-day rule
Many people think a tax event happens only when they cash out to dollars. That is not the case. According to Canada Revenue Agency guidance on cryptocurrency, trading one cryptocurrency for another is a disposition. It is treated as a sale at fair market value in Canadian dollars.
Fair market value is the price the coin would fetch in a normal sale at that moment. You work out the gain on the coin you gave up. The same value then becomes the cost of the coin you received.
There is also a rule about losses. A superficial loss is a loss on a sale where you buy the same property back close to the sale date. A loss is denied if the same property is bought back within 30 days before or after the sale. The 30 days run in both directions, so a purchase just before the sale counts too.
Good records make all of this easier. Keep dates, units, Canadian dollar values and fees for every buy, sale and trade.
How much of the gain is taxable, and where to calculate
As of November 6, 2026, 50% of a capital gain is taxable. A planned increase to two-thirds was cancelled in 2025. The taxable part is added to your income for the year and taxed at your usual rates.
You can use the capital gains calculator page on Money Globe X at https://moneyglobe.com/tools/capital-gains-calculator-canada/ to check your own figures. A simple spreadsheet also works. List each purchase, keep a running total of cost and units, and divide to get the ACB per unit.
This article is for education only. It is not tax advice. If your situation is complex, such as many trades or other types of income, a tax professional can review your records.
See the live numbers: Capital gains calculator for Canada · Crypto converter · Crypto prices, RSI and trend
Questions
How do I calculate the ACB of my crypto in Canada?
Add up the total cost of all identical units you bought, including fees. Divide that total by the number of units you hold. The result is your ACB per unit.
Is swapping one crypto for another taxable in Canada?
Yes. Trading one cryptocurrency for another is a disposition at fair market value in Canadian dollars. You work out a gain or loss on the coin you gave up.
What is a superficial loss?
It is a loss on a sale where you buy the same property back within 30 days before or after the sale. In that case the loss is denied.
How much of a crypto capital gain is taxable?
As of November 6, 2026, 50% of a capital gain is taxable. The planned increase to two-thirds was cancelled in 2025.
Is there a calculator I can use?
Our capital gains calculator page is at https://moneyglobe.com/tools/capital-gains-calculator-canada/. You can also build a simple spreadsheet that tracks total cost and units held.
The data behind this article
| inclusionRate | 50% of a capital gain is taxable (the planned increase to two-thirds was cancelled in 2025) |
| acbMethod | Canada uses the average cost of identical properties: total cost of all units bought (including fees) divided by units held |
| superficialLoss | a loss is denied if the same property is bought back within 30 days before or after the sale |
| cryptoToCrypto | trading one cryptocurrency for another is a disposition at fair market value in Canadian dollars |
As of 2026-11-06. Source: Canada Revenue Agency guidance on cryptocurrency and capital gains.
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