How to Import Your Exchange CSV for Crypto Taxes
Import exchange CSV for crypto taxes: how to export, clean, and upload transaction files so every trade is priced and reported correctly.
To import your exchange CSV for crypto taxes, export a full transaction history from each exchange, confirm it includes dates, asset amounts, and USD values, then upload it to your tax software so every disposal is matched to its cost basis. Below is exactly how to do it and what to watch for.
Why a CSV import matters
In the US, crypto is treated as property. Every time you sell, swap, or spend a coin you trigger a capital gain or loss, and crypto you earn (staking, rewards, interest, payments) is ordinary income. Your tax software can only calculate those numbers if it has a complete, accurate record of what you did. A clean CSV is the fastest way to hand it that record when an exchange doesn't offer a direct API connection or has since closed.
Starting with the 2025 tax year, many US exchanges issue Form 1099-DA to report your gross proceeds. That form is a summary, not a substitute for your full transaction detail — and it often won't include cost basis for assets you transferred in from elsewhere. Your CSV fills those gaps.
Step 1: Export the full transaction history
Log in to each exchange and look for a transaction, order, or tax export — usually under Reports, Statements, or Documents. A few rules:
- Export everything, not just trades. Deposits, withdrawals, staking payouts, rewards, and fees all affect your taxes.
- Cover the full date range. Set the export to the account's start date, not just the current year. Transfers and cost basis often depend on activity from prior years.
- Grab a file per account. If you use multiple exchanges and wallets, export each separately so nothing is missed.
Many major platforms publish their own export instructions. See our Coinbase tax documents guide for a concrete example, and browse the exchange guides hub for others.
Step 2: Understand what's in the file
A usable crypto CSV generally has one row per transaction with these columns:
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date/time (UTC) | Sets holding period (short vs. long term) and price |
| Transaction type | Buy, sell, trade, deposit, withdrawal, reward, fee |
| Asset and amount | Identifies the coin and quantity moved |
| USD value | Used to compute proceeds, basis, and income |
| Fees | Adjusts basis or proceeds |
If your file is missing the USD value column, good software can price each transaction to the market at that timestamp — but you still need accurate dates and amounts.
Step 3: Clean the file before uploading
Most import errors come from messy data, not the software. Before you upload:
- Don't rename columns or reformat dates by hand in a spreadsheet unless the importer requires it — Excel loves to mangle timestamps and truncate long token amounts.
- Keep full decimal precision. Tokens can have 8 to 18 decimals; rounding creates phantom gains or "missing" balances.
- Remove duplicate exports. Uploading the same file twice double-counts transactions.
- Note internal transfers. Moving coins between your own wallets isn't taxable, but each side may show up as a withdrawal and a deposit. Software needs to see both files to net them out.
Step 4: Import and reconcile
Upload each CSV, then review the results. The two things to check first:
- Ending balances match reality. If the software's balance for a coin doesn't match your exchange, a transaction is missing or duplicated.
- No "missing cost basis" flags. These usually mean coins arrived from a source you haven't imported yet. Add that wallet or exchange file to resolve them.
Also confirm that earned crypto is tagged as income rather than a trade. Rewards and staking payouts are taxed as ordinary income at their value when received, then carry that value as basis for a later sale. Miscategorizing them understates income or overstates gains.
A note on cost basis for 2025 and later
Beginning with the 2025 tax year, cost basis is tracked per wallet or account rather than pooled across all of your holdings. That makes a complete import of every account more important than ever: your software has to know which specific lots live where to report accurate gains. Importing a clean CSV from each source is what makes per-wallet accounting work. For more on lowering your bill legally, see the tax strategy hub, and start with crypto tax basics if you're new.
Let Glide do the math
Upload your exchange CSVs — or connect directly — and Glide identifies every transaction, prices it to the exact block, matches cost basis per wallet, and generates your tax forms.
Calculate my crypto taxes →This article is general information, not tax advice. Consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.