Crypto Tax Calculator
Estimate Indian crypto tax: a flat 30% on VDA gains plus 1% TDS on transfers, with losses not offsettable.
Formula last reviewed 4 August 2026 · How we verify our calculators
Tax (30% of gain)
- Taxable gain
- ₹1,00,000
- TDS (1%)
- ₹2,000
- Net proceeds after tax & TDS
- ₹1,68,000
Updates live as you type
Frequently asked questions
Gains from transferring Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) are taxed at a flat 30% (plus applicable surcharge and cess), with no slab benefit and no deduction except the cost of acquisition.
Under Section 194S, 1% TDS is deducted on the transfer consideration above a per-year threshold (₹50,000 for most individuals). It is adjustable against your final tax liability.
No. Under current rules a loss from one VDA cannot offset gains from another VDA or any other income, and it cannot be carried forward — which is why this tool floors the taxable gain at zero.
Only the cost of acquisition is deductible from the sale value; expenses like exchange fees or interest are not allowed against VDA gains.
Lose money on a crypto trade, and you still owe nothing back
A ₹2,00,000 sale against ₹1,00,000 cost of acquisition produces a taxable gain of ₹1,00,000, taxed at India's flat 30% rate — ₹30,000 in tax. Because the ₹2,00,000 transfer value clears the ₹50,000 TDS threshold, an additional 1% TDS applies: ₹2,000. Net proceeds after both come to ₹1,68,000. Now flip the trade to a loss — sale value of ₹80,000 against the same ₹1,00,000 cost — and the taxable gain floors at ₹0 rather than going negative: zero tax, but critically, zero offset against any other crypto gain that year either. A losing trade doesn't reduce what you owe on a winning one.
Three rules that make VDA tax unusually unforgiving
Gains on Virtual Digital Assets are taxed at a flat 30%, with no slab benefit regardless of your income level and no deductions permitted beyond the cost of acquisition itself — trading fees, exchange charges, none of it reduces the taxable gain. A 1% TDS under Section 194S applies to transfer value above the per-year threshold, though it's adjustable against your final tax liability rather than an additional cost on top. And unlike most other capital gains in Indian tax law, a loss on one VDA transaction cannot be set off against a gain on another VDA, or against any other income — nor can it be carried forward to a future year. That's a materially stricter rule than most other asset classes get.
Why this figure needs a currency-of-the-day disclaimer
Surcharge and cess can apply on top of the headline 30% depending on income level, and VDA tax provisions have already been revised more than once since their introduction — treat the specific rate and TDS threshold used here as subject to change in a future Finance Act, not permanently fixed. Always verify current figures before relying on this for an actual filing.
Sources
- Income Tax Department, Government of India — Section 115BBH (30% VDA tax) and Section 194S (1% TDS on VDA transfers)