Do I need to report crypto if I didn't sell?
Daniel Lopez
Updated on March 07, 2026
“If you just bought it and didn't sell anything, you can actually answer 'no' to that question because you do not have any taxable gains or losses to report,” he says.
What happens if you don't report your crypto?
Failure to reportIf you don't report taxable crypto activity and face an IRS audit, you may incur interest, penalties or even criminal charges. It may be considered tax evasion or fraud, said David Canedo, a Milwaukee-based CPA and tax specialist product manager at Accointing, a crypto tracking and tax reporting tool.
Do you pay taxes on crypto if you havent sold?
Good news for hodlersIf you're holding crypto, there's no immediate gain or loss, so the crypto is not taxed. Tax is only incurred when you sell the asset, and you subsequently receive either cash or units of another cryptocurrency: At this point, you have “realized” the gains, and you have a taxable event.