Belgium DAC8 and CARF: What Crypto Providers Report from 2026
Belgium implemented the EU DAC8 crypto-reporting rules through the Law of 16 March 2026, published on 1 April 2026. Reporting crypto-asset service providers must perform due diligence, collect prescribed user data and report to SPF Finance. This is an information-reporting system: it does not create a new crypto tax or calculate the Belgian taxpayer’s taxable profit.
What changed in Belgium in 2026?
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Start for free →The first DAC8 reporting period started on 1 January 2026. Belgium's Law of 16 March 2026 transposed the EU directive and adapted the national administrative-cooperation framework. SPF Finance launched its dedicated CARF-DAC8 information section in August 2026 for reporting crypto-asset service providers, commonly described as RCASPs.
The rules require an in-scope provider to carry out due diligence, collect information for users who are not excluded persons and report the prescribed data to SPF Finance. SPF Finance then automatically exchanges relevant information with the competent authority of a partner jurisdiction where the reportable user is resident.
CARF is not the Common Reporting Standard
| Framework | Purpose | Role in Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| OECD CARF | international standard for due diligence, crypto reporting and automatic exchange | provides the global model and data categories |
| DAC8 | EU directive extending administrative cooperation to crypto-assets | requires EU-wide implementation and exchange |
| Belgian Law of 16 March 2026 | national transposition and administrative framework | creates duties for reporting providers and SPF Finance |
| CRS | separate OECD standard focused on financial-account information | related transparency framework, but not another name for CARF |
The previous version of this article expanded CARF as “Common Reporting Standard”. That was wrong. CARF means Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework. CARF and the Common Reporting Standard are designed to interact and reduce duplicate reporting, but they remain distinct standards.
Belgian implementation and timeline
- 1 January 2026: first EU reference period begins.
- 16 March 2026: Belgian transposition law is dated.
- 1 April 2026: the law is published in the Belgian Official Gazette.
- During 2026: providers collect self-certifications and transaction information under the applicable due-diligence rules.
- 2027: providers submit 2026 data under Belgian procedures; the EU's first authority-to-authority exchange is due by 30 September 2027.
The 30 September date is an exchange deadline for tax authorities, not the filing deadline for a Belgian individual's income tax return. Provider submission dates and technical specifications can be earlier and should be checked on the current SPF Finance portal.
What information can a crypto provider report?
The reporting set combines tax identity with aggregated activity for each relevant crypto-asset. Depending on the user and transaction type, it can include:
- name, address, jurisdiction of tax residence, tax identification number and date or place of birth where required;
- for entities, identifying information and potentially controlling persons;
- the provider's identifying details;
- aggregate gross amounts, units and transaction counts for acquisitions and disposals against fiat currency;
- crypto-to-crypto exchanges, reportable retail payments and transfers;
- transfers to distributed-ledger addresses not known to be associated with another provider, where the framework requires that information.
This is not necessarily a perfect transaction-by-transaction copy of the user's economic history. Aggregated gross proceeds do not prove net profit. A provider may know that assets left its platform but not know whether they went to the user's own hardware wallet, another owner or a DeFi protocol. It may also lack the acquisition cost from an earlier platform.
Are self-custody, DeFi and foreign exchanges outside the system?
A self-custody wallet is not automatically a reporting provider. However, the provider sending assets to it may report the outgoing transfer or address under the applicable rules. When assets later return to an exchange, the taxpayer needs an ownership trail to explain why the movement was not a disposal and where the historical cost came from.
Foreign providers can also fall within CARF or DAC8 through registration, residence, place of business or the users they serve. It is unsafe to publish a fixed list saying that every account at Binance, Coinbase or Kraken is always reported in exactly the same way. Scope depends on the contracting entity, service, jurisdiction and registration status.
Staking, lending, wrapped tokens, liquidity pools and NFT-like assets require a second analysis. A service or transaction can be reportable without having one automatic Belgian tax classification. The Belgium staking and DeFi guide explains why protocol mechanics still matter.
Does DAC8 decide the Belgian tax treatment?
No. Belgium's personal tax treatment can differ depending on whether gains arise from normal management of private wealth, speculative or miscellaneous activity, or professional activity. Reporting under DAC8 does not choose among those categories. It also does not calculate historical acquisition cost, allowable expenses or losses.
A gross sale reported by an exchange can therefore differ substantially from the amount relevant to the Belgian return. A transfer between own wallets can appear in provider data without being a sale. Conversely, a taxable on-chain swap can be absent from a centralised exchange's records. Use the Belgium crypto tax guide for the tax categories and keep the reporting layer separate.
How Belgian users should prepare
- Confirm that every provider has the correct legal name, tax residence and TIN.
- Download original CSV files, statements and annual reports before accounts are closed.
- Record own-wallet addresses, transaction hashes and evidence of ownership.
- Combine all exchanges and wallets in one chronological ledger.
- Separate gross provider-reportable amounts from acquisition costs and calculated gains.
- Flag missing cost, unknown prices and unresolved DeFi positions instead of replacing them with zero.
- Compare the exchange totals with the multi-exchange Belgium report and document each difference.
The goal is not to force the tax calculation to equal a provider's gross aggregate. A defensible reconciliation explains each difference: own-wallet transfer, cost acquired elsewhere, fee, unsupported asset, timing difference or different aggregation rule.
Common misunderstandings
- “CARF creates a new crypto tax”: it creates an information-reporting framework, not a rate.
- “The authority receives a perfect profit figure”: reported gross values may omit external cost and context.
- “Only EU exchanges matter”: non-EU providers can be in scope under registration and nexus rules.
- “A reported transfer is automatically taxable”: reporting and tax character are different questions.
- “Self-custody is invisible”: an involved provider may know and report the transfer or address.
Frequently asked questions
Did Belgium implement DAC8?
Yes. SPF Finance identifies the Law of 16 March 2026, published on 1 April 2026, as the Belgian transposition framework.
Do users file a personal CARF form?
CARF/DAC8 reporting is generally performed by the in-scope provider. Users must supply accurate self-certification data and still file their own tax returns.
Are the first reports about 2025?
No. The first EU reference period starts in 2026. The first authority exchange for that period is due by 30 September 2027.
Does CARF show the taxable gain?
Not necessarily. It mainly reports identity and transaction aggregates; external acquisition costs, ownership transfers and Belgian classification still require reconciliation.
Is moving crypto to my own wallet taxable?
A genuine transfer retaining ownership is not a disposal merely because it moves, but the ownership chain and fees should be documented.
Can a non-EU exchange be reportable?
Yes. CARF/DAC8 contain nexus and registration rules for providers serving reportable users; the contracting entity and service must be checked.
Official sources
- SPF Finance Belgium: CARF-DAC8 and the Law of 16 March 2026
- European Commission: DAC8
- OECD: Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework
Legal and source review completed 2 September 2026.
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Start for free →Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. For individual tax advice, consult a licensed tax professional.