CoinTracker is a US-focused crypto tax and portfolio platform. Here's how it compares to ChainTax for UK users filing with HMRC.
Best for Simple exchange trades
Both handle this well
Coinbase buys, Binance trades, Kraken ledgers — straightforward for either tool when configured correctly.
Best for DeFi activity
ChainTax
27 protocol-specific classifiers vs heuristic matching. LP positions, bridges, and staking classified correctly.
Best for HMRC compliance
ChainTax
Native Section 104 (not FIFO default), same-day & B&B matching, SA108 boxes 13.1-13.8, and Box 51 split-year CGT.
Side-by-side on the features that matter for UK crypto tax.
| Feature | CoinTracker | ChainTax |
|---|---|---|
| Data import | ||
| Exchange CSV import | 300+ exchanges | Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Koinly |
| Exchange API sync | Auto-sync supported | CSV import only |
| On-chain wallet sync | 10+ chains | 5 chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) |
| DeFi classification | ||
| Protocol-specific classifiers | Basic heuristic matching | 26 deterministic classifiers |
| LP position handling | Limited — often misclassified | Correct cost basis change |
| Bridge detection | Some bridges supported | Non-taxable transfer (7 bridge protocols) |
| Staking reward detection | Basic coverage | Income at fair market value |
| Confidence indicators | No confidence rating | High / Medium / Low per transaction |
| UK tax rules | ||
| Section 104 pooling | Available — FIFO is default | Native — the only method (as HMRC requires) |
| Same-day + B&B matching | Basic implementation | Full HMRC rules with working shown |
| SA108 box mapping | Generic report — manual mapping | Boxes 13.1-13.8 auto-filled |
| Box 51 split-year CGT | Not supported | Auto-computed for 2024/25 |
| Show Working per disposal | No audit trail | Matching rule, S104 pool, price source |
| Other features | ||
| Portfolio tracking | Full portfolio dashboard | Tax-focused only |
| TurboTax integration | Direct filing (US only) | SA108-ready report for HMRC |
| UK-built company | US — San Francisco | ChainTax Ltd, Northern Ireland |
CoinTracker charges in USD as a recurring subscription. ChainTax is a one-time payment in GBP per tax year.
| Tier | CoinTracker | ChainTax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | $29/yr (25 txs) | £49 (500 txs) | 20x more transactions |
| Mid | $59/yr (1,000 txs) | £99 (2,000 txs) | 2x more, no subscription |
| Top | $199/yr (10,000 txs) | £179 (unlimited) | No cap, no subscription |
| Free | 25 txs (basic report) | 75 txs (full report preview) | 3x more free transactions |
| Billing | Annual subscription | One-time per tax year | No subscription |
Pricing as of April 2026. CoinTracker prices from cointracker.io. ChainTax prices at chaintax.co.uk/pricing.
Where the differences actually matter — real scenarios, real outcomes.
What happens when you interact with DeFi protocols
Uniswap V3 LP add
CoinTracker
Often wrongOften classified as a transfer or ignored entirely — missing the disposal of deposited tokens and the cost basis change.
ChainTax
LiquidityClassified as cost basis change — deposited tokens exit S104 pool, LP token enters. No phantom gain.
Hop bridge (ETH to Arbitrum)
CoinTracker
InconsistentMay recognise some bridges but coverage varies. Less common bridges can be taxed as disposals.
ChainTax
TransferClassified as non-taxable transfer. Cost basis carries across chains automatically. Covers Hop, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, and Socket/Bungee.
Curve CRV gauge rewards
CoinTracker
InconsistentMay not distinguish between CRV reward claims (income) and pool swaps (capital gains). Classification depends on heuristic matching.
ChainTax
Income — High confidenceCRV gauge rewards classified as income at fair market value. Pool swaps classified as capital gains. Different tax treatments applied correctly.
Aave supply / withdraw
CoinTracker
Usually correctGenerally handles simple deposit/withdraw cycles, though classification confidence is not surfaced.
ChainTax
Transfer — High confidenceClassified as non-taxable transfer at high confidence. aToken interest is a known limitation for both tools.
Verdict: CoinTracker's DeFi support is US-focused and relies on heuristics. For UK users with LP positions, bridges, and staking across multiple protocols, ChainTax's deterministic classifiers produce more reliable results.
How each tool applies UK-specific tax calculations
Cost basis method
CoinTracker
FIFO defaultDefaults to FIFO (US standard). Section 104 is available but must be manually selected. UK users who miss this setting get entirely wrong calculations.
ChainTax
S104 nativeSection 104 is the only method — it's what HMRC requires. No risk of selecting the wrong one.
Same-day rule
CoinTracker
BasicBasic implementation available when UK tax rules are selected.
ChainTax
Full HMRC orderApplied first in strict HMRC priority order: same-day, then 30-day B&B, then S104 pool. Working shown for each disposal.
2024/25 split-year CGT
CoinTracker
Not supportedDoes not compute Box 51. Users must manually calculate the blended rate across the 30 October 2024 boundary.
ChainTax
Auto-computedAutomatically splits disposals at the 30 October 2024 boundary. Box 51 adjustment computed and included in the SA108 report.
Loss carry-forward
CoinTracker
SupportedSupported — carries losses to offset future gains.
ChainTax
HMRC-preciseSupported — losses reduce net gain to the annual exempt amount only, not below, matching HMRC rules.
Verdict: CoinTracker was built for IRS reporting and adapted for other jurisdictions. The FIFO default, missing Box 51, and generic report format mean UK users need to do manual work that ChainTax handles automatically.
What you and your accountant can verify
Per-disposal breakdown
CoinTracker
Summary onlyShows gain/loss per transaction. No detail on which HMRC matching rule was applied or how the cost basis was derived.
ChainTax
Full workingEvery disposal shows: matching rule (same-day, B&B, or S104), the pool snapshot before and after, the price source, and a confidence rating.
Price sources
CoinTracker
OpaqueUses market data but does not expose which source was used per transaction.
ChainTax
Source + confidenceEvery event shows its price source (DefiLlama, CoinGecko, or manual) and whether the price is high, medium, or low confidence.
Accountant review
CoinTracker
Trust-basedThe accountant receives a PDF report with final numbers. Verifying the underlying methodology requires trusting the tool.
ChainTax
Fully verifiableThe accountant can trace every disposal from raw transaction to final gain — matching rule, S104 pool state, price source. Nothing is a black box.
Verdict: CoinTracker produces a report. ChainTax produces an audit trail. If your accountant needs to understand why a number is what it is, Show Working is the difference.
Already on CoinTracker? You don't need to start from scratch.
Add your Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, or Base wallet addresses. ChainTax fetches your full on-chain history automatically.
Export your transaction history from Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken. Upload the CSV — ChainTax auto-detects the format.
On-chain transactions are classified by 27 protocol-specific classifiers. Exchange rows are imported directly. One unified, HMRC-ready report.
No tool is perfect for everyone. Here's where CoinTracker has the edge.
CoinTracker doubles as a portfolio tracker with real-time balances, performance charts, and cost basis views across all your wallets.
ChainTax is tax-focused — it shows your transactions, classifications, and tax report. If you want a portfolio dashboard, CoinTracker does this well.
If you file US taxes (or dual US/UK), CoinTracker integrates directly with TurboTax for one-click filing.
ChainTax generates SA108-ready reports for HMRC. If you only file UK taxes, you don't need TurboTax integration.
CoinTracker connects to 300+ exchanges via API for automatic transaction syncing.
ChainTax supports CSV import from Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken — the three most-used exchanges among UK traders. Most users import once per tax year.
If you file taxes in both the US and UK, or are relocating, CoinTracker supports multiple jurisdictions with different cost basis methods.
ChainTax is built exclusively for HMRC — which means UK-specific features like Box 51 and SA108 are native, not compromises for multi-jurisdiction support.
CoinTracker supports UK tax reports but was built for the US market. It defaults to FIFO cost basis (not Section 104), does not auto-compute SA108 Box 51 for the 2024/25 split-year, and lacks Show Working — the per-disposal audit trail that accountants need to verify HMRC compliance. For exchange-only traders it can work, but DeFi users and anyone needing HMRC-precise calculations may find gaps.
CoinTracker offers Section 104 as a cost basis method option, but it is not the default — FIFO is. UK users must manually select the correct method. ChainTax uses Section 104 exclusively because it is what HMRC requires, with same-day and 30-day bed & breakfast rules applied automatically in the correct priority order.
Yes. If you have on-chain wallets, connect them to ChainTax and your full transaction history is re-fetched and classified by 27 protocol-specific classifiers. For exchange trades, export your CSV from Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken and import it directly — ChainTax auto-detects the format.
CoinTracker charges $29-$199 per year as a recurring subscription (billed annually). ChainTax charges £49-£179 per tax year as a one-time payment — no subscription, no renewal. ChainTax also includes more transactions at each tier: 500 vs 25 at entry level.
CoinTracker has basic DeFi support but uses heuristic matching rather than protocol-specific classifiers. This means LP positions, bridges, and complex multi-step interactions are often misclassified — bridges taxed as disposals, LP adds treated as transfers, and staking rewards missed entirely. ChainTax has 26 deterministic classifiers covering protocols like Uniswap, Aave, Curve, Lido, and more.
No. CoinTracker does not auto-compute the Box 51 split-year CGT rate adjustment for 2024/25 — the year where rates changed from 10%/20% to 18%/24% on 30 October 2024. UK users must calculate this manually. ChainTax automatically splits disposals at the rate change boundary and computes Box 51.
Also compare
Import your exchange trades or connect your DeFi wallets. See exactly how everything is classified. Pay only when you download the report.
75 transactions free · From £49 per tax year · No subscriptions ever