CoinTracker vs ChainTax

Often classified as a transfer or ignored entirely — missing the disposal of deposited tokens and the cost basis change.

Classified as cost basis change — deposited tokens exit S104 pool, LP token enters. No phantom gain.

May recognise some bridges but coverage varies. Less common bridges can be taxed as disposals.

Classified as non-taxable transfer. Cost basis carries across chains automatically. Covers Hop, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, and Socket/Bungee.

May not distinguish between CRV reward claims (income) and pool swaps (capital gains). Classification depends on heuristic matching.

CRV gauge rewards classified as income at fair market value. Pool swaps classified as capital gains. Different tax treatments applied correctly.

Generally handles simple deposit/withdraw cycles, though classification confidence is not surfaced.

Classified as non-taxable transfer at high confidence. aToken interest is a known limitation for both tools.

Defaults to FIFO (US standard). Section 104 is available but must be manually selected. UK users who miss this setting get entirely wrong calculations.

Section 104 is the only method — it's what HMRC requires. No risk of selecting the wrong one.

Basic implementation available when UK tax rules are selected.

Applied first in strict HMRC priority order: same-day, then 30-day B&B, then S104 pool. Working shown for each disposal.

Does not compute Box 51. Users must manually calculate the blended rate across the 30 October 2024 boundary.

Automatically splits disposals at the 30 October 2024 boundary. Box 51 adjustment computed and included in the SA108 report.

Supported — carries losses to offset future gains.

Supported — losses reduce net gain to the annual exempt amount only, not below, matching HMRC rules.

CoinTracker defaults to FIFO — the US standard. UK users who miss the Section 104 toggle get entirely wrong numbers, typically overstating gains when asset prices are trending up. The default is a silent trap.

Section 104 is the only method — matches what HMRC requires automatically. No region setting, no chance of wrong-method filing.

Pooling across exchanges depends on having Section 104 selected and both exchanges correctly imported. Get either wrong and the pool is rebuilt per-exchange with FIFO — disposals get the wrong cost basis.

Pool is always cross-exchange and cross-wallet. Every disposal shows which source fed the pool, and the per-disposal Section 104 snapshot before and after.

CoinTracker will update for CARF-format reports when regulators publish the schema. No special UK reconciliation view planned.

ChainTax is designing a CARF-matched view that highlights discrepancies between what HMRC received and what you are filing. Roadmap item for 2027 filing season.

CoinTracker does not auto-compute Box 51. Whether you are on Coinbase, DeFi, or both, you manually split disposals at the 30 October 2024 boundary and calculate the blended rate.

Auto-computed regardless of exchange/DeFi mix. Box 51 is on the PDF report ready to transcribe.

Shows gain/loss per transaction. No detail on which HMRC matching rule was applied or how the cost basis was derived.

Every disposal shows: matching rule (same-day, B&B, or S104), the pool snapshot before and after, the price source, and a confidence rating.

Uses market data but does not expose which source was used per transaction.

Every event shows its price source (DefiLlama, CoinGecko, or manual) and whether the price is high, medium, or low confidence.

The accountant receives a PDF report with final numbers. Verifying the underlying methodology requires trusting the tool.

The accountant can trace every disposal from raw transaction to final gain — matching rule, S104 pool state, price source. Nothing is a black box.