You will need this Bitcoin rate for your tax return

The new year has started and that only means one thing for Bitcoin and crypto investors. The reference date for the Tax Authorities has passed again. It is probably not what you want to deal with now, but it is what determines whether you will have to pay tax on your digital assets in the future.

Bitcoin price on reference date

Anyone who owns Bitcoin (BTC) or other crypto cannot escape the blue envelope. The Tax Authorities simply view digital coins as assets. Just like savings or shares, they fall under box 3, the section for savings and investments.

To treat everyone equally, the Tax Authorities use one fixed measurement moment. This is also called the reference date and is always on January 1 at exactly 00:00.

Whether and how much tax you have to pay on your crypto investments all depends on the state of your portfolio when you uncorked the champagne bottle.

For tax year 2025, which you have to pay for this year, this means that you have to calculate with a Bitcoin rate of 74,588 euros.

Multiply this amount by the number of Bitcoins you owned at that time. You use that result for your tax return. The same applies to other crypto coins in your portfolio. All together, this forms the total value of your crypto assets.

Within box 3, crypto is part of the ‘other assets’ category. The tax authorities also include shares, ETFs and other investments such as real estate. You also have savings and debts (which you can deduct from your assets).

When do you pay tax on Bitcoin?

Not everyone has to pay tax on his or her assets. A tax-free allowance applies in box 3. In 2025 this was 57,684 euros per person. With a tax partner, this amounts to 115,368 euros.

If your total assets fall below that limit, you pay nothing. If you are above it, only the part above it will be taxed.

The tax authorities calculate with a fictitious return. This means that it is pretended that you achieve a fixed return. If your actual return has been lower, which is quite possible this year as a crypto investor, it is possible to receive a lower tax bill thanks to a new law.

Example

Just an example.

Suppose an investor owns on the reference date of January 1, 2025 at 12:00 AM both Bitcoin and savings. There are no debts.

The situation is as follows:

– Bitcoin worth 80.000 euro
– Savings in the bank: 30.000 euro

This brings the total power to 110.000 euro.

This amount is allowed tax-free allowance of 57,684 euros are deducted. This leaves one taxable capital of 52,316 euros over.

The tax authorities then look at the ratio within the total assets.
72.7 percent consists of Bitcoin and 27.3 percent from savings. The same ratio is applied to taxable assets.

That means:

– 14.280 euro taxable savings
– 38.036 euro taxable Bitcoin

For savings, the Tax Authorities will use one in 2025 fixed return of 1.03 percent.

That results in:
30.000 euro × 0,0103 = 309 euros fictitious return

For other assets, such as Bitcoin, a fixed return of 6.04 percent.

That comes down to:
38.036 euro × 0,0604 = 1,348 euros fictitious return

The total fictitious return is therefore 1.657 euro. You pay for this 36 percent taxwhich ends up being 596 euro.

You pay this amount 2026in your tax return tax year 2025. The actual price development of Bitcoin after the reference date no longer plays any role. The reference date is leading.

A lot will change again next year and you can read more about that in this article.