Germany Drafts 25% Crypto Gains Tax Under Abgeltungsteuer From 2028, Ending One-Year Hold Exemption
Germany’s Finance Ministry under Lars Klingbeil has circulated a draft treating crypto gains as investment income under the flat Abgeltungsteuer, like stocks. SPIEGEL stamps a 25% rate from 2028 and an end to the one-year Spekulationsfrist for crypto bought after Jan 1, 2027. This is a draft proposal, not law.
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Sep 9, 2026 · 1mo ago
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Germany’s Federal Finance Ministry under Lars Klingbeil has circulated a draft bill that would treat crypto gains as investment income under the Abgeltungsteuer — the same flat withholding framework used for stocks. That is SPIEGEL (8 September 2026), with BTC-ECHO confirming that BMF is working the reform.
This is a draft in interdepartmental consultation — not law. Cabinet and parliamentary approval are still required.
What the draft stamps
SPIEGEL writes that from 2028, crypto speculative gains would be taxed at a flat 25%. The one-year Spekulationsfrist that currently makes long-hold crypto sales tax-free would end for crypto acquired after 1 January 2027. Media reports cited by BTC-ECHO say holdings bought by 31 December 2026 would stay under the old rules; BMF would not confirm that detail to the outlet while talks continue.
A €1,000 saver’s allowance (Sparer-Pauschbetrag) would still apply. Crypto losses could offset stock and other securities losses. A Günstigerprüfung would remain available if the personal rate is below 25%, SPIEGEL stamps.
Revenue — quote separately
SPIEGEL stamps expected revenue of around €350 million. A separate secondary page stamps €160 million from 2028, rising to about €350 million by 2031. Those are separate page stamps — not averaged.
That secondary page also stamps automatic exchange withholding from 2028.
Still political
In May, German legislators previously rejected ending the one-year exemption. Any final law could differ from the current ministry draft.
Informational only. Not trading advice, signals, or a guarantee of any market outcome.
Written and fact-checked with AI assistance, reviewed by a human editor before publication.
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