Germany's Crypto Tax Deadline: Nine Out of Ten Coins Have Fallen Below Last Year's Prices

Crypto investors in Germany are facing a crucial deadline as the one-year rule for tax purposes comes into effect. As of September 9, 2026, nine out of ten major cryptocurrencies have fallen below their prices from exactly one year ago. Bitcoin, for instance, has dropped by 29.2 percent since September 9, 2025, when it was trading at $111,541.

Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Avalanche, and Cardano have all suffered significant losses, ranging from 42.2 to 74.8 percent. In contrast, only two assets - Tron and Zcash - have managed to stay above their prices from last year, with gains of 1.2 and a massive multiplying trajectory, respectively.

For tax purposes, the one-year holding period is crucial. According to Section 23 EStG of the German Income Tax Act, private disposals are only considered when the period between acquisition and disposal does not exceed one year. This means that if an investor bought a cryptocurrency in September 2025 and still holds it today, they may be able to offset any losses against gains from other private disposals.

However, there's a catch: losses can only be offset up to the amount of the gain achieved from private disposals within the same calendar year. This means that if an investor doesn't have any gains in 2026, they won't be able to offset their losses this year.