What Kraken says changed from 2025 to 2026
| Tax year | Kraken guidance | Record check |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kraken began reporting sales and dispositions of digital assets on Form 1099-DA for U.S. exchange activity. | Compare the form with the transaction data in Kraken's U.S. Tax Center and your outside acquisition records. |
| 2026 | Kraken says it will also report acquisition costs, gains/losses and holding periods for positions acquired on or after January 1, 2026. | Check whether the units were acquired and continuously held with the broker or were transferred in from elsewhere. |
The IRS rule is narrower than simply “bought in 2026.” A digital asset is generally covered only when it was acquired after 2025 in the custodial account and held there until the broker effected the disposition. Transferred-in assets are generally noncovered.
How to reconcile a Kraken 1099-DA
- Open Kraken's U.S. Tax Center and download the Form 1099-DA and available transaction data for the same year.
- Match each reported disposition to the underlying transaction history instead of comparing the form with an account balance.
- Flag units that were transferred into Kraken from another exchange or wallet.
- For transferred-in units, locate the original purchase date, amount paid, fees and source platform or wallet.
- Check any tax-software import for missing accounts, duplicate transfers or transactions treated as sales when they were only transfers.
- If the issuer data itself appears wrong, preserve the evidence and use Kraken's support process or our issuer review request builder.
Why transaction data matters
Kraken says the transaction data shown in its U.S. Tax Center is the same underlying data used to generate Forms 1099-DA and 1099-MISC. That makes it the best first comparison point before you try to reconstruct outside records.
Do not turn incomplete records into a percentage
A short questionnaire cannot validate a tax return or prove a broker form is wrong. The useful question is which source record is missing and whether the form, broker transaction data and original acquisition evidence can be reconciled.
Use the record checklist
Did you transfer these assets in?
Transferred-in digital assets are noncovered under the IRS 2026 Form 1099-DA rules. Review the cross-platform transfer trail before assuming a blank basis is zero.
Transferred crypto & 2026 basis →Primary sources
Kraken: Tax forms frequently asked questions
Kraken: U.S. Tax Center FAQ
IRS: 2026 Instructions for Form 1099-DA
IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-DA
This page is independent and is not affiliated with Kraken.