What DAC8 means for freelancers getting paid in crypto

You log in to your exchange and suddenly get a notice about tax residencies, TINs and reporting obligations. No need to panic, but do not click it away either. Because since 1 January 2026, something has changed that directly affects everyone getting paid in crypto.

That change is called DAC8. In this article we explain what it is, who reports what exactly, and why you as a freelancer fall straight into the gap the regulation leaves open. Plus a concrete checklist of what to do now to get your bookkeeping in order.

What is DAC8, and how does it relate to CARF?

DAC8 is the European implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a standard the OECD created to make crypto transparent for tax purposes. CARF is the global framework, DAC8 is how the EU turns it into law. In substance they amount to the same thing.

The idea is simple: just as banks have exchanged account data with tax authorities for years, crypto providers now have to do the same. The rules are modelled directly on the existing standards for bank accounts. The era in which crypto sat outside the tax authority's view is over.

Who reports what, and when?

Here it pays to be precise. The reporting obligation does not sit with you, but with the providers. From 1 January 2026, EU-licensed crypto platforms must collect user and transaction data for tax reporting under DAC8, and CARF makes that exchange automatic across dozens of jurisdictions. This applies not only to EU companies, but to any platform serving EU residents.

What do they collect? Your tax residency, your Tax Identification Number, and your transaction history on that platform. That then goes to the national tax authority, which exchanges it with other member states. The data covering 2026 will be exchanged EU-wide for the first time by 30 September 2027 at the latest. In other words: 2025 was the last full year in which the tax office did not yet have that feed.

And if you do not provide your details? Then it gets uncomfortable. If a user fails to provide the required information after two reminders and a 60-day period, the provider must block further reportable transactions. So the notice you saw at Coinbase was not an optional request.

The biggest misconception: "my exchange handles my taxes now, right?"

No. And this is exactly where it goes wrong. The exchange reports what it sees of you: the trades and movements on their platform. They do not file your return, and more importantly, they do not see everything.

Because what does a freelancer getting paid in crypto actually do? They receive USDC or ETH directly into their own wallet. No exchange in between. And that is precisely where the gap is.

The gap you fall into as a freelancer

CARF and DAC8 target the intermediaries: exchanges, brokers, custodial wallet providers. Not the blockchain itself. Transactions that stay entirely within self-custody are not automatically reported by the wallet; they only become visible again once you re-enter a reporting provider, for example through a deposit or a conversion to fiat.

Translated to your situation: the income you receive directly into your own wallet, nobody reports for you. That obligation rests entirely with you. But the moment you cash out through an exchange, that off-ramp does become visible. In fact, even transfers to self-custody addresses can be captured as a reportable transfer, including the amount.

See the risk? The tax authority ends up with a partial picture. They see crypto going in and out of your exchange account, but not the full income sitting in between. Anyone who then reports nothing or too little stands out through the mismatch. And a mismatch is exactly what inquiries and back-tax assessments begin with.

The blockchain is your proof, not your problem

The good news: it is all already there. The blockchain is not anonymous, it is extremely transparent. Every payment you ever received is recorded permanently, with amount, counterparty and timestamp. You do not have to reconstruct anything.

The only thing you have to do is turn that raw data into something the tax office and your accountant can work with: readable entries, in euro, valued at the right moment. Do that consistently and DAC8 is not a threat, just a reason to have your affairs in order.

What should you do right now?

Below is a checklist of the bookkeeping you want to keep as a crypto-paid freelancer. Not complicated, but do it consistently.

How STBL Admin helps with this

STBL Admin is built for exactly this problem. You connect your wallet, non-custodial and read-only, so you never grant access to your funds. STBL Admin pulls your full transaction history, converts each amount to its euro value at the right moment, matches your payments to clients and produces overviews you can hand straight to your accountant or the tax office.

And one important difference from your exchange: we are not a reporting party. We do not facilitate transactions, so we do not fall under the DAC8 reporting obligation. Put simply: your exchange reports you to the tax office. STBL Admin helps you report, and never touches your funds or your data.

DAC8 does not change what you owe. What it mainly changes is how visible you are. What you then handle for tax and which choices you make stays between you and your accountant. STBL Admin only makes sure the numbers add up before that conversation starts.

Source: DAC8 (Council Directive (EU) 2023/2226) and the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), applicable from 1 January 2026. This article is informational and not tax advice.