European Union considers tax on crypto-assets

The possibility of creating a European tax on capital gains from crypto-assets is gaining traction among the member states.

By Sidsel Senius , in News, Crypto · 23 Sep 2026, 15:03 · 0 Comments

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Jievani Weerasinghe;

It is less than a month until the Irish presidency of the EU Council will present a proposal on new own resources for the Union’s 2028-2034 budget. European sources, consulted by Lusa, indicated that the possibility of creating a European contribution on gains from digital assets, such as Bitcoin or Ether, is viewed with “great interest.”

EU member states have shown interest in the possibility, as the new sector has taxation that does not cover all its activities.

The discussion is “part of a broader debate about the basket of new own resources to finance the EU budget until 2034,” Executive Digest reports.

Next long-term EU budget

The measure will need to be assessed and designed from a technical point of view, with stable rules and a clear estimate of the potential revenue it could generate. The idea would be to apply a tax on the capital gains obtained by individuals or entities from the appreciation of crypto assets, which would revert to the EU budget.

The establishment of new own resources requires unanimity among the member states. Therefore, the final design of the measure will depend on negotiations at the European Council, which will take place during this semester.

António Costa, the President of the European Council, wants to reach an agreement among European leaders this semester, with the agreement then requiring confirmation by members of the European Parliament next year. The objective is for the next long-term EU budget to come into effect on January 1, 2028.

New revenue sources

In July 2025, the European Commission presented the proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, worth almost two trillion euros, equivalent to 1.26 percent of the EU’s gross national income (GNI).

The proposal included five new own resources, which would be capable of generating around 58.5 billion euros annually. The proposed new own resources included revenues from the carbon market, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), electronic waste, tobacco taxes, and a contribution from large companies.

October budget negotiations

In April 2026, the European Parliament advocated for a budget equivalent to 1.27 percent of GNI with new own resources capable of generating at least 60 billion euros annually.

Among the suggested alternatives were contributions on large digital services, online gaming and betting, the expansion of the carbon adjustment mechanism, and capital gains from crypto-assets.

In June of this year, the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council presented a first comprehensive negotiating table, and it is now up to Ireland to review the proposal and present its position on the new own resources in the middle of October.