QuadrigaCX Taxes: How to Import Historical Data & Generate Your Tax Report
QuadrigaCX was a Canadian cryptocurrency exchange that collapsed in February 2019 following the death of its CEO Gerald Cotten. Despite the platform's closure, tax obligations for trades executed during its active period remain in force. CoinTracking imports your historical QuadrigaCX data and generates a tax report covering any outstanding prior-year liability.
How to Import Your QuadrigaCX Transactions into CoinTracking
Watch how to upload your historical QuadrigaCX transaction data into CoinTracking and generate your complete crypto tax report — even for a collapsed exchange.
Start Your Free QuadrigaCX Import- Every crypto trade and disposal made on QuadrigaCX was a taxable event. Capital gains tax and income tax obligations remain in force for prior tax years — the collapse of the exchange does not erase these obligations.
- CoinTracking can import historical QuadrigaCX trading data from a CSV export if you saved one. Manual entry is also available for records reconstructed from emails, order confirmations, or bank statements.
- Funds lost in the QuadrigaCX insolvency may qualify as a capital loss in some jurisdictions. Creditor settlement payouts may also create additional tax events. Seek professional advice for your specific situation.
- QuadrigaCX has been closed since February 2019. You can still import historical data if you have a CSV export saved. Your tax obligations for trades made on QuadrigaCX remain in effect — all gains and income from prior years must be declared. Insolvency proceedings may also create additional tax events (e.g. if you received a creditor settlement payout).
QuadrigaCX and Your Crypto Tax Obligations
Gerald Cotten founded QuadrigaCX in 2013, and it grew to become Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange at its peak. The platform offered trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a range of other digital assets for Canadian users.
In December 2018, Cotten died while travelling in India. He was the sole holder of the credentials to access the exchange's cold wallets, rendering approximately $190 million CAD in user funds inaccessible. In February 2019, QuadrigaCX applied for creditor protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Ernst & Young (EY) was appointed as monitor. Creditors ultimately received approximately 13.2% of their claims through the court-supervised settlement process. The platform has never reopened.
Despite the platform's collapse, the tax obligations arising from trades executed on QuadrigaCX during its active years remain fully in force:
- Upload any saved CSV export to CoinTracking using the import search or CSV upload tool
- Use CoinTracking's manual entry for records reconstructed from emails, confirmations, or bank statements
- Generate back-tax reports for all relevant prior years to address outstanding obligations
- If you received a creditor settlement payout, record this as a separate event and seek tax advice
Crypto Tax Basics for Former QuadrigaCX Traders
QuadrigaCX collapsed in 2019, but tax obligations from its active years may span multiple prior-year filings. Here is what former QuadrigaCX users need to understand about their ongoing crypto tax position.
Historical trades remain taxable
In most jurisdictions, a crypto disposal is taxable in the year it occurred — not when you first realise or report the gain. Trades made on QuadrigaCX in 2018 or earlier are subject to the tax rules of those years. The closure of the exchange does not extinguish the obligation; delaying can increase it through interest and late-filing penalties.
Capital losses from QuadrigaCX insolvency
If you lost funds as a result of the QuadrigaCX insolvency, you may be able to claim a capital loss in your jurisdiction. In Canada, this may qualify as a business investment loss (ABIL) or capital loss, which should be reported on Schedule 3. In Germany, unrecoverable losses (uneinbringliche Verluste) may be deductible under § 23 EStG — though case law in this area remains unsettled, and professional advice is strongly recommended. In the UK, the tax treatment of exchange-insolvency losses continues to evolve.
Voluntary disclosure for undeclared prior-year gains
If you have undeclared QuadrigaCX activity from prior years, most tax authorities offer a voluntary disclosure programme where taxpayers can self-report errors in exchange for reduced or waived penalties. In Germany this is the Selbstanzeige (§ 371 AO); in the UK it is the HMRC Voluntary Disclosure process; the IRS operates the Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) in the US; the CRA administers the Voluntary Disclosures Program in Canada. Proactively disclosing is almost always preferable to an audit.
DAC8 — not applicable
QuadrigaCX was a Canadian company and is not subject to the EU's DAC8 directive, which requires EU-based Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) to report user data to tax authorities. However, your personal tax obligations exist independently of DAC8 and are not affected by whether or not QuadrigaCX was subject to EU regulation.
QuadrigaCX Taxes by Country
Crypto tax rules vary by jurisdiction. Here are the key rates and rules for countries where QuadrigaCX was commonly used.
Canada
- Capital gains inclusion: 50% of capital gains included in taxable income (inclusion rate was increased to 66.67% for gains over $250,000 CAD for individuals after June 2024 — confirm current rules with a tax advisor)
- Business investment loss (ABIL): Losses from QuadrigaCX insolvency may qualify as an ABIL or capital loss — report on Schedule 3
- Creditor settlements: Partial recovery distributions may reduce your deductible loss; consult the CRA or a tax advisor
- Voluntary disclosure: CRA Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) for prior-year unreported income
- Authority: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Germany
- § 23 EStG: Gains taxed at personal income tax rate (up to 45%) if sold within 1 year; tax-free if held over 1 year
- Freigrenze: €1,000/year in private disposal gains exempt
- Cost basis: FIFO per wallet
- Unrecoverable losses: Uneinbringliche Verluste from exchange insolvency may be deductible — seek professional advice as case law is unsettled
- Voluntary disclosure: Selbstanzeige (§ 371 AO) — possible to self-report prior-year gains
- Forms: Anlage SO
United Kingdom
- Capital Gains Tax: 18% (basic rate) / 24% (higher rate) from October 2024
- Annual exempt amount: £3,000 (2024/25 onward)
- Cost basis: Section 104 pooling (HMRC)
- Exchange insolvency losses: HMRC guidance on lost crypto evolving — seek professional advice
- Voluntary disclosure: HMRC Voluntary Disclosure process for prior-year errors
United States
- Short-term gains: Ordinary income tax rates (up to 37%) for assets held ≤1 year
- Long-term gains: 0%, 15% or 20% for assets held >1 year
- Cost basis: FIFO or specific identification
- Theft/loss deductions: Casualty and theft loss deductions for crypto are generally suspended under TCJA through 2025 for personal losses — consult a tax advisor
- Voluntary disclosure: IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) for prior-year unreported income
- Authority: IRS
Australia
- CGT discount: 50% discount on capital gains for assets held more than 12 months
- Capital losses: Capital losses from QuadrigaCX may be claimable — ATO guidance on exchange insolvency losses applies; seek advice
- Cost basis: FIFO or specific identification allowed
- Authority: Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
Tax rules change frequently. This overview is for general information only. Consult a qualified advisor for your specific situation.
Are QuadrigaCX Transactions Taxable?
In most jurisdictions, every crypto trade on QuadrigaCX was a taxable event. Use this as a starting reference — exact rules vary by country and year.
Taxable Events
- Selling crypto for fiat on QuadrigaCX (historical)
- Trading one crypto for another on QuadrigaCX (historical)
- Creditor settlement payouts (jurisdiction-specific — consult a tax advisor)
- Any other crypto disposal during the platform's active period
Not Taxable
- Depositing crypto to QuadrigaCX from your own wallet (historical)
- Withdrawing crypto from QuadrigaCX to your own wallet (historical)
- Holding crypto on QuadrigaCX (no disposal occurred)
- Transfers between personal wallets
Lost funds due to QuadrigaCX insolvency may qualify as a capital loss in some jurisdictions. Seek professional advice — the rules differ by country and the specific facts of your situation.
Tax treatment varies by country and by the tax year in which the trade occurred.
How to Calculate Your QuadrigaCX Taxes
Former QuadrigaCX traders who executed many trades across multiple currency pairs may have complex cost-basis chains that are difficult to unwind years after the fact. Accurately calculating historical gains requires knowing the market price of each asset at the time of each trade — information that CoinTracking's built-in historical price database provides automatically.
CoinTracking imports your historical QuadrigaCX data, applies your chosen cost-basis method (FIFO, LIFO, HIFO), fills in any missing market prices from its price database, and generates a complete tax report for the relevant years. The result is a jurisdiction-specific report ready for your accountant, covering your historical QuadrigaCX trading activity and any creditor settlement events you need to record.
How to Import QuadrigaCX into CoinTracking
Three steps to import your historical QuadrigaCX data and generate your tax report.
- 1
Log into CoinTracking and open Imports
After logging in, click the Import icon in the left navigation. This is where you add all your historical exchange data, wallets and blockchains.
- 2
Search for QuadrigaCX or use CSV import
Type "QuadrigaCX" in the import search. Because QuadrigaCX is a defunct exchange, use the CSV import option to upload any transaction export you saved. CoinTracking supports a wide range of legacy CSV formats from historical exchanges.
- 3
Review and generate your back-tax report
Once your historical QuadrigaCX data is imported, validate the transactions and generate a tax report for the relevant prior years. CoinTracking calculates gains and losses using FIFO (or your chosen method) and formats the report for your jurisdiction.
"CoinTracking can handle just about any complex transaction you can throw at it and the automation is a real lifesaver. Of all the tax software tools we've reviewed, CoinTracking is the most detail-oriented and has more accuracy checks in place than the competition."
How to Create Your QuadrigaCX
Tax Report with CoinTracking
Three steps from historical CSV to a tax report your accountant will accept.
Import your historical QuadrigaCX data
Upload any saved QuadrigaCX CSV to CoinTracking or use manual entry for records reconstructed from emails, order confirmations, or bank statements. All historical crypto trades and transfers are supported.
Review and validate your transactions
Open Reports → Validate Transactions. CoinTracking flags missing cost basis, duplicate imports and price gaps — especially important when working with historical data from a collapsed exchange.
Generate your back-tax report
Select your country and the relevant prior tax year. CoinTracking generates a jurisdiction-specific report in PDF or Excel format, ready to file or hand to your accountant — including any creditor settlement events.
No — the platform is defunct. QuadrigaCX collapsed in February 2019 and has never reopened. If you saved a CSV export of your transaction history before or during the insolvency proceedings, CoinTracking can import it and generate your complete crypto tax report covering any outstanding prior-year liability.
If you saved a transaction export from QuadrigaCX, upload it to CoinTracking using the CSV import option. Manual entry is also available for any records you've retained — including email confirmations of trades, order history screenshots, or bank records showing fiat deposits and withdrawals linked to your QuadrigaCX activity.
In many jurisdictions, yes — but the rules are complex. In Canada, lost crypto from exchange insolvency may qualify as a business investment loss (ABIL) or capital loss, reported on Schedule 3. In Germany, unrecoverable losses (uneinbringliche Verluste) may be deductible under § 23 EStG, though the case law is not fully settled. In the UK, the tax treatment of exchange-insolvency losses remains evolving. Consult a qualified tax advisor for your specific situation before claiming a loss.
Potentially. Receiving a partial creditor distribution — such as the approximately 13.2% settlement paid through the insolvency proceedings — may reduce your deductible capital loss, or it may be treated as a recovery of capital or income, depending on your jurisdiction. If you received a creditor settlement payout, consult a tax advisor before filing.
QuadrigaCX is defunct and was a Canadian company — not subject to DAC8 or EU regulatory reporting obligations. However, EY Canada acting as the court-appointed monitor (CCAA proceedings) may have filed reports with Canadian tax authorities as part of the creditor protection and insolvency process. Your personal tax obligations for gains and income from QuadrigaCX trades remain in force regardless.
If you did not save an export, you still have options. Try reconstructing trades from email confirmations of your orders, bank records showing fiat deposits and withdrawals to QuadrigaCX, or blockchain records for on-chain transactions (deposits and withdrawals of crypto assets). CoinTracking's manual entry feature lets you enter historical trades individually if no automated import is available. A best-available-information filing is preferable to not filing at all.
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