How to book cryptocurrencies? How to book income from cryptocurrencies, from cryptocurrency trading? These and other questions currently arise in the work of accountants and accounting offices dealing with cryptocurrencies.
This article will discuss the topic of taxation of paid sale of cryptocurrencies based on the provisions of the Corporate Income Tax Act.
Cryptocurrencies are an increasingly popular topic, more and more people see them as an opportunity to generate income, more and more entities deal with them professionally and thus there is a need to provide accounting services in this area (accounting for cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies).
What are cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrencies are classified as virtual currencies.
Pursuant to art. 2 section 2 point 26 of the Polish Act of 1 March 2018 on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (consolidated text Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1124, as amended) virtual currency is a digital representation of value that is not:
a) legal tender issued by the National Bank of Poland, foreign central banks or other public administration bodies,
b) an international settlement unit established by an international organization and accepted by individual countries belonging to or cooperating with that organization,
c) electronic money within the meaning of the Act of 19 August 2011 on Payment Services,
d) a financial instrument within the meaning of the Act of 29 July 2005 on Trading in Financial Instruments,
e) a bill of exchange or check
– and is exchangeable in economic transactions for legal tender and accepted as a means of exchange, and may also be electronically stored or transferred or may be the subject of electronic trade.

As you can see, the Polish legislator did not introduce a positive definition of virtual currencies (which include cryptocurrencies) but a negative definition by denying what they are not. This is understandable because the virtual currency market is a dynamically developing market and in addition to those, which are already traditional in a sense, such as Bitcoin, there are many others in circulation (e.g. Ethereum, Solana, TRON, Polkadot, JOTA, Toncoin, Uniswap, Stellar) and new ones are constantly emerging
The Polish legislator regulates tax issues related to cryptocurrency trading in tax regulations.

By paid disposal of cryptocurrency in accordance with Polish tax regulations, we understand “exchange of virtual currency for legal tender, goods, services or property rights other than virtual currency or settlement of other obligations with virtual currency” (Article 17, paragraph 1 f of the Act of 26 July 1991 on personal income tax, consolidated text Journal of Laws of 2025, item 163, as amended).

Income from paid disposal of cryptocurrencies is nothing other than, in accordance with the Personal Income Tax Act, income from monetary capital, just like, for example, interest on loans, interest on savings deposits, dividends and other income from participation in the profits of legal persons, income from participation in capital funds, etc.
But in the case of cryptocurrencies, there are also costs related to their acquisition, so what does the Polish Personal Income Tax Act have to say about it?
This issue was regulated by the Polish legislator in Article 22, Section 14 of the Personal Income Tax Act, pursuant to the provisions of which “the costs of obtaining income from the sale of virtual currency for consideration shall constitute documented expenses directly incurred for the acquisition of virtual currency and costs related to the sale of virtual currency, including documented expenses incurred for the benefit of entities referred to in Article 2, Section 1, Item 12 of the Act on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.” It should be noted, however, that these costs are not expenses related to the exchange of one cryptocurrency for another cryptocurrency”. Why? Well, because that is what the Polish legislator wants (Article 23, paragraph 1, item 38d of the Personal Income Tax Act).
Income obtained from the sale of virtual currencies for a fee is taxed in Poland at a rate of 19%, whereby, in accordance with Polish regulations, income from the sale of virtual currencies for a fee is the difference achieved in the tax year between the sum of revenues obtained from the sale of virtual currencies for a fee and the costs of obtaining revenues determined on the basis of Article 22, paragraphs 14-16 of the Personal Income Tax Act. In accordance with these regulations:
– the costs of obtaining revenues from the sale of virtual currency for a fee are documented expenses directly incurred for the acquisition of virtual currency and costs related to the sale of virtual currency, including documented expenses incurred for the benefit of entities referred to in Article 2, paragraph 1 point 12 of the Act on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (e.g. entities conducting business activity consisting in providing services in the scope of exchange between cryptocurrencies and means of payment, exchange between cryptocurrencies and intermediation in this scope)
– the costs of obtaining income referred to above are deducted in the tax year in which they were incurred, provided that the surplus of the costs of obtaining income over the income from the paid sale of virtual currency obtained in the tax year increases the costs of obtaining income from the paid sale of virtual currency incurred in the next tax year.

If you are interested in using the services of our accounting office PRWT, please contact us

PRWT Księgowość i obsługa Biznesu sp. z o.o.

Długa 55/1A
31-147 Kraków
PHONE: +48 12 345 21 06
EMAIL: biuro.krakow@prwt.pl

ul. Świętokrzyska 18/325
00-052 Warszawa
PHONE: +48 22 292 47 21
EMAIL: biuro.warszawa@prwt.pl