Crypto Tax & Exchange Calculator
Calculate Your Trading Costs
India's 30% income tax and 1% TDS can significantly impact your crypto profits. See your real-world costs below.
Enter values above to see your tax impact.
Compliant Exchanges (FIU-IND Registered)
WazirX
✓ Full KYC compliance
✓ Limited altcoin options
CoinDCX
✓ Tax compliance
✓ Low liquidity for altcoins
ZebPay
✓ 100% compliant
✓ Basic trading interface
Bitbns
✓ Government-registered
✓ Limited trading pairs
Critical Risk Warning
Exchanges like Binance, KuCoin, and Bybit are blocked in India as of 2025. Using VPNs to access them:
- Violates Indian law
- Triggers transaction tracking
- Could lead to future penalties
Indian citizens can still trade cryptocurrency - but not anywhere they want. As of October 2025, the Indian government has blocked access to at least 15 major offshore crypto exchanges that refuse to register with the Financial Intelligence Unit - India (FIU-IND). Platforms like Binance, KuCoin, OKX, Bybit, Huione, Paxful, CEX.IO, and BitMex are no longer accessible through their apps or websites within India. This isn’t a ban on crypto. It’s a crackdown on unregistered platforms. The truth is simple: if you’re an Indian citizen, you’re not breaking the law by buying or selling Bitcoin or Ethereum. But if you use an exchange that doesn’t follow Indian rules, you’re playing with fire. Crypto exchanges operating in India - even if they’re based overseas - must register as Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VDA SPs) with FIU-IND. This isn’t optional. It’s a legal requirement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The government doesn’t care if your exchange is in Singapore, the Seychelles, or Malta. If it’s targeting Indian users, it must comply. So what happens if you try to use one of these blocked apps? Your phone won’t let you download it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. If you sideload it or use a VPN, you’re technically violating Indian law. The government doesn’t arrest individuals for using VPNs to access crypto exchanges - yet. But they’ve made it clear: they’re watching. And they’re tracking transactions. The crackdown isn’t random. It’s the second wave. Two years ago, the same agencies targeted nine big names. This time, they went after 25 more. The message is loud and clear: register or get blocked. There are about 50 crypto exchanges currently registered with FIU-IND. That means you still have options. WazirX, CoinDCX, ZebPay, and Bitbns are all compliant. They follow the rules. They report your trades. They collect your KYC. And they’ve been given the green light to operate in India. But here’s the catch: these compliant exchanges are smaller. Their liquidity is lower. Their trading pairs are limited. You won’t find 1,000 different altcoins like you can on Binance. You’ll get Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, maybe a few others. If you’re used to trading lesser-known tokens, you’ll feel the squeeze. And then there’s the tax. India has the highest crypto tax rate in the world. Every time you make a profit from trading, selling, or swapping crypto, you pay 30% in income tax. No deductions. No offsets. Even if you lost money on other trades, that 30% still applies. On top of that, every single transfer - whether you’re buying, selling, or sending crypto to a friend - triggers a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS). That 1% TDS adds up fast. If you trade $1,000 worth of Bitcoin, $10 is automatically taken out before you even see the money. Do that five times a month? That’s $50 gone. And the exchange doesn’t ask you if you want it. It just takes it. This isn’t just about revenue. It’s about control. The government wants to know who’s trading what, when, and how much. Every transaction on a registered exchange is reported to FIU-IND. Your name, your ID, your transaction history - all stored. If you’re using an unregistered exchange, your data isn’t tracked. That’s why the government hates them. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) still warns that crypto is risky. They call it a threat to financial stability. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is drafting a bill to ban private cryptocurrencies entirely. That bill hasn’t been introduced in Parliament yet. But it’s still on the table. That’s the big uncertainty hanging over every Indian crypto user. SEBI, India’s stock market regulator, has a different view. They’ve suggested crypto should be treated like securities - regulated, supervised, and integrated into the formal financial system. That’s the future they’re pushing for: crypto as a legitimate asset class, not a shadow economy. So where does that leave you? If you’re a casual holder - you bought Bitcoin in 2021 and still have it - you’re mostly fine. Just pay your taxes. File your returns. Keep records. If you’re an active trader - you buy and sell daily - you’re facing serious hurdles. The 30% tax eats into profits. The 1% TDS makes every trade expensive. The limited liquidity on compliant exchanges means you can’t always get the price you want. And if you try to bypass the system with a VPN and an unregistered exchange, you risk future legal consequences. Some people argue that India’s approach is hypocritical. They point out that the government is building its own digital currency - the Digital Rupee - while cracking down on private crypto. That’s true. But the difference is control. The Digital Rupee is fully traceable. Every transaction is logged by the RBI. Crypto, if unregulated, isn’t. The government doesn’t want to ban crypto. It wants to own it. What’s next? More blocks. More registrations. More taxes. The FIU-IND will keep issuing notices. More offshore exchanges will be forced to shut down access to Indian users. The registered exchanges will grow. They’ll add more coins. They’ll improve their apps. But they’ll also become more like banks - more paperwork, more limits, more surveillance. There’s no magic fix. No loophole. No way around the rules without risk. If you want to trade crypto legally in India today, you have one path: use a registered exchange. Pay the 30% tax. Accept the 1% TDS. And hope the government doesn’t change the rules again. Because in India, crypto isn’t illegal. But it’s not free either. The game has changed. And the rules were written by someone else. If you’re wondering whether your favorite exchange is still working in India, check the FIU-IND’s public registry of registered VDA SPs. If it’s not there, don’t use it. Not even with a VPN. The risks aren’t worth it. The future of crypto in India won’t be wild and open. It’ll be controlled, taxed, and monitored. Get used to it.
Comments
Kris Young
This is exactly right. The government isn't banning crypto. It's making sure exchanges follow the law. If you're using a VPN to access Binance, you're asking for trouble. Pay your taxes. Use WazirX or CoinDCX. Simple.
LaTanya Orr
It's not about control it's about clarity. People think freedom means no rules but real freedom means knowing the rules so you can play within them. India is trying to build a system where crypto isn't a wild west but part of the financial landscape. That's actually progressive.
Ashley Finlert
The irony is breathtaking. The same state that demonizes decentralized finance is engineering its own centralized digital currency with zero privacy. They don't want you to own crypto. They want you to own Digital Rupee. And they want to know every single time you spend it. This isn't regulation. It's financial colonization disguised as protection.
Chris Popovec
They're tracking everything. Every swap. Every transfer. Even the 1% TDS is a backdoor surveillance tool. The moment you use a registered exchange, you're on their ledger. The unregistered ones? At least you're flying under the radar. And yes I know the legal risk. But if you're trading at scale you're already playing a game where the house always wins. Better to be invisible than taxed to death.
Marilyn Manriquez
The path forward requires patience and discipline. The government is not your enemy. It is a system in transition. The registered exchanges are the foundation. The tax structure is harsh but transparent. The future lies in compliance. Not evasion. Not rebellion. But structured participation.
taliyah trice
So if I buy BTC on CoinDCX and send it to my friend, they take 1%? That's wild. I just wanted to give my buddy some crypto for his birthday.
Charan Kumar
We are not banning crypto we are cleaning up the mess. The unregistered exchanges were used for money laundering and black money. Now you have to show ID. You have to pay tax. So what? If you're clean you have nothing to fear. The 30% tax is high but at least you're not hiding. This is maturity.
Peter Mendola
30% tax + 1% TDS = 31% effective cost on every trade. That's not regulation. That's confiscation. 🤡
Terry Watson
I can't believe people are okay with this. The government is forcing you to pay taxes on paper losses? You buy BTC at $50k sell at $45k? Still owe 30%? And they take 1% just for sending it to your own wallet? This isn't finance. This is extortion. And the fact that they're calling it 'compliance' makes it worse.
Sunita Garasiya
Oh so now crypto is legal if you jump through 17 hoops and pay 30% tax? Brilliant. Next they'll tax your dreams and charge GST for breathing. At least when I used Binance I didn't have to fill out a form to send 0.001 BTC to my cousin. Now I'm a financial subject. How poetic.
Mike Stadelmayer
I get why they're doing it. The unregulated stuff was a mess. But the tax structure is brutal. Still I'd rather have a clear system than chaos. Maybe in a few years they'll lower the tax. Maybe they'll let more coins in. For now? I'm on CoinDCX. It's boring. But it's safe.
Norm Waldon
This is the beginning of the end. First they block the exchanges. Then they track every transaction. Then they ban private crypto entirely. The Digital Rupee is the Trojan horse. Once you're dependent on it, you'll never get your freedom back. This is digital serfdom. And you're all happily signing the forms.
neil stevenson
Honestly I just use WazirX now. It's slow but it works. I don't care about 1000 altcoins. I just want to hold BTC and ETH. And yeah I pay the tax. It's not fun but it's easier than dealing with a VPN and getting flagged. 😊
Samantha bambi
I'm so glad India is taking this seriously. Other countries are still letting crypto run wild. Here we're building accountability. The 30% tax is painful but necessary. And the TDS? It's just like withholding tax on stocks. Why is this so controversial?
Jack Richter
Yeah okay.
sky 168
If you're holding long term, the tax doesn't matter as much. But if you're trading? You need to be smart. Track everything. Use tools. Don't let the 1% TDS surprise you. It's not a trap. It's a feature of the system now.
sammy su
I used to use KuCoin with a vpn. Now I use ZebPay. It's not perfect but at least I don't wake up scared my account got frozen. The tax sucks but I'd rather pay than get in trouble. Plus my mom finally understands what crypto is now. That's worth something.
jack leon
They call it regulation. I call it financial apartheid. You can trade crypto in India... but only if you beg for permission, hand over your soul, and pay 30% of your dreams to the state. The Digital Rupee is the crown jewel of this dystopia. And we're all applauding as they lock the door.
Chris G
The 1% TDS is the real story. It's a transaction tax on every movement. That's unprecedented. No other country does this. It's not about revenue. It's about chilling participation. This is a choke point disguised as compliance.
Phil Taylor
India is the only country in the world that taxes crypto profits at 30% with no deductions. That's not policy. That's punishment. And the fact that they're blocking offshore exchanges while pushing their own central bank digital currency? Classic authoritarian playbook. They don't want you to be free. They want you to be obedient.
diljit singh
You think you're smart using CoinDCX? You're just a tax cow. The real traders are on the dark side. The ones who know how to move without leaving a trace. The government thinks they control the game. But they don't even know half the players exist.
Abhishek Anand
The state's obsession with control reveals a deeper insecurity. If crypto were truly a threat, they'd ban it outright. But they can't. Because millions already hold it. So they choose the next best thing: surveillance and taxation. They don't want to kill crypto. They want to domesticate it. And in doing so, they've turned a revolution into a spreadsheet.
vinay kumar
If you're trading daily you're already broke. The 30% tax and 1% TDS will eat you alive. Just hold. Don't trade. That's the only real strategy now.
Leisa Mason
This entire system is a farce. The government claims it's protecting citizens but it's really protecting its monopoly on money. The Digital Rupee will be used to freeze accounts, restrict spending, and punish dissent. And you're all too busy calculating your TDS to notice the cage closing.