Staking and airdrop tax calculator (India)
By BtcMedia Research · Updated
Staking rewards, mined coins and airdrops are usually taxed twice in India: at your slab rate on their rupee value the day they arrive, then at 31.2% when you sell. Whether that first value counts as your cost on the sale is not settled, so this calculator shows both views side by side.
From real prices: ₹100 of ETH staking rewards every day of tax year 2025-26 is ₹36,500 of income taxed at your slab rate. By 31 Mar 2026 those tokens were worth ₹29,856, and at the 29 Oct 2026 close ₹32,408. On 252 of 365 days, the reward is now worth less than the value you were taxed on, and that loss can't be set off against anything. The calculator below starts with this example.
Your tokens
Add up each reward at its price on the day it arrived.
New regime: 0% up to ₹4 lakh, then 5% steps to 30% above ₹24 lakh. If the rebate makes your slab tax nil, pick 0%.
Result
The unsettled cost question is worth ₹10,111 to you: ₹11,388 in total tax if the value when received counts as your cost, ₹21,499 if it doesn't (66% of the sale). The tokens sold for ₹4,092 less than the value you were taxed on, and that loss can't be set off.
| Item | Cost = value when received (most CAs) | Cost = nil (strict reading) |
|---|---|---|
| Tax on receipt (slab + 4% cess) | ₹11,388 | ₹11,388 |
| Cost deducted on sale | ₹36,500 | ₹0 |
| Taxable gain on sale | ₹-4,092 | ₹32,408 |
| Tax on sale (31.2%) | ₹0 | ₹10,111 |
| Total tax | ₹11,388 | ₹21,499 |
| Total tax as a share of the sale | 35% | 66% |
| You keep from the sale | ₹21,020 | ₹10,909 |
1% TDS already deducted (counts towards this tax, not extra): ₹324
Assumptions: individual, resident; receipt income at your marginal slab rate plus 4% cess; sale at 30% + 4% cess = 31.2%; no surcharge (up to ₹50 lakh); a loss on the sale means no sale tax, but the loss cannot be set off anywhere.
₹100 of rewards a day: what was taxed, what the tokens are worth
₹100 of rewards each day of tax year 2025-26, valued at each day's close. The "income" is taxed when received, even if the tokens fall later.
| Coin | Income taxed | Worth on 31 Mar 2026 | Worth on 29 Oct 2026 | Days now worth less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ETH) | ₹36,500 | ₹29,856 (-18%) | ₹32,408 (-11%) | 252 / 365 |
| Solana (SOL) | ₹36,500 | ₹23,102 (-37%) | ₹26,916 (-26%) | 306 / 365 |
In the 30% slab, ₹36,500 of income means ₹11,388 of tax for that year, while the tokens had already lost ₹6,644 by 31 Mar 2026. The lesson: note each reward's rupee value and the tax it creates the day it lands, and don't keep the tax money in the same token.
Prices: Bitstamp daily close (UTC) × ECB USD/INR, to 29 Oct 2026. No staking yield is assumed; the example is a fixed rupee amount.
Two views, one open question
Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, the only deduction on a crypto sale is "cost of acquisition, if any". There is no section written for staking, mining or airdrops, and no CBDT circular. Most CAs use the value taxed on receipt as the cost, so the second tax hits only the later rise. A strict reading gives a nil cost, and the same rupees are taxed twice.
Read more: Staking and airdrop crypto is taxed twice in India · Gift, airdrop, staking and mining tax guide
FAQ
Are staking rewards taxed in India?
Yes. Most chartered accountants treat staking rewards as "income from other sources" at their rupee value on the day received, taxed at your slab rate (business income if you run validators as a business). Selling, swapping or spending them later is a separate transfer taxed at 30% plus 4% cess.
What is the cost of staking rewards when I sell?
That is the unsettled question. The Income-tax Act, 2025 allows only "cost of acquisition, if any". CAs mostly use the value already taxed on receipt as the cost; a strict reading gives nil. On our guide's example (₹1,00,000 of rewards sold for ₹1,20,000, 30% slab) this calculator gives ₹37,440 vs ₹68,640 in total tax.
Is an airdrop taxed if I never sell it?
Most CAs say yes, at its rupee value on the day received. An airdrop may also be treated under the gift rule: if gifts from non-relatives total more than ₹50,000 in the year, the whole value is taxed; if not, nothing is. There is no CBDT circular on this, so ask your CA.
Is 1% TDS deducted when I sell staked tokens?
Yes, when you sell on an Indian exchange, 1% of the sale value is deducted (above ₹10,000 a year, or ₹50,000 for some people). It is not an extra tax: it is credited against your total tax in the ITR.
Can I deduct gas or validator fees?
No. Only the cost of acquisition is deductible when you sell crypto, no expenses. A crypto loss can't be set off against other income or carried forward either.
Sources: Income-tax Act, 2025 (Gazette) · AVS & Associates on staking, mining and airdrop tax · Harun Raaj & Associates on mining, staking and airdrops · Income Tax Department: taxation of VDA · Income Tax Department: tax on gifts · Prices: Bitstamp daily close × ECB USD/INR. Rules checked on 31 October 2026.
Not tax advice. Staking and airdrop rules are not settled. This is an educational estimate; before you file, ask a chartered accountant which view they take.
Related: Crypto tax calculator · Stablecoin yield vs FD · Schedule VDA CSV builder · Ethereum gas fee in ₹
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Updates to this page
Last updated . We log every material change. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.
- Tool launched: staking, mining and airdrop tax calculator. Slab tax plus 4% cess on the value when received, 31.2% on the sale, both cost-basis views (value when received vs nil) side by side, the ₹50,000 gift rule for airdrops, and 1% TDS shown as a credit. Real-price example: ₹100 of ETH and SOL rewards a day over the last full tax year (Bitstamp × ECB).