Australia drafts a crypto reporting law with its first cross-border tax data exchanges planned for 2028
Australia's Treasury released a draft bill on October 15 to write the OECD's crypto reporting framework into law, with comment open until October 28. Cross-border exchanges are planned for 2028, and the OECD counts 77 jurisdictions committed by 2029.
The Investor · Invest desk
Timeline: in August 2022 the OECD approved the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework; in November 2023 Australia first signaled it would implement it; on October 15, 2026 Australia released a draft bill; public feedback closes October 28, 2026.
| Date | Event | Claim |
|---|---|---|
| August 2022 | OECD approves the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework | 5 |
| November 2023 | Australia first signals it will implement CARF | 4 |
| October 15, 2026 | Australia releases draft crypto tax reporting bill | 1 |
| October 28, 2026 | Public feedback on the draft closes | 1 |
What happened
- The bill is titled Treasury Laws Amendment Bill 2026: Tax information reporting and would also create a domestic crypto reporting regime, according to Treasury as cited by Cointelegraph.
- The legislation would also update existing financial account reporting standards alongside the new crypto requirements.
- The consultation announces no new tax rate on Bitcoin, Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies, and states its purpose as reporting arrangements for administering existing tax laws.
Why it matters
- What it costs cost Exchanges and other covered providers would build the collection: customer identification, user and transaction data, and reports on transfers and exchanges in a form national law sets.
- Who's exposed exposure An Australian resident trading through a provider abroad is the case the framework was written for, and annual exchange would put that activity in front of the tax authority.
- Who has to decide decision Providers that want to shape their obligations have a 13-day window, and the final duties depend on the text Parliament passes.
- What's now possible capability The Australian Taxation Office gains an additional source of residents' transaction records to set against what taxpayers report under existing tax laws.
Of the dates in the sources, one belongs to the process and one to the plan. Comment closes on October 28, 13 days after the draft appeared [1][15]. The first cross-border exchange of taxpayer data is planned for 2028 [3]. Neither source gives a start date for the domestic reporting regime, and a provider's compliance team would build to that date first.
The bill is a proposal and has not become law, according to crypto.news [8]. Treasury will consider feedback, and the government then decides whether to change the text and introduce it into Parliament [8]. Platforms and holders therefore face a published design and a comment window today. A reporting duty comes only after Parliament acts [8].
The schedule is long. Australia first signalled its intention to implement the framework in November 2023 [4], which puts a 2028 first exchange five calendar years later [16] and six years after the OECD approved the framework in August 2022 [5][17]. We think 2028 holds: the government has carried the date since the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook [4], and both outlets report it [3].
That view is wrong if any of three things happens. The government could rewrite the bill after submissions close [8]. The bill could reach Parliament too late to meet the date. Or the introduced text could start domestic reporting after the first exchange. An introduced bill with a first-exchange year later than 2028 would settle it.
What to watch
- Treasury's response after October 28, and whether the government changes the text before introducing the bill into Parliament.
- The start date for domestic reporting in the introduced bill, set against the planned 2028 first exchange.
- The OECD's count of committed jurisdictions against the 77 figure, and how many of them have legislated by 2029.
Information, not investment advice. This story is general information about companies and markets, drawn from cited reporting. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security; check the cited sources before acting.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence72
- Adoption30
- Hype gap−10
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence74
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Australia released draft crypto tax reporting legislation on October 15, seeking public feedback until October 28, 2026.
- [2]
The draft is titled Treasury Laws Amendment Bill 2026: Tax information reporting; it would implement the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework in Australian law and introduce a domestic crypto reporting regime, according to the Australian Treasury.
- [3]
Australia's first international exchanges of crypto tax information under the framework are planned for 2028.
- [4]
Australia first signaled its intention to implement CARF in November 2023 and consulted on its approach in late 2024; the government then announced plans for CARF and a domestic crypto reporting regime in its 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, with international exchanges expected to begin in 2028.
- [5]
The OECD approved CARF in August 2022.
- [6]
The OECD reports 77 jurisdictions have committed to implementing its Crypto Asset Reporting Framework by 2029.
- [7]
The legislation would update existing financial account reporting standards alongside introducing new requirements for crypto transactions.
- [8]
The bill remains a proposal and has not yet become law; Treasury will consider feedback before the government decides whether to make changes and introduce the legislation into Parliament.
- [9]
Under CARF, covered crypto service providers must collect information about qualifying users and transactions, including customer identification and reporting on relevant crypto transfers and exchanges, with national legislation determining how businesses submit information to their tax authorities.
- [10]
For Australian residents, the proposed domestic regime would give the Australian Taxation Office an additional source of transaction records.
- [11]
The Treasury consultation does not announce a new tax rate on Bitcoin, Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies; its stated purpose is to establish reporting arrangements and improve access to information used in administering existing tax laws.
- [12]
Under CARF, participating authorities can exchange relevant information annually with the jurisdictions where reportable users are tax residents.
- [13]
Providers' precise domestic obligations will depend on the legislation ultimately passed by Australia's Parliament and the reporting requirements adopted by the tax authorities.
- [14]
The OECD created the framework after identifying difficulties in obtaining information about digital assets held or traded through foreign service providers.
- [15]
The comment window runs 13 days from the October 15 release to the October 28 close.
- [16]
A 2028 first exchange falls five calendar years after the November 2023 signal.
- [17]
A 2028 first exchange falls six calendar years after the OECD approved CARF in August 2022.
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Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- cointelegraph.comAustralia releases draft bill to adopt OECD crypto tax reporting framework
1 article · October 15, 2026
- crypto.newsAustralia moves to share crypto tax data globally by 2028
1 article · October 15, 2026
Topics and entities
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Topics
- Crypto tax reportingFollow
- Automatic exchange of tax informationFollow
- Crypto Regulation and LicensingFollow
Entities
- Australian Taxation OfficeFollow
- Crypto-Asset Reporting FrameworkFollow
- OECDFollow
- CointelegraphFollow
- Australian TreasuryFollow
- crypto.newsFollow