General information, not tax or legal advice. Tax rules differ between countries and change. Check with your tax authority. Status 23 October 2026.
In most countries bitcoin is taxed as property, not as currency. Norway's Skatteetaten is a clear example.
Norway in five points
- Asset: virtual assets are treated as assets (formuesobjekter). All income from them is taxable.
- 22% on gains: a gain on sale or other realisation is capital income taxed at 22%. Losses are deductible.
- Swaps count: exchanging bitcoin for another crypto asset is a realisation. Paying for goods is too. A gift is not.
- Wealth tax: holdings are valued at market value on 1 January of the following year. Skatteetaten's rate for 1 BTC on 1 Jan 2026 was NOK 881,206.06.
- No forced FIFO: unlike shares, you decide which unit you sold, but you must document its purchase price.
How a gain is calculated
Sale value minus purchase value, both in NOK at the time of each transaction, adjusted for fees. Currency effects are part of the gain or loss.
Mining and other income
Mining is reported as income in the tax return, and documented costs can be deducted.
The practical lesson
Keep records of every buy, sell and swap: date, amount, price and fees. Moving coins between your own wallets is not a sale, but you should be able to show they are yours.