Reading Your Formatted CSV
Understanding your formatted CSV structure and columns
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The REST API reference, plus guides for the dashboard uploader.
Understanding your formatted CSV structure and columns
After TaxFormatter processes your data, you'll download a cleaned and normalized CSV. Here's what each column means and how to use it.
Your formatted CSV includes these standard columns:
Date,Pair,Type,Amount,Price,Fee,Total,Cost Basis,Notes
2025-01-15,BTC/USD,BUY,0.5,42500,12.75,21262.75,21262.75,
2025-01-16,ETH/USD,SELL,5,2250,25.00,11225.00,10000.00,WASH SALE
Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
Example: 2025-01-15 14:30:00
Normalized across all transactions. We convert different date formats to ISO 8601 standard.
Format: ASSET/QUOTE
Example: BTC/USD, ETH/USDT
Standardized asset symbols. We normalize variations like BTC-USD → BTC/USD.
Format: BUY, SELL, DEPOSIT, WITHDRAWAL, STAKING, AIRDROP, etc.
Cleaned transaction types. We standardize exchange variations.
Format: Numerical quantity
Example: 0.5, 5, 1000
The quantity of the asset involved in the transaction. Always positive.
Format: USD equivalent per unit
Example: 42500, 2250
Unit price at time of transaction. Used for cost basis calculations.
Format: USD amount
Example: 12.75, 25.00
Transaction fees. Deductible for tax purposes.
Format: Amount × Price + Fee
Example: 21262.75
Total transaction value including fees.
Format: Per-unit cost
Example: 21262.75 (for buy), 10000.00 (for sell)
For buys: how much you paid per unit (relevant for wash sales)
For sells: original cost per unit (used for gains calculation)
Format: Free text
Example: WASH SALE, Flagged: Timestamp issue
Annotations for transactions requiring special handling, as carried through from your export.
2025-01-15,BTC/USD,BUY,0.5,42500,12.75,21262.75,42525.50,
You bought 0.5 BTC at $42,500/unit, paid $12.75 fee.
Your cost basis per unit was $42,525.50 (includes fee).
2025-01-16,BTC/USD,SELL,0.5,45000,22.50,22477.50,42525.50,
You sold 0.5 BTC at $45,000/unit, paid $22.50 fee.
Your original cost basis was $42,525.50/unit.
Your gain: ($45,000 - $42,525.50) × 0.5 = $1,237.25 (minus fee).
2025-01-20,BTC/USD,BUY,0.5,38000,10.00,19010.00,38020.00,WASH SALE - paired with Jan 15 sale
This transaction has a flag in the Notes column. Read the note carefully to understand the issue.
Your CSV is compatible with:
Q: Why are my amounts positive on sells?
A: TaxFormatter shows quantity sold as positive. Your tax software will handle the math.
Q: Should I include fees in my cost basis?
A: Yes. TaxFormatter includes them automatically. Don't double-count.
Q: What if my cost basis seems wrong?
A: Compare to your original exchange records. If you bought at different prices, let us know for manual review.
Q: Can I edit the CSV before importing?
A: You can edit notes/annotations, but don't change amounts, dates, or pairs without verifying.