Declaring Bitcoin in France: forms 2086, 3916-BIS, 2042 C

September 2027. Marc settles in Paris. Three weeks later, he discovers he will have to file his first French declaration in spring 2028, and that he must report his Bitcoin Suisse account before 30 June under penalty of fine. He opens the tax website and stumbles upon 3 acronyms he does not know: cerfa 2086×Cerfa 2086French tax form (Cerfa) used to declare crypto capital gains.See in the lexicon →, 3916-BIS×3916-bisFrench tax form used to declare crypto accounts held abroad. Omitting it is fined at 750 EUR per undeclared account.See in the lexicon →, 2042 C. And a mention « prorata-temporis method according to CGI article 150 VH bis ». He closes the computer. An hour later, he reopens it.

Marc is now a French tax resident since 4 September 2027. For BTC sold before that date while he was still in Switzerland, the Swiss regime applies (private exemption). For those sold from 4 September, the French regime applies at 30 %. Marc has sold nothing in 2027 out of caution; his first French declaration will mainly have to report his Swiss exchange×ExchangeService that lets you buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies against fiat money. Examples : Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo. Most are custodial.See in the lexicon → account (form 3916-BIS).

This article describes the practical mechanics: 3 mandatory forms, gain calculation method, BIC regime to avoid, exit tax×Exit taxTaxation of unrealised gains when transferring tax residence out of a country. France and Germany apply forms of it; a departure should be planned with a tax adviser.See in the lexicon →, PEA-PME for ETFs, particular cases. Not a tax law course, what a standard French tax resident must know how to do in 2026, with the corresponding CGI and BOFiP references.

Immediate reminder. This article describes the law applicable on 27 May 2026. French tax law evolves each year by finance law. No information here dispenses with the consultation of a chartered accountant mémorialiste, a tax lawyer, or a certified wealth management adviser. The rate of a 1-2h consultation is between 200 and 500 EUR, to be compared with the 1,000 to 50,000 EUR of potential audit adjustment in case of error on a large gain.

French tax framework 2026: PFU 30 %, BIC, exit tax

Before the forms, the 3 possible taxation regimes of a Bitcoin gain for a French tax resident in 2026 must be laid out. The choice between regimes is not free: it depends on objective criteria defined by the Conseil d'État and BOFiP doctrine.

Regime 1: PFU×PFU (Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)French 30 percent tax on capital gains, including crypto gains. Also called the « flat tax ». Made up of 12.8 percent income tax and 17.2 percent social levies.See in the lexicon → 30 % (occasional private management). This is the default regime since 2019 (article 150 VH bis CGI). It applies to the individual who holds and disposes of digital assets within the management of his private estate, without habitual character or professional speculative intent. The rate is flat: 12.8 % income tax + 17.2 % social levies (CSG, CRDS, solidarity tax), totalling 30 %. No regressiveness, no holding-duration allowance. This is Marc's regime, Pierre's, the vast majority of French Bitcoiner×BitcoinerPerson interested in Bitcoin, who holds some and adheres more or less to its values (individual sovereignty, sound money, decentralisation).See in the lexicon → individuals.

Regime 2: option for the progressive scale. The taxpayer can waive the PFU and opt for integrating capital gains into his global income at the progressive scale (up to 45 % + 17.2 % social levies). The option is global (it applies to all capital income for the year, not just cryptos) and is exercised at declaration time. It is more favourable only if the taxpayer is in a very low bracket (0 % or 11 % bracket, e.g. student or modest retiree). Beyond about 30,000 EUR of taxable income, the PFU 30 % is better or equivalent.

Regime 3: BIC (habitual professional trading). If the administration requalifies the individual as a « habitual digital-asset trader », gains shift into the Industrial and Commercial Profits (BIC), taxed at progressive scale up to 45 %, plus self-employed social contributions (URSSAF) that can bring the effective marginal rate above 60 %. The requalification criteria were specified by the Conseil d'État in its 26 April 2018 ruling and by BOFiP doctrine: transaction volume, frequency, use of leverage, use of professional tools (bots, APIs, algorithms), share of crypto income in total. This regime is very unfavourable and must be avoided by anyone who does not wish to live off Bitcoin trading.

For Marc (DCA×DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging)Buying a small fixed amount at regular intervals (for example 100 EUR a week), regardless of price. Smooths the average purchase cost and neutralises timing bias.See in the lexicon → over 6 years, no leverage, no bot, Bitcoin gains < 5 % of his architect income), no ambiguity: PFU 30 % regime. For an investor who would actively trade (10+ transactions per month, leverage, pro tools), BIC qualification becomes a real risk to anticipate with a tax adviser.

The triggering event of the tax. In France, taxation is triggered only by onerous disposals of digital assets against legal-tender currency or against a good or service. Concretely:

• Sale BTC → EUR (or USD, CHF, JPY) on an exchange×ExchangeService that lets you buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies against fiat money. Examples : Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo. Most are custodial.See in the lexicon →: taxable.
• Purchase of a coffee in BTC at a merchant who accepts (still rare in France in 2026): taxable at the coffee's price.
• Exchange BTC → ETH or BTC → USDC on an exchange: not taxable (crypto-crypto exchange fiscally neutral, article 150 VH bis I 1).
• Transfer of BTC between 2 wallets you own (Bitcoin Suisse → BitBox02 for example): not taxable (no disposal).
• Receipt of a gift or inheritance in BTC: not a disposal, subject to free-transfer duties (separate regime).

This definition creates a little-known French advantage: crypto-crypto conversions are fiscally neutral, allowing portfolio rebalancing×RebalancingRebalancing your portfolio by selling part of what has risen and buying what has fallen, to return to a target allocation.See in the lexicon → (BTC to ETH for example) without triggering tax. But the moment you return to fiat×Fiat (fiat currency)State currency with legal tender status (euro, Swiss franc, dollar), issued by a central bank and not backed by a physical asset. By contrast, Bitcoin has an issuance capped at 21 million units, with no central issuer.See in the lexicon →, the entire path is taxed.

Exit tax×Exit taxTaxation of unrealised gains when transferring tax residence out of a country. France and Germany apply forms of it; a departure should be planned with a tax adviser.See in the lexicon → (article 167 bis CGI). A little-known point of French taxation: a French tax resident who transfers his tax domicile outside France can be taxed on his latent gains (cryptos included since 2019) if the total global latent gains (all securities + cryptoassets) exceed 800,000 EUR. The mechanism provides for a payment deferral, released under conditions after 2 to 5 years depending on destination (EU vs third countries). For Marc (148k CHF latent gain), not concerned. For a French investor with 4-5 BTC accumulated since 2017 and a large equity estate, to verify×Don't trust, verifyBitcoiner mantra. Trust no one (bank, government, exchange, influencer), verify on your own through your own node.See in the lexicon → imperatively before any departure.

The 3 mandatory forms: 2086, 3916-BIS, 2042 C

The Bitcoin declaration in France goes through 3 distinct forms, which do not serve the same function and do not trigger in the same cases. Marc will have to fill at least the 3916-BIS×3916-bisFrench tax form used to declare crypto accounts held abroad. Omitting it is fined at 750 EUR per undeclared account.See in the lexicon → for 2027, and all 3 as soon as he sells part of his BTC.

Form 2086 « Declaration of capital gains and losses on disposals of digital assets ». This is the central form. It is filled line by line for each taxable disposal of the year. For each disposal, you must indicate:

• Date of disposal.
• Disposal price (fiat×Fiat (fiat currency)State currency with legal tender status (euro, Swiss franc, dollar), issued by a central bank and not backed by a physical asset. By contrast, Bitcoin has an issuance capped at 21 million units, with no central issuer.See in the lexicon → amount received, fees deducted).
• Global portfolio value on the day of disposal (all digital assets held, in EUR equivalent).
• Total acquisition price of the portfolio at the disposal date (sum of historical purchase prices of all digital assets held).
• Ratio (Total acquisition / Global portfolio value), which determines the fraction of the disposal price assimilated to capital.
• Taxable gain calculated by the formula (cf. section 4).

If the year has several disposals, the form contains several lines. If the year has one disposal, one line. The total net capital gain×Capital gain, capital lossGain (or loss) realised when disposing of an asset: the difference between sale price and acquisition cost. Tax treatment varies by country; losses can often be offset against gains of the same year.See in the lexicon → (algebraic sum of gains and losses) is reported on the 2042 C. The 2086 has been dematerialised via the impots.gouv.fr portal since 2020.

Form 3916-BIS « Declaration by a resident of a digital-asset account opened, held, used or closed abroad ». This is the informational form, which does not trigger taxation but which is mandatory as soon as one holds an exchange×ExchangeService that lets you buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies against fiat money. Examples : Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo. Most are custodial.See in the lexicon → or custody×CustodyThe custody of funds. See self-custody and custodial in the dedicated section below.See in the lexicon → account abroad. For Marc, his Bitcoin Suisse account (foreign establishment) must be declared, even if he made no transaction during the year. For each foreign account, separate declaration with: establishment name, country, account type, number/identifier, opening date, balances and values at 31 December.

Forgetting or omitting the 3916-BIS is sanctioned by a fixed fine of 750 EUR per undeclared account (article 1736 X CGI), raised to 1,500 EUR if the account value exceeds 50,000 EUR at any time during the year. Beyond these fines, the administration can also initiate a procedure of automatic taxation on sums transiting through the undeclared account, which is significantly worse. It is the easiest form to forget and the most costly to omit.

Form 2042 C « Complementary income declaration ». The 2042 C is the « complement » of the main 2042 declaration. On the 2042 C, you report the net total from the 2086 (annual global gain) in box 3AN (gain taxable at PFU×PFU (Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)French 30 percent tax on capital gains, including crypto gains. Also called the « flat tax ». Made up of 12.8 percent income tax and 17.2 percent social levies.See in the lexicon →) or 3BN (carry-forward loss). If the taxpayer opts for the progressive scale instead of the PFU, box 2OP is also ticked, on the main 2042, which shifts all movable capital income (cryptos included) into the scale. Box 2OP applies for the entire year and cannot be applied only to part of the income.

Filing calendar. The French declaration is filed in May-June depending on department (deadline staggered by department group). For Marc in Paris (75), the deadline is typically around 7 June of the following year. He will therefore declare in May-June 2028 his 2027 income. The declaration is mandatorily made online on impots.gouv.fr, except specific cases (first declaration, no internet access) that still allow paper.

Consequence for Marc in 2028 (2027 income declaration). Marc will have to fill: (a) 3916-BIS for his Bitcoin Suisse account, even if he made no transaction (presence of the account at 31 December 2027 = mandatory declaration), (b) 2086 + boxes 3AN or 3BN of 2042 C only if he sold BTC between 4 September and 31 December 2027. If he sold nothing (his current plan), he fills only the 3916-BIS and that is all. Cost: 0 EUR tax that year, 1 form to fill, 30 minutes of time. Reproduced each year until the first sale.

Capital gain calculation method (CGI article 150 VH bis)

Contrary to what many Bitcoin investors think, France does not use the FIFO×FIFO (First In First Out)Capital gains method that treats the first bitcoins bought as the first sold. Used in Germany, Italy and the United States.See in the lexicon → method (First In, First Out) to calculate the taxable gain, nor LIFO×LIFO (Last In First Out)Capital gains calculation method: the last units bought are deemed sold first. Italy uses it for crypto, unlike the French weighted average cost or FIFO.See in the lexicon → nor the weighted average price. It uses a specific method enshrined in article 150 VH bis CGI, sometimes called « prorata-temporis method » or « global portfolio method ».

The formula. For each taxable disposal:

Taxable gain = Disposal price - (Total acquisition price × Disposal price / Global portfolio value)

In other words, the gain is the difference between the disposal price and the fraction of the disposal price that corresponds, proportionally, to the capital invested in the global portfolio on the day of disposal. The subtracted term represents the « capital share » recovered, prorated to the global value.

Why this method. The French legislator wanted to avoid the FIFO headache on often fungible, multi-wallet×WalletSoftware or device that manages your Bitcoin keys and lets you sign transactions. A wallet does not really « hold » your bitcoins, it holds the keys that prove you own them.See in the lexicon →, hard-to-identify-by-lot assets. The prorata-temporis method simplifies: at each disposal, you only need to know (a) the disposal price, (b) the global portfolio value on the day of disposal, (c) the cumulative sum of historical acquisition prices. No need to track each satoshi×Satoshi (sat)The smallest unit of bitcoin. 1 BTC = 100 million satoshis. Named after the creator. In 2026, talking in sats becomes common as the price of one BTC rises.See in the lexicon →.

Worked example. An investor has accumulated via DCA×DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging)Buying a small fixed amount at regular intervals (for example 100 EUR a week), regardless of price. Smooths the average purchase cost and neutralises timing bias.See in the lexicon → over several years for around 48,000 EUR of cumulative acquisition cost. In March 2030, he sells a fraction for 65,000 EUR. The global portfolio value on the day of disposal is 266,000 EUR.

• Applying the formula: G = 65,000 - (48,000 × 65,000 / 266,000) = 65,000 - 11,729 = ~53,271 EUR taxable gain.
• PFU×PFU (Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)French 30 percent tax on capital gains, including crypto gains. Also called the « flat tax ». Made up of 12.8 percent income tax and 17.2 percent social levies.See in the lexicon → 30 % tax: 53,271 × 30 % = ~15,981 EUR tax.

For comparison, under classic FIFO, the first BTC bought at the start of the DCA (lower initial acquisition cost) would have been counted as « sold », generating a higher gain and a heavier tax. The French prorata-temporis method is slightly more favourable than FIFO in this case, because it dilutes the acquisition cost across the entire portfolio.

Three important subtleties.

1. The global portfolio value must include all digital assets held, in all wallets and exchanges. If part is on exchange×ExchangeService that lets you buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies against fiat money. Examples : Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo. Most are custodial.See in the lexicon → and the other in self-custody×Self-custodyModel in which you hold your own private keys. Your bitcoins depend on no third party. This is Bitcoin's founding promise.See in the lexicon →, both are summed. If you also hold ETH, they are included in the global value. Caution: since BOFiP doctrine of 2023, spot Bitcoin ETFs UCITS (IBIT, BTCE, etc.) are not digital assets within the meaning of article 150 VH bis. They fall under securities taxation (securities account, PEA, PFU 30 % too but on different bases). Direct BTC (VH bis regime) and ETF shares (classic securities regime) must therefore be separated mentally and fiscally.
2. The total acquisition price is calculated in EUR at the time of each historical purchase. For purchases made in CHF or USD, the EUR equivalent at the ECB exchange rate of the day must be reconstructed. This per-operation conversion is tedious after the fact, hence the importance of Koinly/CoinTracking tools that automate the calculation.
3. The 305 EUR allowance (article 150 VH bis I 6): if the annual total of disposals is below 305 EUR, no taxation. Beyond, 305 EUR allowance on the total of disposals (not on the gain).

In practice, Koinly (~120 EUR/year for an average volume) generates the table ready to report on the 2086. But the consistency of the calculation must be checked, especially the foreign-currency → EUR conversions at exact dates, which is the main source of error.

Central table: 5 practical declaration cases

Operational synthesis of the 5 most frequent cases for a French tax resident in 2026. For each case: forms to fill, applicable method, worked example, classic trap.

Key readings of the table.

• The 3916-BIS is almost always mandatory as soon as one has a foreign exchange account (Bitstamp, Kraken EU, Coinbase, Binance, Ledn, etc.), even without sale. This is the trap n° 1 of French Bitcoiners who only use a foreign exchange for historical reasons.
• Bitcoin ETFs are a different taxation (securities regime, FIFO method) from direct Bitcoin (VH bis regime, prorata-temporis method). This impacts the declaration and the gain calculation. Marc will have to separate his 1.8 BTC and his 4 IBIT in 2 distinct calculations.
• Lending is less readable than capital gain×Capital gain, capital lossGain (or loss) realised when disposing of an asset: the difference between sale price and acquisition cost. Tax treatment varies by country; losses can often be offset against gains of the same year.See in the lexicon →. BOFiP doctrine is not fully stabilised on the exact status of crypto interest. In case of significant volume, mandatory tax-adviser consultation.
• The exit tax is rare but brutal. For estates > 800k EUR of latent gain. Marc is not concerned, but a French Pierre with 8 BTC accumulated since 2017 + a large equity portfolio would be concerned in case of departure to Switzerland.

Consequence for Marc. At 31 December 2027, Marc is in case 2 (foreign account, no sale) plus a fraction of case 4 (IBIT ETF at Swissquote, to transfer or keep). From 2030 when he sells his BTC, he will move into case 1 (direct Bitcoin VH bis method) plus case 4 (classic FIFO ETF). No case 3 or 5 a priori.

PEA, PEA-PME and UCITS spot Bitcoin ETFs

The Plan d'Épargne en Actions (PEA) is the most generous French tax wrapper for investment in listed equities. After 5 years of holding, gains realised inside the PEA are exempt from income tax (12.8 % of the PFU×PFU (Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)French 30 percent tax on capital gains, including crypto gains. Also called the « flat tax ». Made up of 12.8 percent income tax and 17.2 percent social levies.See in the lexicon →), only social levies (17.2 %) remain due. Contribution cap: 150,000 EUR per holder for the classic PEA, 75,000 EUR additional for the PEA-PME (instruments oriented towards small and mid caps).

Direct Bitcoin: not PEA-eligible. Bitcoin (and any other cryptoasset held directly, in self-custody×Self-custodyModel in which you hold your own private keys. Your bitcoins depend on no third party. This is Bitcoin's founding promise.See in the lexicon → or on exchange×ExchangeService that lets you buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies against fiat money. Examples : Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo. Most are custodial.See in the lexicon →) does not fit in the PEA. BOFiP doctrine and the Code monétaire et financier limit the PEA to shares of EU listed companies, OPCVM and certain assimilated products. BTC in self-custody therefore remain outside the PEA, taxed at the classic 30 % PFU without any wrapper advantage.

UCITS spot Bitcoin ETFs: potentially PEA-PME eligible (under conditions). Spot Bitcoin ETFs issued under European UCITS structure (notably CoinShares Physical Bitcoin BTCE listed on Xetra Frankfurt, WisdomTree Physical Bitcoin BTCW, 21Shares Bitcoin ETP×ETP (Exchange Traded Product)Family of exchange-listed products tracking an asset: ETF, ETN, ETC. In Europe, most listed Bitcoin products are legally ETNs backed by physical BTC.See in the lexicon → ABTC) are fiscally treated as financial securities. Some of them, structured as physical ETN×ETN (Exchange Traded Note)European / Swiss equivalent of an ETF. Structured note backed by physical bitcoin. Several ETNs have been listed in Switzerland since 2018.See in the lexicon →/ETP on European capital, are PEA-PME eligible according to 2024-2025 doctrine and confirmed in 2025 by several brokers (Boursorama, BforBank, Bourse Direct). Eligibility depends on the exact legal status of the vehicle (ETN vs ETF, EU vs non-EU issuer) and must be verified for each product before purchase.

BlackRock×BlackRockWorld's largest asset manager. Launched its Bitcoin spot ETF IBIT in January 2024, which accumulated more than 500,000 BTC in 2 years.See in the lexicon →'s IBIT ETF (US) is NOT PEA-eligible. IBIT is listed on NYSE Arca and issued by iShares US, outside the scope of the PEA which requires EU instruments. A French Bitcoiner×BitcoinerPerson interested in Bitcoin, who holds some and adheres more or less to its values (individual sovereignty, sound money, decentralisation).See in the lexicon → wishing to fiscally optimise his Bitcoin ETF exposure must therefore go through BTCE, WisdomTree or 21Shares in a PEA-PME opened at a compatible French broker×BrokerIntermediary that sells bitcoins to an end customer at a fixed price, with no visible order book. Coinhouse, Bull Bitcoin and Pocket Bitcoin are brokers.See in the lexicon →, not through IBIT.

Tax interest of the PEA-PME for Bitcoin via ETF. On a 32,000 EUR position transferred into BTCE and held for 5 years, reaching a value of 95,000 EUR at term (bull-cycle hypothesis), the gross gain is 63,000 EUR. Instead of 30 % PFU (18,900 EUR tax) in classic regime, the PEA-PME only taxes the 17.2 % social levies, i.e. 10,836 EUR. Saving: 8,064 EUR on this line, i.e. 12.8 % of the gain.

Practical limits. The PEA-PME has a 75,000 EUR contribution cap (additional to the classic PEA). Any Bitcoin exposure via ETF beyond 75k EUR must go through an ordinary securities account for the part exceeding the cap. Besides, the exact list of eligible Bitcoin ETFs evolves: to be verified at the time of purchase with the broker or BOFiP.

For a Swiss anticipating a switch to France, there is an optimisation window: sell US Bitcoin ETFs (IBIT) before the move (Swiss exemption), then buy back the equivalent in BTCE in a French PEA-PME. The operation requires anticipation and validation with a French tax adviser, but the cumulative saving over 10-15 years with regular rebalancing×RebalancingRebalancing your portfolio by selling part of what has risen and buying what has fallen, to return to a target allocation.See in the lexicon → can reach 25-40k EUR.

Particular cases: student, self-employed, salaried paid in BTC

Three particular cases come up in readers' questions and deserve explicit mention, because they do not exactly follow the PFU×PFU (Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)French 30 percent tax on capital gains, including crypto gains. Also called the « flat tax ». Made up of 12.8 percent income tax and 17.2 percent social levies.See in the lexicon → mechanics described above.

1. The low-income student. A 22-year-old student in Toulouse, attached to her parents' tax household, has accumulated 0.3 BTC by DCA×DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging)Buying a small fixed amount at regular intervals (for example 100 EUR a week), regardless of price. Smooths the average purchase cost and neutralises timing bias.See in the lexicon → since she was 18. She wants to sell 0.1 BTC to finance her Erasmus year. At PFU 30 %, her gain (~3,500 EUR) would be taxed at 1,050 EUR. But as she is in a very low tax bracket (almost zero personal income, parents in middle bracket), the option for the progressive scale via box 2OP can be more favourable. Calculation: if the student remains attached to the parental household and the global household is in the 11 % bracket, her gain will be taxed at 11 % + 17.2 % SL = 28.2 % instead of 30 %, i.e. ~70 EUR saving. Marginal, but above all: the 305 EUR allowance on the total of disposals also applies to her.

If she detaches from the parental household and declares alone, in a 0 % IR bracket, her PFU tax would still be 30 % (because the PFU does not take the bracket into account), but the scale option would give her 0 % IR + 17.2 % SL = 17.2 %, i.e. ~610 EUR tax instead of 1,050 EUR. Saving 440 EUR. For a student or retiree in a very low bracket, the 2OP option is almost always more favourable.

2. The self-employed TNS exercising crypto activities professionally. A web developer in SASU in Lyon invoices some clients in Bitcoin and keeps part of his remuneration in BTC in his company. Two distinct regimes apply:

• Invoices issued in BTC are turnover, to be booked at EUR value on the day of invoicing, integrated into the SASU profit and loss account, subject to corporate income tax (IS 25 %) then distributable as dividends (PFU 30 % at director level).
• BTC accumulated personally (outside the company) remain in the classic VH bis regime of the individual (PFU 30 % at sale). Strict separation of the 2 estates mandatory: distinct wallets, distinct accounting, distinct supporting documents.

The classic trap: mixing personal BTC and professional BTC in the same wallet×WalletSoftware or device that manages your Bitcoin keys and lets you sign transactions. A wallet does not really « hold » your bitcoins, it holds the keys that prove you own them.See in the lexicon → makes accounting separation impossible. The administration can then requalify the whole as professional estate (BIC or IS regime depending on structure), with heavy fiscal impact. Anyone invoicing in BTC must have a dedicated pro wallet distinct from his personal wallet, from the start.

3. The salaried partially paid in BTC. The case remains rare in France in 2026, but exists in some crypto startups (Ledger×Ledger, Trezor, Coldcard, BitBoxMain hardware wallet brands. Ledger Nano S Plus / X (French, the best-seller), Trezor Model T (Czech, open source), Coldcard Mk4 (Canadian, ultra-secure, Bitcoin-only), BitBox02 (Swiss, open source).See in the lexicon →, Sorare, BitcoinSuisse France when it opens). If a salaried receives, say, 500 EUR equivalent in BTC per month in addition to salary, these BTC are taxable salary at EUR value on the day of payment, subject to progressive scale and employee social contributions like any salary. The pay slip must reflect this part in EUR value. The subsequent gain between the day of payment (reference value) and the resale is then treated as a VH bis gain (PFU 30 %). Marc is not in this case (his firm is a SARL, he pays himself in EUR).

For these 3 cases, tax-adviser consultation is strongly advised, because the practice is young (student and BTC-salaried cases particularly) and the jurisprudence is not fully stabilised. BOFiP doctrine was enriched in 2024-2025 but remains incomplete on several specific points.