The abolition of the loss offsetting restriction for futures transactions brings significant tax relief to crypto traders in Germany. The Federal Council has now approved the Annual Tax Act 2024, which has been discussed critically for years agreed. Losses from crypto derivatives such as futures, options and leveraged products can now be fully offset against profits.
End of a tax imbalance
Previously, losses from forward transactions were only allowed to be offset against profits of up to 20,000 euros per year. Particularly Crypto-Investors who suffered high losses due to volatile markets were hardly able to use them for tax purposes. At the same time, profits had to be fully taxed – a tax disadvantage that often led to financial problems. With the new regulation, traders can now claim all losses from their crypto futures trades, regardless of the amount.
Investors who suffer total losses, for example due to worthless knock-out certificates or the expiration of options, also benefit from the change. These losses will be fully recognized for tax purposes in the future, which means significant relief, especially for risk-taking crypto investors.
What investors need to know now
Despite the new regulations, transition periods apply: banks and brokers have until the beginning of 2026 to adapt their systems accordingly. Until then, investors may have to take action themselves and manually claim losses on their tax return. Tax assessments that have already been completed will not be adjusted automatically. Traders should therefore check whether an objection makes sense and, if necessary, seek professional advice.
This reform is an important milestone for the crypto community. It eliminates a major tax inequality and makes it easier to deal with risky but potentially lucrative strategies in the volatile crypto market. Investors can therefore not only rely on fairer prices Framework conditions are happy, but now also have more incentive to optimize their trading strategies in the long term.