What is the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF)?
The Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) is an international standard developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the automatic exchange of information on crypto-assets. It is intended to complement the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts (AEOI) by ensuring that transactions involving crypto-assets are also reported in a tax-transparent manner across national borders.
What exactly happens under the CARF?
The CARF requires certain crypto service providers to record information on their customers and relevant transactions and report it to the competent tax authority. The tax authorities then share this information with the tax domiciles of the persons concerned in order to create uniform tax transparency on crypto transactions.
Did you know?
2026 update: status of implementation in Switzerland
Switzerland has decided to integrate the CARF into national law. However, its introduction – originally planned for 1 January 2026 – has been deferred by at least a year.
One practical matter that is especially relevant to the CARF’s Swiss implementation is the question of whether providers must report to other participating countries under the CARF before it is introduced in Switzerland. The treatment of certain tokenised assets is also an important topic. The OECD FAQs clarify this in some respects. The SBA welcomes the transitional rules on staggered introduction but takes a critical view of the veto rights accorded to some states as they could create additional uncertainty. Uniform implementation remains crucial for avoiding distortions of competition and legal uncertainties.
Legal basis of the CARF
The CARF is based on the international standards developed by the OECD for exchanging information on crypto-assets. These include the reporting framework itself as well as the related commentaries and technical requirements. The framework sets out which information must be collected and reported and by whom. The OECD also publishes technical documents and aids to interpretation, in particular FAQs, on an ad-hoc basis.
Switzerland is integrating the CARF into its existing AEOI legislation. For practical purposes, guidelines, clarifications from the authorities and OECD commentaries are essential alongside the legal basis.
Where do we stand?
The SBA is following the development of the CARF closely and playing an active role in discussions on its Swiss implementation. It is lobbying in particular for practicable rules, legal certainty, the protection of fundamental principles of law and a level playing field internationally. Coherent alignment with existing transparency standards such as the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) is also especially important.