France Joins Global Coalition to Track and Share Cross-Border Crypto Tax Data

France has introduced legislation to apply the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), setting out a system for automatic cross-border sharing of cryptocurrency transaction information with 48 signatory nations. The proposed bill would require participating entities to disclose identifying and tax-related details alongside aggregated transaction information, expanding the scope of reporting beyond existing European Union rules that are scheduled to begin in September 2027.

Officials are presenting the bill as a transparency measure intended to strengthen tax compliance and limit evasion tied to crypto-asset activity. Under the draft, data to be exchanged would include user identities, tax identification numbers, residential addresses, and aggregate transaction values.

OECD CARF reporting scope and timing

The legislative proposal is designed to implement CARF at level, aligning France with an OECD model built around standardized reporting and information exchange between tax authorities. The bill’s automatic exchange mechanism would involve 48 countries that have signed on to the framework, indicating that the reporting channel would extend beyond the EU’s internal information-sharing obligations.

The move comes as the EU has already set its own reporting requirements that are due to take effect in September 2027. France’s bill, as described, would go further by connecting reporting to a broader group of jurisdictions through the OECD framework rather than limiting the approach to EU mandates alone.

Security fears rise amid attacks and data-leak allegations

The proposal is landing in a tense domestic context. Reports have documented an increase in violent physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders in France, adding urgency to public discussions about personal safety and the risks tied to identifying information associated with crypto ownership.

Security concerns have also been heightened by reports that government personnel have improperly disclosed data connected to high-net-worth investors. Those reports have intensified public anxiety about the safety of centralized tax databases that would store and transmit sensitive identifying and financial information under broader reporting regimes.

Shift away from self-custody reporting

The government’s approach also reflects a policy change from earlier efforts. France previously abandoned attempts to mandate reporting tied to self-custody holdings, citing enforcement challenges.

In practice, this signals a pivot away from requiring individuals to declare assets held directly in private wallets through a standalone obligation. Instead, the direction of travel in the current bill is toward monitoring activity linked to institutions and exchange-based channels in order to support regulatory compliance.

The draft is therefore framed around collecting standardized, reportable data at points where crypto transactions intersect with service providers that can be required to submit information.

Balancing transparency and sensitive data protection

While the bill is intended to increase tax transparency, it is also attracting scrutiny focused on how sensitive financial and identity data would be safeguarded. The combination of expanded data fields—identity information, tax identifiers, residential addresses, and aggregate transaction values—and wider international exchange has sharpened questions about access controls, handling procedures, and the potential consequences of unauthorized disclosure.