Australia and Canada Share Cryptocurrency Audit Strategies — A CATA Webinar Overview
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
On 11 February 2026, the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA) convened a timely webinar featuring representatives from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), who shared their respective approaches to auditing cryptocurrency and digital assets. This session formed part of CATA's ongoing initiatives to strengthen international tax administration capabilities in response to the rapidly evolving digital and decentralised financial landscape.
Why This Matters for Tax Administrators?
The explosive growth of cryptocurrency markets in recent years has introduced unprecedented compliance and audit challenges for revenue authorities worldwide. This webinar provided a crucial platform for knowledge exchange, enabling Australia and Canada to share practical insights on the strategies they have developed to address these emerging risks. For CATA's 47 member countries, such exchanges are invaluable for building capacity and staying ahead of global trends in digital asset taxation.
Key Presentations and Insights
Australian Taxation Office Perspective
Michael Connor, representing the ATO, outlined Australia's comprehensive approach to cryptocurrency compliance:
Data acquisition methods: How the ATO obtains cryptocurrency transaction data directly from exchanges and digital platforms.
Transaction tracking techniques: Advanced methods for following digital asset movements across multiple platforms and wallets.
Practical case studies: Real-world examples drawn from recent audit activities demonstrating compliance challenges and enforcement outcomes.
Canada Revenue Agency Approach
David Qian from the CRA shared Canada's evolving framework for digital asset investigations:
Investigation procedures: Systematic approaches to examining transactions involving cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
Cross-border cooperation: Mechanisms for international information exchange and collaborative enforcement.
Compliance intervention findings: Key lessons and patterns identified from recent CRA enforcement activities.
Major Themes and Takeaways
The webinar underscored several critical success factors for effective cryptocurrency tax administration:
Robust legal and regulatory frameworks provide the foundation for enforcement authority and taxpayer obligations in the digital asset space.
Sound data collection and analysis practices enable tax authorities to identify non-compliance and build effective audit cases despite the complexity of blockchain technologies.
Varied audit strategies tailored to different taxpayer profiles and transaction types improve compliance outcomes across diverse cryptocurrency activities.
Strong international cooperation remains essential given the borderless nature of digital assets and the ease with which taxpayers can access foreign exchanges and platforms.
Looking Ahead
As revenue authorities globally grapple with the challenges posed by cryptocurrency and decentralized finance, forums like this CATA webinar play a vital role in accelerating learning and promoting best practices. The experiences shared by Australia and Canada offer practical roadmaps for other jurisdictions seeking to modernize their tax administration capabilities for the digital age.
