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Why "Cost per Unit" on Gains Page Differs from the Real Price you Paid?


TL;DR

CoinTracking’s "Cost per Unit" on the Gains page may differ from your actual trade prices because it uses average market data from CoinMarketCap. To see your real prices, switch the Gains filter to "Best Prices". Also ensure all wallets and transactions are imported correctly—missing data can trigger warnings and distort your tax calculations.


Why does the "Cost per Unit" differ from the real price I paid?

On the Gains page, if you're using the "Transaction Prices" filter, CoinTracking retrieves prices from CoinMarketCap (a volume-weighted average). These may not match your personal trade prices.

To correct this:

  • Change the dropdown on the Gains page to "Best Prices"

  • This setting reflects the actual values you paid, as shown in the Trade Price report.


How does the purchase pool work?

CoinTracking uses a purchase pool to calculate your gains:

  • Buys, gifts, rewards, and income add to the pool.
    Sells, spends, and donations deduct from it.

  • Transfers (deposits and withdrawals) don’t affect the pool—they’re internal.

The pool respects the accounting method you chose (FIFO, LIFO, etc). If there's no matching buy, you’ll see a warning, and CoinTracking assumes a cost of $0.

If you skip recording a buy but later enter a sell, it creates "ghost coins" with no basis, inflating your gains and tax liability.


Why is the transaction count different in the tax report?

The overview at the top of the tax report shows actual transactions.

The Capital Gains section may list more transactions due to:

  • Purchase pool splits between short-term and long-term holdings

  • "Group by Day" option creating segmented entries

These separations are normal and depend on your settings.


What if the cost basis seems wrong?

A wrong cost basis may indicate:

  • Transactions are missing

  • You didn’t enter the source wallet for a deposit

For example:

  • You bought 1 BTC for $15,000 on Coinbase

  • Sent it to Kraken and sold for $30,000

  • If only the Kraken deposit is imported (not the Coinbase withdrawal), CoinTracking assumes a $0 purchase and a $30,000 gain instead of $15,000

Solution: Always enter both the deposit and withdrawal to fully represent a transfer.


How do I adjust asset values manually?

If CoinTracking’s cost basis differs from your actual trade data:

  1. Go to the Transactions page

  2. Select a trade and click Edit

  3. Click Edit Asset Value

  4. Adjust both purchase and sale values


This is especially useful for ICOs or trades with missing coin price data.


Why are there cost basis warnings for FIAT currencies?

If you're using multiple FIAT currencies:

  • Only your main account currency will have full support.
    Other FIATs may trigger cost basis warnings.

Solution:

  • Add second FIATs as Income (non taxable)

  • Go to Account Settings to check/change your main currency

  • Optionally, disable warnings for foreign FIATs in tax settings (not possible in Germany).


What causes $0 cost basis or unrealistic unit costs?

  • Missing buy transactions

  • Deposits without corresponding withdrawals (or vice versa)

  • Partial import histories

  • Issues in cost basis due to Depot/Lot separation if timestamps are mismatched

Always ensure:

  • Full history is imported

  • Timestamps of transfers are accurate (withdrawal should come before deposit)

Warnings are shown on the Gains and Tax Reports pages and should be resolved for accurate tax output.


Should I use "Swap" or "Trade" for airdrops or bridged coins?

  • Income transactions (like Airdrops) are included in the purchase pool and do have a cost basis, based on their market price at the time received.

  • You can exclude them from tax reports or Gains views, depending on local regulations.


Final Tips

  • Use the "How to validate my account" report to find inconsistencies

  • Always create a backup before adjusting asset values

Use the “Reset asset values” option if you want system-calculated values to override all manual ones

 


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