If you sold, swapped or spent crypto on ChainEX, SARS treats it as the disposal of an asset, not as spending currency, and expects it on your return. ChainEX lets you download each part of your history as a CSV file from its History page. Those files are the raw material. Coinfig turns them, or a direct API connection, into the figures for your return.
Whether a gain counts as revenue or capital depends on how and why you trade, not on which exchange you used. The full explanation, together with the annual exclusion, FIFO base cost and record-keeping, is in our guide to how SARS taxes crypto in South Africa. What follows here is the ChainEX-specific part: which files to download, how to connect an API key, and what Coinfig does with the data.
How to export your ChainEX history
The ChainEX History page splits your activity into tabs: My Active History, My Order History, My Trade History, Deposits, Withdrawals and Active D/A Orders. For tax you need My Trade History, Deposits and Withdrawals.
- Log in to your ChainEX account at chainex.io.
- Go to the History page.
- Select the tab you want, starting with My Trade History.
- Set the filters to cover the coins, markets and dates you need, then click Search.
- When the results show, click the CSV download button next to the Search button and save the file.
- Repeat for the Deposits and Withdrawals tabs.
Cover your full ChainEX history, not only the current tax year. Base cost for coins you sell today depends on what you paid when you bought them, possibly years ago. If you trade on more than one market, check that your filters include them all.
Official guides: How to download my transaction history and Where can I find my transaction history?
Connect ChainEX with an API key
Coinfig has a direct ChainEX API connection, which saves repeating the exports before you file. ChainEX's help centre describes the key steps like this:
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) first. ChainEX requires it to add, edit or regenerate an API key.
- Log in at chainex.io, click your name in the top right corner, and choose Settings.
- Click add new. ChainEX generates a public key and a private key.
- In Coinfig, add a new source, choose ChainEX, and paste both keys.
ChainEX's help article does not list permission settings for its keys. Coinfig only uses the key to read your history and never asks it to trade or withdraw. If you would rather not create a key, the CSV route above gives Coinfig the same history.
Official guide: How do I enable an API on ChainEX?
What SARS expects on your return
For each tax year (1 March to end February) you need:
- Every disposal: proceeds and base cost in rand.
- Income items, such as rewards or yield, at their value when you received them.
- Records that show transfers between your own accounts, so they are not counted as disposals.
- A split between revenue and capital items where your activity calls for one.
How Coinfig handles ChainEX
- Imports trades, deposits and withdrawals through the API, or from your CSV files.
- Works out base cost with the FIFO method across every source you add.
- Matches ChainEX withdrawals to deposits on your other exchanges and wallets, so moving coins to yourself is not read as a sale.
- Runs a completeness check that flags gaps, such as a period with no history or an unmatched withdrawal, before you rely on the figures.
Coinfig is a calculation and reporting tool, not a tax adviser. For complex treatment questions, have a qualified practitioner review the output.
Frequently asked questions
Which ChainEX files do I need?
Download My Trade History, Deposits and Withdrawals from the History page, each covering your full history. Order history on its own is not enough, because an order is not a trade until it fills.
Do I need 2FA to connect ChainEX?
Yes. ChainEX requires two-factor authentication before you can add an API key. You do not need a key at all if you upload the CSV files instead.
Can I use Coinfig with only ChainEX CSV files?
Yes. Upload the CSV files from the History page. Make sure they cover every coin, market and date you have traded, then run the completeness check before you export your report.
What if I also use Luno or VALR?
Add every exchange and wallet you have used. A gain on one platform depends on what you paid on another. See the Luno tax report guide and the VALR tax report guide for their export steps.
Get started on Coinfig to connect ChainEX or upload your CSV files, run the completeness check, and export your report.
This article is general information, not tax advice. Crypto tax outcomes depend on your specific circumstances. For complex situations, consult a qualified tax practitioner.