5 March 2026

Airdrops without a cost: how we leave them marked

How Neural Systems Digital treats airdrops with missing fair-value notes inside a crypto tax gain estimate.

Airdrops arrive without invoices. Some clients want them valued at the first tradeable print; others prefer to leave cost at zero and accept a larger gain on later disposal. We do not choose that policy for you.

Our desk rule

If you supply a dated fair-value source (exchange print, reputable index close), we apply it. If you do not, the lot stays marked incomplete on the schedule. Incomplete is uncomfortable; invented is worse.

Before disposal

If you still hold the airdropped coins, decide the valuation approach before you sell a large portion. Changing method mid-year after several disposals forces a restatement of earlier lines in Smart Crypto Calculator PC.

Pair this note with a cost basis method review if you expect multiple airdrops in the same tax year.