Export Crypto accountant emails to Excel

By the Mail → Excel team · Updated 2026-10-20

Four steps, one command, and a completeness check at the end — for cost basis from exchange emails.

Step 1 — connect read-only

Use an app password, never the main password. The script opens the folder in read-only mode, so nothing is marked as read or deleted.

python mail_to_excel.py --host imap.example.com --user you@example.com --days 31 --fields exchange,trade,fee,cost_basis,period --out crypto-accountant.xlsx

Step 2 — filter to one period

A month or a quarter, not «everything». Clients rarely export complete trade history; the email trail fills the gaps and proves the missing trades.

Step 3 — keep only the columns that matter

Column	Why it matters
`exchange`	Which exchange or wallet provider sent the message.
`trade`	Trade description (pair and side).
`fee`	Fee amount with its own currency column.
`cost_basis`	Cost basis value as recorded; the method is chosen by the accountant.
`period`	Month or quarter, so each export is a closed, auditable slice.

Step 4 — verify completeness

Run the same search in your mail client and note the message count.
Compare it with the row count in the spreadsheet.
If the numbers differ, the filter or the folder is wrong — fix it before using the file.

Example output

exchange	trade	fee	cost_basis	period
Kraken	BTC/USDT buy	12.40	61,200	2026-Q3

Pitfalls

Trades executed in the app never reach email — Flag those periods as incomplete instead of assuming zero activity.
Fees are in a different currency than the trade — Keep a separate fee currency column; never convert silently.

Provider notes

Corporate mailboxes for accounting firms often enforce OAuth; confirm before relying on app passwords.

Ready-made: the $3 script implements these steps and writes the Excel file with the columns above. Get the script.

FAQ

Does this calculate cost basis?

No. It collects the rows; the method (FIFO, average) is chosen by the accountant.

What about staking rewards?

Add a «type» column and export reward notifications separately from trades.

How many messages can it handle?

Thousands per run with a date filter; very large mailboxes are better exported month by month.

Will it change anything in the mailbox?

No. Read-only access is the default and should stay enabled.

Related guides

Crypto accountant: columns and pitfallsThe compact overview for this role.
Universal IMAP guideApp passwords, decoding and Excel output.