MT5 trade history for tax records: what to keep

MT5 has no tax report of its own. Here is what to export and keep, how to save it, and the mistakes to avoid. This is record keeping, not tax advice.

A note first

This page is about keeping records, not about tax. Tax rules differ by country and by your situation, and nothing here is tax or legal advice. Speak to a qualified tax professional about what applies to you.

Does MT5 produce a tax report?

As far as we know, MetaTrader 5 has no built-in tax report. It gives you the history of your trades, and you can save it. Some brokers provide annual or monthly statements; ask yours what they offer and keep copies.

A record-keeping checklist

Keep	Why
A full export of closed trades (choose all history)	Your own copy if the server limits history
Open and close time, symbol, direction, volume, prices	To identify each trade
Profit, commission and swap, in account currency	Net results need all three
Deposits and withdrawals	To reconcile balance changes that are not trades
Broker statements	An independent record from the broker
The account currency and the dates	For converting to your local currency
Notes on any adjustments or corrections	So you can explain figures later

How to save the history

In the Toolbox, open the History tab, right-click and choose the all history period.
Use the Positions view for one row per closed trade.
Right-click, open the Report menu and save as HTML or Open XML (Excel). Menu names differ slightly between builds. See how to export your MT5 trade history.
Do this at least once a year, ideally each month, and store the file somewhere safe.

Common problems

Missing old trades. Brokers can limit server history, so export regularly; see MT5 trade history not showing.
Ignoring commission and swap. The deal profit field excludes them.
Mixing demo and live. Keep them separate.
Several accounts. Keep one file per account.

A second copy in your own Notion, if you connect it

An automatic journal gives you a second, independent record. AI Trading Journal saves every closed MT5 position, with open and close time, size, prices and result, in your own journal on your PC (with an optional copy in your own Notion workspace), so you have a searchable copy that does not depend on your broker keeping history. It is a record-keeping aid, not tax software, and it does not calculate tax.

Prefer not to dig through the History tab? AI Trading Journal reads your closed trades from your own MT5 terminal and saves one entry in your own journal on your PC (and one Notion row, if you connect Notion) per closed position about every 5 minutes, with open and close time, size, prices, stop, target and profit. It is read-only, needs no broker login, and is Windows-only, with a 7-day free trial and a one-time $19.99.

This page is general information about record keeping. It is not tax, legal, trading or investment advice.

A simple calendar for record keeping

When	What to do
Every month	Export the full history (Positions view) and save it under a dated name; download the broker statement if one is offered
Every quarter	Reconcile the totals (see below) and note any differences
End of the year	Create a final export for each account, save the broker's annual statement, and copy everything to a second location
When you change broker	Export everything before closing the old account, because history access may end

How to reconcile your records

A reconciliation checks that the numbers add up. The core idea is that an account's balance change should be explained by trade results, costs and money moved in and out:

Starting balance + deposits - withdrawals + net trading result (profit, commission and swap) = ending balance.

For example, with a hypothetical starting balance of 10,000, deposits of 2,000, withdrawals of 500 and a net trading result of +1,350, the ending balance should be 12,850. If your statement says 12,800, something is missing, perhaps a charge or a trade outside the period. Find the difference while the records are fresh, not at the end of the year.

Questions worth putting to your broker and accountant

Which statements does the broker provide, and for which periods?
How long does the broker keep account history online?
In which currency are the statements shown, and how are deposits and withdrawals converted?
Which of the figures in the history does my accountant need, and in what format?
How should I treat swaps, commissions and any fees or bonuses?

We do not give tax advice, and the answers depend on where you live and on your own situation, so these are questions for qualified professionals.

Keep copies where one failure cannot take them all

A copy on your own computer.
A copy on an external drive or a second cloud account.
A copy that is not in the same place as the first two, such as a drive stored away from your computer.

Files should be named so that you can tell the account, the period and the date of export, for example account-1234567_2026-01-to-2026-12_exported-2027-01-02. Do not edit the originals. If you need to correct something, copy the file, change the copy and add a note explaining what you changed and why.

The export guide shows the steps, and the hedging versus netting page explains why the number of rows can differ between account types.

Frequently asked questions

Does MT5 have a tax report?

As far as we know, no. MT5 keeps your trade history, which you can save. Ask your broker about statements and consult a tax professional.

How do I export MT5 history for my accountant?

Open the History tab, choose all history, use the Positions view and save a report as HTML or Open XML (Excel). Also keep your broker statements.

What records should I keep as an MT5 trader?

Closed trades with times, prices, profit, commission and swap, deposits and withdrawals, broker statements, and notes on any corrections.

Related guides

Keep a second record of every trade automatically

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