I helped lead the design of a new tax workflow that helped crypto users understand, upload, reconcile, and act on a brand-new IRS form before the industry had a clear playbook

Team

PM, UXR, Eng, CPAs, UX content, & Me

Timeline

About 7ish weeks

Status

Shipped and live in January 2026

The problem

Crypto users were about to receive a new IRS form called the 1099-DA from exchanges and brokers.

Many users would not know what the form meant, whether the data was accurate, or what they needed to fix before filing.

What do users care about?

What happens if I ignore this?

What happens if cost basis is missing?

What do I need to do next?

What is a 1099-DA?

Is my exchange data correct?

Why this was hard

This was not a normal feature where the rules were stable and behavior was known. The form, requirements, and industry expectations were still forming while the product was being designed.

Why this was hard

This was not a normal feature where the rules were stable and behavior was known. The form, requirements, and industry expectations were still forming while the product was being designed.

The form was new

Users had no existing mental model for what a 1099-DA meant.

The form was new

Users had no existing mental model for what a 1099-DA meant.

Rules were evolving

The team had to design flexible flows while tax guidance was still being interpreted.

Rules were evolving

The team had to design flexible flows while tax guidance was still being interpreted.

Trust mattered

Users needed to understand why CoinTracker could help validate cost basis and mismatches.

Trust mattered

Users needed to understand why CoinTracker could help validate cost basis and mismatches.

My role

I translated tax complexity into a guided product experience, working closely with CPAs, PM, UXR, and engineering.

My role

I translated tax complexity into a guided product experience, working closely with CPAs, PM, UXR, and engineering.

Mapped user journeys

Created early concepts

Partnered with two CPAs

Designed edge cases

Defined final states

Progress

Users needed exchange-level progress.

Explanations

Mismatches needed plain-language explanations.

Discovery

Before final screens, I worked with the team to understand core tax scenarios, user risks, and product requirements.

Learnings

Users needed education before action.

Early concepts

Exploring different ways to guide users.

Early concepts

Exploring different ways to guide users.

Education-first entry

A lightweight explanation of the new IRS regulation before asking users to upload or review anything.

Exchange checklist

A task-based list showing which exchanges needed action, which were completed, and which were waiting on forms.

Upload and match flow

A guided way for users to upload a form and compare it against CoinTracker data.

Reconciliation dashboard

A summary view showing proceeds, cost basis, mismatches, and next steps.

Focused tax flow

A more focused workflow that reduced distractions and helped users complete the task.

Missing form state

A path for users who had not received a 1099-DA yet, so they could return later.

We tested whether users could find the workflow, understand why it mattered, and confidently identify what action to take next.

What we tested

Start points, upload flow, reconciliation, exchange statuses, and next actions.

What we learned

Users needed reassurance, simpler tax language, and clearer progress by exchange.

What changed

We improved education, hierarchy, mismatch copy, and completion states.

UXR testing

Before final screens, I worked with the team to understand core tax scenarios, user risks, and product requirements.

UXR testing

Before final screens, I worked with the team to understand core tax scenarios, user risks, and product requirements.

Final journey

A guided path from confusion to completion

Final journey

A guided path from confusion to completion