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How to Export Your IBKR Flex Query XML for Tax Calculation

To calculate your taxes with the ActiveACB ACB calculator, you need to export your trading activity from Interactive Brokers as a Flex Query XML file. Follow these steps carefully. The adjusted cost base guide explains the rules the calculator applies.

By Sam Tcherner · Published · Last reviewed

Step 1

Log In to IBKR Client Portal

Go to interactivebrokers.com and log in to your account using your username and password. Make sure the toggle is set to Live, not Paper.

IBKR Login Page
Step 2

Navigate to Flex Queries

Once logged in, look at the top navigation bar. Hover over Performance & Reports. A dropdown menu will appear. Click on Flex Queries, which is the third option in the dropdown.

Performance and Reports dropdown showing Flex Queries option
Step 3

Create a New Activity Flex Query

You will now see the Flex Queries page. Under the Activity Flex Query section, click the + button in the top-right corner of that panel to create a new custom flex query.

Flex Queries page with the plus button highlighted
Step 4

Name Your Query and Select Sections

A large configuration page will open titled Activity Flex Query Details. In the Query Name field, enter any name you like, for example TaxQuery.

Below the name field you will see a Sections area with many report categories listed in two columns. Select each of the following sections:

Click on each section one at a time to select it.

TaxQuery configuration page showing selected sections highlighted in blue
Step 5

Configure Each Section's Fields

When you click on any of the selected sections, a popup dialog will open showing the available fields for that section. For each section, check Select All at the top to include every field, then click Save. Repeat this for every section you selected in Step 4.

Example section dialog with Select All checked and all fields selected
Step 6

Review Delivery Settings and Save

After configuring all sections, scroll down to the delivery configuration options. Leave the defaults as follows:

Models
Optional
Format
XML
Period
Year to Date
Date Format
yyyyMMdd
Time Format
HHmmss
Date/Time Separator
; (semi-colon)
Profit and Loss
Default
Include Offsetting Trade/Cancel Pairs
No
Include Currency Rates
No
Include Audit Trail Fields
No
Display Account Alias in Place of Account ID
No
Breakout by Day
No

Click Continue to save your query. A confirmation window will appear with a green checkmark.

Confirmation screen showing Complete with green checkmark
Step 7

Run Your Flex Query

Navigate back to the Flex Queries page. You should now see your newly created query listed under the Activity Flex Query section. Hover over the arrow icon next to your query and click Run.

Flex Queries page showing TaxQuery listed with the Run button
Step 8

Select the Date Range and Download

A dialog box will appear asking you to choose a Period and Format.

Date range for accurate ACB: For the most accurate Adjusted Cost Base under Canadian pooling rules, your Flex Query should cover your full trading history, from when you first started trading, not just the current tax year. The engine processes all years chronologically to compute correct pooled ACB, but only reports dispositions for your selected tax year.

IBKR limits each Flex Query to a rolling 365-day window. If your trading history spans more than one year, you will need to download multiple files and upload them all together. If your Flex Query covers several accounts, a single consolidated file works too; every account statement inside it is parsed, and overlapping rows are counted once.

Example for a 2025 tax return with trading history starting in 2021:

Upload all files together using the Add another account button on the calculation page. The engine automatically detects and removes duplicate trades from overlapping date ranges; a 1 to 2 day overlap between files is fine. Uploading multiple files in one calculation requires season access.

Uploading your complete history is always the most accurate option: the engine derives your opening positions and your opening foreign-cash balances from the years before your tax year. If you traded only in CAD and never held US-dollar cash, you can shorten the range to start at the earliest position you still held at the beginning of the tax year; if you traded in USD, keep the full history so your foreign-currency gains under s.39(2) start from the correct balances.

For complete superficial loss detection: Set the end date of your final file to January 30 of the following year (e.g., Jan 30, 2026 for a 2025 return). If you sold investments at a loss in December, this lets the engine detect January repurchases that would trigger the superficial loss rule under ITA s.54. This step is optional. If you skip it, the report will flag affected December losses with a warning.

Make sure Format is set to XML, then click Run. Repeat for each date range window you need. The XML file will download to your computer.

TaxQuery run dialog showing Period and Format options
Step 9

Upload to ActiveACB

Once you have your downloaded XML file(s), return to ActiveACB and upload them using the calculation page. Click Add another account to add multiple files. The engine automatically removes duplicate trades from overlapping date ranges. Your trades, dividends, fees, and all relevant tax data will be parsed automatically. If anything needs a correction, the inline trade editor on the results page lets you fix, add, or delete rows and recalculate without re-uploading.

Broker Reconciliation, IBKR only: your results include a Broker Reconciliation section that compares IBKR's own realized P&L for each symbol against the engine's Schedule 3 figure, with each difference explained (FX method, superficial losses, return of capital, options, short sales). It appears on the results page, in your history, and in the PDF report.

IBKR accounts with TFSA or RRSP sub-accounts: If your Flex Query covers multiple accounts and includes a registered account (TFSA, RRSP, RRIF, or FHSA), enter those account IDs in the Registered account IDs to exclude field on the upload page before calculating. Your IBKR account ID appears in the top-right corner of Client Portal (e.g., U1234567). Registered account trades and income are not taxable and should not appear in your tax report.

Upload Your Flex Query →