Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas. Soil is one major emission source of N₂O, which is a byproduct of microorganismsdriven nitrification and denitrification processes. Extensive research has demonstrated archaea and bacteria are the predominant contributors in nitrification and denitrification. However, fungi may play a predominant role in the N transformation in a certain soil ecosystem. The fungal contribution to N₂O production has been rarely investigated. Here, we reviewed the mechanism of N₂O production by soil fungi. The mechanisms of denitrification, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification and their key microbes and functional genes were described, espectively. We discriminated the differences in denitrification between bacteria and fungi and discussed the methods being used to determine the contribution of fungi to soil N₂O emission, including selective inhibitors, ¹⁵N stable isotope probing, isolation and pure culturing and uncultured molecular detection methods. The existing problems and research prospects were also presented.