Federal Income Taxation of Collectibles - Accurate information!
ModCrewman
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The topic of how sales of coins are taxed comes up with great regularity...and we are about to that part of the year where the question will start to show up again.
Here is a link to a very comprehensive article in "The Tax Adviser" a publication of the American Institute of CPA's (AICPA). The article is pretty technical...but when aren't tax articles technical? Enjoy.
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Are bitcoin profits taxed as capital gains? How is that tracked? Does some central authority send bitcoin transactions to the IRS?
If I buy a bitcoin for $8500 and the value of that bitcoin increases to $13500 and I choose to buy merchandise with that bitcoin then how is the $5000 increase in value accounted for?
Thanks for sharing.
Too bad the only calculation I'd have if I sold would be figuring out the extent of the damage. Actually having capital gains upon selling a coin collection these days is a rare occurrence.
It depends. Are you talking buying bitcoin and then selling it or mining bitcoin and then selling it? You could actually have some of your gain taxed as capital gain, and some as ordinary income depending upon the circumstances
Not well...and the IRS isn't happy about it either. There will actually be a question on the tax return for 2019 about whether or not you participated in any crypto transactions.
Depending upon the holding period, the increase would either be a long or short term capital gain.
(But...consult your own tax adviser...and never trust anything you read on the internet.)
No. it is just a general question.
Always put some $$ for taxes.
Reduces the shock when it comes due.
My re-taxed two cent non-qualified opinion.
The IRS has subpoenaed and received information on bitcoin sales from exchanges.
Let's say the records show you exchanged 0.1BTC for Ripple.
IRS will assume a zero basis and tax you on the 0.1BTC, say $900 as of the exchange date. It's now up to you to show a non-zero basis. Let's say you can show you bought it at $750, so the IRS only wants the tax on the $150 gain. But where did the $750 come from?
Those records might show you mined it (zero basis unless you can demonstrate what you spent on electricity, etc.) If you aren't mining as a business, you can't deduct the cost of your mining rig from your profits. But if you are, you have to depreciate it instead of just deducting it.
But if those records show you bought it for cash in 2017 at $100, then you owe taxes on $800 gain. If you exchanged ETH for it in 2017, you need to go back and amend your 2018 return (for the year ended 12/31/2017) to show the gain in THAT year.
However, you've now shown the IRS you had an account at Bitfinex and one in 2012 at Mt Gox too - they want to see THOSE records.
The IRS can go back seven years unless they allege fraud... then they can go back farther.
It's going to be a royal mess. Small fish will end up spending their entire gains on accountant's fees. Big fish will go to jail for tax evasion.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Yes, and the IRS is working to force Bitcoin exchanges to reveal their clientele. A number of people have received warning letters from the IRS already for not properly reporting capital gains in the past. Bitcoin is not treated as a currency but as chattel. Every transfer has potential capital gains ramifications, and I believe the new tax law in 2017 killed possible Section 1031 Like Kind Exchanges (and I think many people pre-2017 had problems when even exchanging from one cryptocurrency to another in getting 1031 coverage).
Maybe if coins and bullion were exempt the U.S. Mint would have better sales.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
All capital losses for me. I am in the clear.
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