GT News

Taxes, accounting, law and more. All the key news for your business.

| March 23, 2018

Taxation of Virtual Currencies

Share article:

Virtual currencies are a digital expression of value, they do not occupy the status of a legal tender, and their value is based on the faith of the investors. Neither exchange offices, nor transactions with virtual currencies are regulated and monitored and therefore it is impossible to claim any of those transactions. Virtual currency can also be accompanied by problems connected to technical issues and that can lead to devaluation of investments. Despite all the risks, virtual currencies are becoming more and more popular. 

However, the investors should realize that any profit from virtual currencies (such as the bitcoin) are subject to income tax. According to a non-official statement, the Financial Administration currently views bitcoin as a thing, an intangible, movable and substitutable thing. It is clear from this statement that all bitcoin transactions should be subject to income taxation because income subject to taxation is any income gained by an exchange. The Financial Administration wants to point out, that not only income from trading with virtual currencies should be taxed, but also income from an advantage (exchange for legal tender). Taxable income is also monetization or exchange of bitcoins for other goods or services, i.e. purchase of goods from an online shop using bitcoins. 

The related income should, according to the information from the Financial Administration, be proved based on whether it was obtained by a natural person as part of an entrepreneurial activity, or whether it is so called other income. There is no special provision for income from sale of intangible movable things that would allow for exemption from tax, such as the time of possession of 3 years concerning income from sale of securities. 

Thus, there are no provisions in current legislation for bitcoins and in case of any disputes which may arise, the decision could probably be made only by the courts.