When investing in crypto, unlike other forms of investment, you don't actually pay any tax on the currency itself while you hold it. You simply hold it, and watch it as the market changes.
Buying, swapping, or trading one crypto for another (ex. BTC → ETH) is a taxable event in Australia. Even though you never received any dollars in hand, you still have to pay tax at AUD equivalent value if you made a gain on the disposal of the BTC.
Cryptocurrency is classified as property by the IRS. That means crypto income and capital gains are taxable and crypto losses may be tax deductible.
Short-term crypto gains on purchases held for less than a year are subject to the same tax rates you pay on all other income: 10% to 37% for the 2022-2023 tax filing season, depending on your federal income tax bracket.
Through information from banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and financial institutions, the ATO can track crypto where it interacts with the 'real world' to follow the funds back to the taxpayer. Let's take a look under the hood at how the ATO tracks crypto.
Invest for the Long Term
You can avoid taxes altogether by not selling any cryptocurrency during a tax year as long as you hold it as an investment and it isn't earning any income. It may eventually be necessary to sell your cryptocurrency, though.
You calculate your loss by subtracting your sales price from the original purchase price, known as “basis,” and report the loss on Schedule D and Form 8949 on your tax return. If your crypto losses exceed other investment gains and $3,000 of regular income, you can use the rest in subsequent years, Greene-Lewis said.
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is a risky investment with high volatility. It should only be considered if you have a high risk tolerance, are in a strong financial position and can afford to lose any money you invest in it.
There are typically four ways to turn Bitcoin into cash instantly: Use a crypto debit card like the BitPay Card. Sell crypto for cash on a central exchange like Coinbase or Kraken. Use a P2P exchange.
However, you still need to report your earnings to the IRS even if you earned less than $600, the company says. The IRS can also see your cryptocurrency activity when it subpoenas virtual trading platforms, Chandrasekera says.
Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies are legal in Australia and are treated as property. It is legal to trade, spend, receive and store cryptocurrency, and they are an accepted means of payment for personal and business transactions, although merchants are not obliged to accept it.
How long does it take to mine one Bitcoin? It takes around 10 minutes to mine just one Bitcoin, though this is with ideal hardware and software, which isn't always affordable and only a few users can boast the luxury of. More commonly and reasonably, most users can mine a Bitcoin in 30 days.
How do I file my CoinSpot taxes? You need to report any capital gains, losses, or income from crypto to the ATO as part of your annual tax return - either by using the myTax portal, or paper forms NAT 2541 & NAT 2670.
If you don't report a crypto-taxable event, you could incur interest, penalties, or even criminal charges if the IRS audits you. You may also even receive a letter from the IRS if you failed to report income and pay taxes on crypto, or do not report your transactions properly.
The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, meaning that when you buy, sell or exchange it, this counts as a taxable event and typically results in either a capital gain or loss. When you earn income from cryptocurrency activities, this is taxed as ordinary income.
Do I have to pay taxes if I sell crypto at a loss? Selling cryptocurrency at a loss can reduce your tax bill by offsetting capital gains from cryptocurrency, stocks, and other assets.
Is sending crypto to another wallet taxable? Sending crypto to another wallet that you own is not considered a taxable event. In this case, no 'disposal' has occurred so there's no capital gains tax. Is it better to keep your crypto in a wallet or an exchange?
There is no way to legally evade your cryptocurrency taxes in Australia. Remember, Australian exchanges are required to share customer information with the ATO. In the past, the ATO has used this information to send warning letters to thousands of Australian crypto investors.
The short answer is, the ATO already know when you're trading cryptocurrency. The ATO has developed a data matching program with cryptocurrency exchanges to ensure no cryptocurrency transaction sneaks through the cracks.
The ATO has announced it will access the records and personal information of 500,000 to 1 million Australians in a crackdown of cryptocurrency trading.
The ATO can track money trails back to taxpayers through data from banks, financial institutions and crypto asset online exchanges. “We are able to match this data to individuals transacting in crypto assets, so don't forget to include gains and losses in your tax return” Mr Loh said.