Last week (as I write this), I met with a new client. He purchased a lot of cryptocurrency in 2016 but didn’t sell any of it until around Thanksgiving of 2017 (he had one small sale). He asked me if he had to report it; I told him he definitely did: I haven’t found anything in the Tax Code that exempts cryptocurrency from US taxation. We entered it, and the gain was duly noted on his return. He then asked me about his other purchases of cryptocurrency. He had heard about Coinbase complying with a summons (indeed, he received notification about this from Coinbase) and wondered about that. I told him there was nothing he need do about his purchases. The IRS ruled that cryptocurrency is property, so only disposals of cryptocurrency need be noted on tax returns. Your records may be going to the IRS, but there’s nothing you need to do about it or anything to worry about.
Contrast that with a different individual; let’s call him John. I met with John last week. Our Engagement Letter now specifically notes that cryptocurrency transactions must be included on tax returns. John said he had over 3,000 transactions of swapping various cryptocurrencies and, “There’s no way in hell I’m going to tell the IRS about them.” I told him it was nice meeting him, and he would need to find another tax professional to prepare his return because there’s no way in hell I’m going to be an accomplice to tax evasion.
I’m not enamored by the IRS’s decision to tax cryptocurrency as property rather than currency. If cryptocurrency were taxed as currency, calculating gains would be simple and straightforward. True, for some individuals who have bought a single cryptocurrency and have few trades, cryptocurrency taxation isn’t a big deal. However, we are dealing with lots of clients with huge trading volumes. And then we have the forks, airdrops, and who knows what else.
The IRS is looking for help in how to tax a fork. Is the correct analogy a stock split? Or do we have a stock dividend? Peter Reilly argues that the best course for individuals in this situation is to file an extension and hope that the IRS issues guidance by late summer. Unfortunately, no one knows when the IRS will issue guidance.
But there is one certainty: Ignoring your cryptocurrency realized gains is a bad idea. The IRS issued a reminder about this. An excerpt:
The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers that income from virtual currency transactions is reportable on their income tax returns.
Virtual currency transactions are taxable by law just like transactions in any other property. The IRS has issued guidance in IRS Notice 2014-21 for use by taxpayers and their return preparers that addresses transactions in virtual currency, also known as digital currency.
Taxpayers who do not properly report the income tax consequences of virtual currency transactions can be audited for those transactions and, when appropriate, can be liable for penalties and interest.
In more extreme situations, taxpayers could be subject to criminal prosecution for failing to properly report the income tax consequences of virtual currency transactions. Criminal charges could include tax evasion and filing a false tax return. Anyone convicted of tax evasion is subject to a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000. Anyone convicted of filing a false return is subject to a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000.
So if you’re a Bozo, just ignore that million you made selling Bitcoin. They’ll never catch you…you hope.
Tags: Bitcoins, BozoTaxTips