Do You Have To Pay Taxes On Crypto? – Everything You Need To Know 2023

Cryptocurrency is still a new thing, and the government hasn’t had time to catch up with it yet. That means that there are still plenty of gray areas when it comes to taxes on crypto. But don’t worry—we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about paying taxes on your cryptocurrency investments and trading activities.

IN THE U.S., ALL TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING CRYPTOCURRENCIES ARE TAXABLE EVENTS.

In the United States, all transactions involving cryptocurrencies are taxable events. This means that if you buy, sell or trade crypto, it’s a taxable transaction. If you exchange your crypto for fiat currency (like USD), then that’s also a taxable event.

If you use cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services or make donations—even if the person or company receiving your payment doesn’t use fiat currency—then those are also considered taxable activities in the U.S..

EVERY TIME YOU BUY OR SELL CRYPTOCURRENCIES, CASH IN OR OUT OF IT FOR FIAT CURRENCIES LIKE USD, OR USE IT TO BUY GOODS OR SERVICES, YOU HAVE A TAXABLE EVENT.

It’s important to understand that if you are trading on an exchange like Coinbase and receiving digital currency (cryptocurrency) as payment for goods or services then the transaction is taxable. You must record the fair market value of the cryptocurrency at the time of receipt in USD and record any gains when selling it later. It doesn’t matter if your bank account is located outside the United States; all transactions will be subject to US federal income tax rules for both individuals and businesses alike.

To calculate your taxes on crypto:

  • Calculate your cost basis by adding up all purchases made over time and deducting any fees charged by exchanges (example: buying 1 BTC from $5k).

  • The difference between what you paid for something versus its current value equals your gain/loss per unit bought – so if you bought one Bitcoin at $5k but now its worth $6k then my current gain/loss per BTC would be ($6k-$5k)/1BTC = $100*0.01= $1USD per BTC!

YOU MIGHT STILL OWE TAXES EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T MAKE A PROFIT FROM VIRTUAL CURRENCY.

If you bought cryptocurrency and then sold it at a loss, the IRS treats that like any other capital loss. That means you can deduct it from other taxable income to reduce your tax bill for the year.

But if you sold bitcoin or another digital coin for profit, that’s considered “regular income,” not a capital gain or loss—and therefore taxed as normal income in the year of sale. This is why many people who made millions of dollars off crypto are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes: they were too busy celebrating their newfound wealth to remember their tax obligations!

VIRTUAL CURRENCIES ARE TREATED AS PROPERTY FOR TAX PURPOSES, NOT AS CURRENCY.

If you own cryptocurrency, you are subject to capital gains taxes when you sell or trade it. If you buy cryptocurrency and hold it long enough to accrue a profit after selling, then that profit is considered a capital gain and is subject to taxes.

If your virtual currency loses value over time but never gains any value such that it can be sold or traded, then any losses are not taxable. However, in this case they may still be reportable on an income tax return (see below).

Different types of crypto transactions have different rates of taxation: buying cryptocurrencies at market rate from another person who owns them (not from an exchange) is taxed like other transactions involving property; buying cryptocurrency from an exchange may be taxed like barter exchanges; receiving cryptocurrency as payment for goods or services makes the transaction more like barter than trade; mining newly minted coins counts as income because it’s essentially creating something out of nothing (it’s no longer just existing); trading one kind of crypto asset for another kind counts as income unless done with friends/family without taking into account fair market value—in which case it’s not taxable by law.

CRYPTOCURRENCY IS TAXED AT DIFFERENT RATES DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND HOW LONG YOU’VE HAD IT.

Again, it’s important to note that these rates are based on the current tax law. If you want to know your exact tax obligations for any given year, you can use an online tax calculator like TurboTax to figure out how much money you need to pay.

If all this feels overwhelming, don’t worry! A lot of people feel overwhelmed by taxes and don’t know where to begin. The good news is that there are a lot of resources out there that can help guide you through the process and make sure everything gets done correctly.

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE CRYPTO SPACE AND DETERMINE THE BEST ACTIONS TO TAKE BASED ON YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS.

With so much change happening in the crypto market, it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening and determine the best actions to take based on your financial goals. For example, if you want to buy a new car, you should wait until prices go down. If you need funds for an emergency fund or retirement, then now might be a good time because prices are high. Also keep tabs on regulations and tax laws so that your holdings aren’t taxed at an unexpected rate.

If you have questions about taxes or how best to invest in crypto now or later (or when), then contact us! We’re happy to help answer any questions about taxes and other aspects of investing in cryptocurrency as well as provide guidance throughout this exciting time period.

TAKEAWAY

The bottom line is that cryptocurrency is extremely volatile and should be treated as such. If you are looking to invest in virtual currency, it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening in the space and make sure you understand how taxes will affect your long-term financial goals.