US Politicians Want Tax Exemptions For Bitcoin Purchases Less Than $600

Two politicians want to make bitcoin purchases below $600 not subject to tax laws. The lawmakers, Representatives David Schweikert and Jared Polis, who are also co-chairs of the Blockchain Caucus, hope to lesson the tax burden on cryptocurrency users. They are calling their bill the Cryptocurrency Tax Fairness Act.  Also read: Grayscale’s Trust Contemplates Creating Another Entity for Bitcoin Cash

Brief History of Bitcoin Taxation Rules

This news comes in light of the fact bitcoin is said to be taxable as property. In March 2014, the IRS released documentation sayings that “virtual currency” is fully taxable and counts as property. The Internal Revenue Service website said, “IRS Virtual Currency Guidance: Virtual Currency Is Treated as Property for U.S. Federal Tax Purposes; General Rules for Property Transactions Apply.” The agency further said wages paid to employees in “virtual currency” must be reported. Employees should fill out a W2 in order to report their wages to government for collection. This information also comes alongside the IRS’s ongoing legal battle with the online wallet Coinbase. The government agency is trying to legally coerce the company into handing over user information pertaining to bitcoin accounts and other sensitive data.

Details of the Bill; Invigorate the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem

The Cryptocurrency Tax Fairness Act should allow for a de minimis exemption on all purchases less than $600, which means there be no property liability on smaller purchases. The bill said: “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income de minimus gains from certain sales or exchanges of virtual currency, and for other purposes.” If the bill were to get passed, cryptocurrency users would benefit greatly from it in terms of feeling comfortable with making micro-purchases with their bitcoin. It could also further invigorate the cryptocurrency ecosystem, especially after the PBOC outlawed ICOs/token sales. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how governments decide to manage the way decentralized currencies continue to have an impact on the world economy. Do you think the Cryptocurrency Tax Fairness Act will pass? Should governments even be regulating cryptocurrency? Let us know in the comments section below.

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