Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed one of the most controversial tax reform bills in U.S. history. Bundled within those rules were cryptocurrency regulations that implement taxation for traders. The new law amends IRC Section 1031 (a)(1) regarding “like kind exchanges,” excluding all cryptocurrencies from a previous legal loophole, Fortune reported.
As Suzanne Walsh, a partner at the Murtha Cullina law firm, explained to Fortune, because of a tweaked definition of “property” cryptocurrency is no longer eligible for the exemption:
“The tax act in Sec. 13303 amends IRC Section 1031 (a)(1) to delete “property” and replace it with “real property” … So, you can see that now I can no longer take the position that my Bitcoin to Litecoin exchange was a like kind one under Sec. 1031, and I have to recognize the gain when I do it,” Walsh said.
Walsh added that the “in kind” exemption can now only apply to real estate transactions, effectively closing a loophole that has been open to other sorts of property transaction such as those involving Bitcoin.
Digital currency owners are currently obliged to pay taxes when they exchange cryptocurrencies for fiat or physical goods, but the new rule now effectively means all crypto transactions are taxable.
This comes after an IRS investigation revealed that only 802 customers of Coinbase, filed an 8949 form related to Bitcoin-related capital gains or losses in 2015.
However, Cryptocurrency exchanges have yet to provide customers with a 1099 form to do so. This could mean that in the near future Coinbase will be forced to not only identify all of its users but to email them 1099 forms at the end of the year for tax collection purposes.
In addition, this may also indicate that cryptocurrency exchanges not based in the U.S. will ban citizens in the United States from trading on their exchanges since the IRS is a U.S. entity.
According to another law firm, Perkins Coie, 62 other countries are also planning regulations for cryptocurrencies.
That data compiled by Perkins Coie is below:
| Country | Current summary | Key developments |
| Abu Dhabi | Issuers and intermediaries of virtual currencies and “security” tokens may be subject to regulation—depending upon the nature of the product and service. | On Oct. 9, 2017, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi issued guidance on the regulation of initial coin/token offerings (ICO) and digital currency as supplemental guidance to the existing 2015 Financial Services and Markets Regulations. |
| Argentina | Virtual currencies are not legal tender under the country’s National Constitution, which designates the Central Bank as the only authority that may issue legal tender. | On Nov. 2, 2017, Argentina’s largest futures trading market, the Mercado de Termino de Rosario (Rofex) has been considering offering services to investors in digital currencies and plans to make an announcement by the end of 2017. |
| Austria | Austria regulates financial services involving virtual currencies. | |
| Australia | Digital currency exchanges will be subject to registration and regulation in mid-2018, once amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act of 2006 take effect. Digital currency transactions are no longer subject to goods and services taxes (GST) but remain subject to incomes and capital gains taxes. | On December 7, 2017 the Australian Parliament passed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act of 2006. On Dec. 8, 2017, The Australian Taxation Office updated its guidance on GST and digital currency to address tokens and ICOs. On Oct. 18, 2017, Australia approved legislation introduced on September 14 to remove the double taxation on digital currency. On Aug. 8, 2017, Australian senators from both major political parties announced that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) should formally recognize bitcoin and other digital currencies as official forms of currency. On March 20, 2017, Australia’s securities and investments regulator, ASIC, released guidance on the use of distributed ledger technology (including blockchain) in financial services and financial markets. |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Bank issued a warning against conducting transactions in cryptocurrency, and reportedly stated that such use is punishable by up to 12 years in jail | |
| Belgium | The National Bank of Belgium has warned investors and the public of the dangers of virtual currencies and declared that they are not legal tender, and the Minister of Justice has announced his intention to impose strict regulations on virtual currency activities. | On June 16, 2017, the National Bank of Belgium issued a report on the threat of digital currencies to monetary policy—concluding that “any threats to monetary stability caused by digital currencies issued by private players are rather limited at this point.” |
| Bermuda | Government intends to begin regulating virtual currencies and ICOs in 2018. | The Government of Bermuda announced it will begin to regulate virtual currency exchanges, coins and securitized tokens, in early 2018. The new regulation would include the activities of firms, operating in or from Bermuda, that use distributed ledger technologies (DLT) to store or transmit value. |
| Bolivia | Virtual currency has been explicitly banned. | |
| Brazil | The Central Bank of Brazil has not yet regulated virtual currencies, but has issued the now-standard warnings about their use. | |
| Bulgaria | Personal income from the sale or exchange of bitcoin is taxable, and will be treated as income from sale of financial assets. | |
| Canada | Canadian lawmakers seem to be taking a lighter approach to regulating virtual currencies, with a ‘regulate-and-embrace’ policy, focusing primarily on anti-money laundering concerns | In Nov. 2017, the Bank of Canada has issued a discussion paper addressing whether a central bank should issue digital currency (CBDC) that could be used by the general public. On Nov. 2, 2017, the Ontario Securities Commission granted regulatory relief to Toronto-based Funder, Inc. to allow Ontario’s first regulated ICO/ITO. On May 25, 2017, the Bank of Canada stated that its experiment with blockchain, or distributed ledger technology, showed it is currently not compatible with operating the country’s centralized interbank payment systems |
| China | Financial institutions and third-party payment providers are banned from accepting, using, or selling virtual currencies. Although its use remains legal, the People’ s Bank of China has required exchanges to register with the appropriate regulatory authorities and has suggested it will closely watch the markets. The People’s Bank of China has allegedly warned banks from working with virtual currency-related businesses. | On Sept. 4, 2017, China banned all companies and individuals from raising funds through ICO activities, reiterating that ICOs are considered illegal activity in the country. |
| Colombia | Colombia’s financial regulatory body (SFC) has prohibited banks from working with virtual currency. The SFC and the Central Bank have also indicated that bitcoin is not a currency. | |
| Croatia | Informal statements by the Croatian National Bank are favorable regarding the legality of bitcoin. | |
| Cyprus | Virtual currencies are not illegal in Cyprus, but Central Bank has warned about their use. | |
| Czech Republic | Czech Ministry of Finance has indicated that virtual currency transactions are subject to anti-money-laundering laws and reporting requirements. | |
| Denmark | Financial Supervisory Authority has issued warnings about the risks of virtual currencies, similar to other European nations, and has suggested there may be amendments to regulations regarding virtual currencies. Currently, it does not appear that virtual currencies are regulated, at least under money laundering or financial institution regulations. | |
| Ecuador | Ecuador has banned issuance, promotion, or circulation of virtual currencies, and plans to issue its own digital currency for use as legal tender. | |
| Estonia | Informal cautions regarding use of bitcoin in response to email inquiries; bitcoin income is treated as capital gains. | On Aug. 23, 2017, Estonia proposed the launch of its own state-managed cryptocurrency, “estcoin,” which would be launched using an ICO. |
| European Union | European Banking Authority issued warnings to the public about the risks associated with virtual currencies, and recently indicated it will apply anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing rules to virtual currencies. | On Sept. 7, 2017,European Central Bank President Draghi rejected Estonia’s plans to launch its own state-run digital currency, “estcoin,” and indicated that the ECB would not allow Estonia or any other EU member state to introduce its own currency |
| Finland | Based on informal interviews, the best indication is that virtual currencies are treated as commodities in Finland. | On Nov. 22, 2017, Finland’s Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) issued a warning that initial coin/token offerings (ICOs/ITOs) and cryptocurrencies are risky and highly speculative investments. |
| France | Bank of France has issued warnings similar to other European nations. There were informal indications that France might have been willing to allow virtual currency companies to operate as payment service providers under French law, and France has now indicated it will implement customer identity verification rules for virtual currency platforms. | |
| Germany | Virtual currencies are financial instruments under German law and, more specifically, are a form of “private money” that can be taxed as capital. Certain uses may also require a license or permit. | On Nov. 15, 2017, Germany’s Federal Financial Authority (BaFin) released a statement warning consumers of the risks of initial coin offerings (ICOs). |
| Hong Kong | Informal guidance suggests that regulatory authorities are monitoring virtual currencies, particularly with regard to money laundering. Virtual currency considered a virtual commodity and not legal tender. | |
| Iceland | Regulates virtual currencies as electronic currency through the Icelandic Exchange Act, which effectively prohibits entities from engaging in the exchange of virtual currency. | |
| India | The Indian government does not (yet) regulate cryptocurrency exchanges. Reserve Bank of India has issued warnings to the public about the risks associated with virtual currencies and has suggested it is examining virtual currencies under India’s existing legal framework. | On Nov. 16, 2017, the Indian Supreme Court issued a notice to the central bank and several other agencies asking them to respond to a petition made to the court to regulate bitcoin. The petition called on the Court to make cryptocurrencies accountable to the exchequer, expressing concerns about the untraceablility of digital currency transactions |
| Indonesia | Virtual currencies are not legal tender, and using virtual currencies violates the country’s information and electronic transaction laws and currency laws. | |
| Iran | Iran intends to implement strict regulations for digital currencies. | On Dec. 2, 2017, bucking international sanctions, the High Council of Cyberspace in Iran (HCC) announced that it will accept the use of bitcoin but the digital currency will be subject to strict regulation. |
| Ireland | The Central Bank of Ireland does not regulate bitcoin. Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners are monitoring bitcoin for tax-related developments. | |
| Isle of Man | The government intends to put economic infrastructure in place promoting virtual currency businesses, subject to anti-money-laundering requirements. | In 2016, the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) and Treasury approved regulation to allow digital currencies including bitcoin to be accepted as cash. |
| Israel | The Israeli central bank and Finance Ministry has issued warnings to the public about the risks associated with virtual currencies. | In Jan. 2017, Israel’s government said it was set to apply capital gains tax to bitcoin sales, categorizing digital currencies as a type of property. |
| Italy | A law requiring identification of parties in bitcoin transactions has been proposed in the Italian Parliament, but no regulation yet. Virtual currency is not legal tender. | |
| Japan | Japan approved a law regulating Virtual Currencies on May 25, 2016 which was promulgated on June 3, 2016. The law was enacted and came into effect on April 1, 2017. | On Sept. 30, 2017, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan granted its first licenses for digital currency exchanges to 11 companies. On April 1, 2017, Japan’s Financial Services Agency enacted a new law authorizing the use of digital currency as a method of payment, essentially granting it the same legal status as any other currency. The law follows months of debate which ultimately brought Bitcoin exchanges under anti-money laundering/know-your-customer rules, and resulted in the categorization of Bitcoin as a kind of prepaid payment instrument. |
| Jordan | Virtual currencies are not legal tender in Jordan and the Central Bank has warned against their use. Banks, currency exchanges, financial companies, and payment service providers operating in Jordan are prohibited from dealing in virtual currencies. | |
| Lebanon | Bank of Lebanon has issued warnings to the public about the risks associated with virtual currencies, and has said that financial institutions and exchanges cannot, be decree, deal in virtual currencies as “e-money.” | |
| Luxembourg | The issuance of virtual currency is not regulated “from a monetary point of view.” Financial services providers, which could include virtual currency businesses, must receive authorization from the Minister of Finance. | |
| Malaysia | Virtual currencies were previously not legal tender in Malaysia, but the government will enforce new cryptocurrency regulation soon. | On Nov. 6, 2017, the chairman of Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) said at a finance conference that the SC is working on regulations and guidelines for the use of digital assets and cryptocurrency. |
| Malta | Malta’s government is reportedly developing a broad national strategy that will see the government embrace bitcoin and blockchain innovation to promote and adopt the technology. | On Oct. 23, 2017, the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) published draft regulation for collective investment schemes investing in virtual currencies, which would be narrowly applicable to Professional Investor Funds (PIFs) that have investing in virtual currencies as their objective. |
| Mexico | Virtual currencies are not legal tender currency, and the Bank of Mexico has warned of risks of using virtual currencies. | |
| Morocco | The use of cryptocurrencies is outlawed in Morocco. | On Nov. 21, 2017, Morocco’s foreign exchange authority, the Office des Changes, stated in a press release that transacting with cryptocurrencies within Morocco violates existing regulations. |
| Netherlands | The Netherlands do not regulate bitcoin under its Act on Financial Supervision, but its national bank has released consumer warnings regarding the use of virtual currency. | |
| New Zealand | Informal warnings about the risks associated with virtual currencies; suggestion from Commerce Commission that virtual currency may be regulated. | On Oct. 25, 2017, New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority (FMA) published commentary on initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency services to supplement its online resources for investors. The FMA indicated that the specific characteristics and economic substance of an ICO determine whether the coins/tokens offered are a financial product and how (or if) it should be regulated. |
| Norway | Indications are that virtual currencies are not “money” or “currency” but are assets subject to capital gains taxes. | On Feb. 9, 2017, following a recent European Court of Justice ruling, the Directorate of the Norwegian Ministry of Finance reviewed its position on the applicability of VAT exemptions to Bitcoin, and recently concluded that services relating to the exchange of Bitcoin are covered by the VAT Act’s exemption for financial services. |
| Philippines | Exchanges are not regulated by the Philippines Central Bank or other regulatory authorities in the country. | The Philippines Government has been moving towards legalizing and regulating digital currencies, which would be deemed securities and placed under the supervision of the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| Poland | Virtual currencies are not illegal, but are also not legal tender. They are subject to capital gains taxes and value-added tax. | On Feb. 22, 2017, Poland’s Financial Ombudsman called on the country’s Ministry of Finance to regulate the local cryptocurrency industry, claiming that as Poland’s cryptocurrency market is experiencing rapid growth, it should be subject to regulations that would protect customers of cryptocurrency exchanges. |
| Portugal | Warnings from the Bank of Portugal about the risks of virtual currency, while clarifying that the Bank does not regulate bitcoin. | |
| Russia | Digital currencies were previously banned as money surrogates under federal law, however, 2017 has seen a softening of Russia’s regulation of cryptocurrency. Plans to regulate cryptocurrency have made headway, and procedures for buying cryptocurrency are scheduled to be announced by the end of 2017. | In Dec. 2017, Deputy Finance Minister of Russia Aleksey Moiseev indicated that the Russian government is working on laws to regulate digital currencies, but proposed that mining of digital currencies will become illegal. On Oct. 10, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his government and the Central Bank to issue an official cryptocurrency, the “cryptoruble.” |
| Serbia | Warning from the National Bank of Serbia that Bitcoin is not legal tender and cannot be subject to sale and purchase by banks and licensed exchange dealers. Warning that lack of legal protections over Bitcoin constitutes a risk and may result in financial losses. | |
| Singapore | Virtual currencies are not “money” or “currency.” However, virtual currency businesses may be subject to anti-money-laundering regulations. Informal reporting suggests that virtual currency sales are taxed as income, investments are taxed as capital gains, and may be subject to goods and services tax. | On Nov. 21, 2017, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) published a consultation paper proposing legislation for payment services. The proposed bill would expand the scope of regulation to include the purchase and sale of virtual currencies and other innovations used in domestic money transfers and merchant transactions via point-of-sale or online payment gateways. |
| South Africa | South African Reserve Bank has warned that virtual currencies have no legal status and are subject to lack of security, may lose value, and may not be convertible to legal tender. | |
| South Korea | Virtual currencies are not legal currency, are volatile and risky, and have no intrinsic value. | On. Dec. 6, 2017, Korea’s Financial Services Commission issued a ban on the trading of bitcoin futures, prompting several securities firms to cancel seminars scheduled in December for bitcoin futures investors. |
| Spain | Virtual currencies are reportedly taxable as an electronic payment system under gambling law, but its treatment under other areas of law is unclear. | |
| Sweden | Informal statement from a tax official suggests that virtual currencies are not currencies in Sweden but instead will be treated as assets. | |
| Switzerland | Swiss financial regulator has defined licensing requirements for bitcoin kiosk operators and said that virtual currency platforms are subject to anti-money laundering act, but other regulation unlikely because virtual currencies are perceived as a marginal phenomenon. | On Sept. 29, 2017, Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) issued guidance on the increase in initial coin offerings (ICOs) within the country. Additionally, FINMA is investigating several ICOs to determine whether the issuers of those ICOs violated current regulations |
| Taiwan | Central Bank and Financial Supervisory Commission warned that virtual currencies are not currencies, but commodities and have no legal protection. Both plan to regulate virtual currencies. | |
| Thailand | Thai law probably does not regulate virtual currencies, but that does not mean that exchanges are free to operate in Thailand. | |
| Turkey | Turkey’s recently enacted law on payment services and electronic money does not apply to bitcoin. | |
| United Kingdom | Reportedly, exchanges do not have to register under money laundering regulations. Virtual currencies are taxed under goods and services taxes based on profits from a sale. The UK is planning stricter regulations on Bitcoin. | On. Nov. 14, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK published a warning to consumers about the risks of investing in cryptocurrency contracts-for-differences. On Oct. 27, 2017, the UK Parliament discussed amendments to the European Union’s current Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which would include cryptocurrency. . The proposed amendments would bring digital currency exchange platforms and custodian wallet providers under the purview of existing legislation. |
| Venezuela | On Dec. 3, 2017, Venezuela launched its own digital currency, the “petro”, backed by oil, gas, gold and diamond reserves. President Nicolas Maduro announced the launch, which he said would Help Venezuela advance its sovereignty and overcome the burdens of global economic sanctions. |
Bitcoin is currently trading at [FIAT: $14,204.00] down -7.82% according to Coin Market Cap at the time of this report.
Want an edge in the crypto markets? Subscribe to our free newsletter. Follow Coinivore on Facebook, at Twitter and Steemit.