tax

The Korean Tax Tribunal recently made a re-investigation ruling on a dispute regarding the gift tax on Bitcoin. The case involves whether transferring Bitcoin through a spouse's overseas exchange account constitutes a gift, which has attracted widespread attention in the cryptocurrency tax community. The case shows that taxpayer A transferred 67 Bitcoins stored in a personal hardware cold wallet (Ledger) to avoid direct transfer to a domestic exchange due to the Travel Rule regulatory restrictions in South Korea, using spouse B's overseas exchange account for the transfer. The entire process took only 2 to 8 minutes, after which the Bitcoins were sold to purchase real estate.The tax authorities determined that this action constituted a gift between spouses and imposed a gift tax on A. A appealed, claiming that the Bitcoins were personal assets held since before 2014 and submitted a memorandum of understanding signed with the spouse—where it was agreed that if the Bitcoins appreciated, real estate would be purchased, and 13 Bitcoins would be gifted to the spouse as compensation. A argued that determining it as a gift solely based on the brief passage of funds through the spouse's account was a qualitative error.After review, the Tax Tribunal found that A failed to adequately submit key evidence such as the memorandum of understanding, gift contract, and photos of the hardware wallet during the tax investigation, leading to flaws in the investigation process. At the same time, the distribution method of 67 Bitcoins transferred to A's account and 13 Bitcoins retained under the spouse's name was consistent with A's statements. Based on this, the Tribunal ruled that a new investigation must be conducted regarding the actual ownership of the hardware wallet and the substantive ownership of the digital assets. This case is seen as a landmark case in South Korea's cryptocurrency tax practice, directly addressing the challenges of determining ownership of cold wallet assets and the tax classification of cross-account transfers.

According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum is embroiled in a fierce governance debate over the source of core development funding. Last Friday, former Ethereum Foundation contributor Trenton Van Epps warned that as old support programs deplete and foundation expenditures shrink, the core development ecosystem could face a "slow-burning funding crisis" within three to nine months, requiring approximately $30 million annually to maintain over a dozen clients, research, and coordination teams.The core of the debate stems from the "validator redirect income" proposal put forward by Kleros co-founder Clément Lesaege, which suggests redirecting 0% to 10% of validator rewards to an ecosystem funding pool, estimated to generate about 50,000 to 70,000 ETH annually at current staking levels. This proposal has faced widespread opposition, with critics warning that it could entrench the power of large validators and blur the boundaries between operations and governance. Some community members previously countered that the foundation's funds are sufficient to operate for 30 years, but the foundation's actual decisions indicate that it is actively shrinking expenditures and pushing for diversified funding models.On Monday, a nonprofit organization called EthLabs was announced, initiated by five former Ethereum Foundation researchers, aiming to directly fund development through large ETH holders. On Tuesday, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin stated that the foundation is cutting its budget by about 40% according to established policies and has recently laid off 54 people.

According to market news, Japanese cryptocurrency automatic profit and loss calculation service provider Pafin will acquire industry backbone company Gtax and plans to complete the service brand integration in October.

According to Bloomberg Tax, U.S. Senate Republican tax drafter Steve Daines stated that the cryptocurrency tax legislation framework being advanced by the Senate has basically taken shape and may be announced as early as this fall. Daines said that the framework is "more similar than different" to the version previously released by the House Ways and Means Committee, and he hopes to hold a legislative markup meeting within this year, but did not disclose specific details.

The Ethereum community is debating the proposal to tax staking rewards. The newly established EthLabs has received support from institutions such as BitMine, providing off-chain funding alternatives for ecological development.

According to Cointelegraph, three major crypto lobbying organizations—the Blockchain Association, the Crypto Innovation Council, and the Digital Chamber of Commerce—jointly wrote to the U.S. Congress, requesting the unaltered passage of the "Mining and Staking Tax Clarity Act" without further amendments. The bill allows miners and stakers to choose to pay taxes either when they receive crypto rewards or when they sell their assets, aiming to address liquidity issues caused by "taxation on phantom income."Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford proposed an amendment to limit the deferral of crypto reward taxes to five years, but the CEO of the Crypto Innovation Council stated that the amendment would "undermine" the bill and only generate "negligible revenue." The American Bankers Association opposes the bill, claiming it gives cryptocurrencies a "significant advantage," while crypto lobbying groups believe that renegotiating the already reached compromise will "revive the issues the bill aims to resolve."

According to CoinDesk, major lobbying organizations in the U.S. cryptocurrency industry jointly sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, urging the advancement of the "Tax Clarity for Mining and Staking Act," advocating for tax treatment options for cryptocurrency miners and staking income recipients. The bill was introduced by Republican Congressman Mike Carey, and its core content allows taxpayers to choose the timing of taxation when they receive new mining or staking assets—either paying taxes at the time the assets are generated or deferring taxes until the final sale.Industry associations, including the Blockchain Association, Digital Chamber, and Crypto Council for Innovation, have expressed support, arguing that the current tax system may force users participating in network security maintenance to bear tax burdens before they have realized the assets. Supporters claim that the proposal does not provide "indefinite deferral," but rather avoids immediate taxation on income that has not yet realized liquidity, thereby alleviating cash flow pressure on miners and validators.However, Democratic lawmakers and some external critics are concerned that this mechanism could be exploited by large mining companies for long-term tax deferral, especially in the context of some publicly listed or politically connected companies participating in mining operations, raising potential policy arbitrage disputes. Meanwhile, the industry's focus remains on the broader "Digital Asset Market Structure Act" (Clarity Act), but tax issues have become the second key battleground, expected to continue advancing in tandem with regulatory framework legislation in the coming weeks.

According to an open letter released by The Blockchain Association, multiple organizations related to cryptocurrency and blockchain have written to Jason Smith, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, and senior member Richard Neal, supporting the passage of H.R. 9175, the "Tax Clarity for Mining and Staking Act," as originally proposed by Congressman Mike Carey.The joint letter states that the bill provides a compromise solution for the taxation timing and nature of PoW mining and PoS staking rewards under the "self-created assets" tax framework, avoiding immediate taxation on "unrealized gains" and reducing forced selling and compliance burdens. It also opposes the addition of additional clauses such as a five-year mandatory confirmation in the existing text, urging Congress to legislate as soon as possible to stabilize the tax expectations for blockchain validation activities in the United States.

According to "Du Jia," ByteDance's AI assistant "Doubao" is ramping up efforts in the instant travel sector. Currently, the Doubao App is conducting a grayscale test of the one-click ride-hailing feature for select users in Beijing and Hangzhou. After users input their travel needs via voice in the dialogue box, the system can automatically recognize the information and match it with available vehicles. Once confirmed, users can complete the order with one click, and the related ride-hailing services are provided by Cao Cao Mobility.It is reported that Cao Cao Mobility has integrated exclusive orders for Doubao and is offering additional service fees to drivers who complete these types of orders. Last week, Cao Cao Mobility launched its new RoboX strategy in Hong Kong, announcing a comprehensive AI transformation, establishing an AI division, and proposing a "Double 100,000 Plan" to deploy 100,000 Robotaxis and 100,000 Robovans by 2030.

According to Edaily, the South Korean "Abolition of Virtual Asset (Cryptocurrency) Tax" national petition has received 58,571 approvals. According to the National Assembly Act, the relevant petition should be submitted for review at the first committee meeting held after 30 days of being handed over to the committee.According to the current income tax law, starting from January 1 next year, income from the transfer or lending of virtual assets will be classified as other income and will be subject to income tax. Virtual asset income exceeding 2.5 million won (approximately 1,800 USD) will be subject to a total tax rate of 22%, which includes other income tax (20%) and local income tax (2%).

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Digital Asset Tax Act on Tuesday, which will impose a 0.2% tax on the transaction value of digital asset transactions or services provided to customers in Illinois. The law will take effect on January 1, 2027.The tax primarily targets crypto service providers, including exchanges, custodians, and brokers, requiring them to collect and remit the tax on behalf of their clients, similar to a sales tax. Industry organizations such as the Crypto Council for Innovation, Digital Chamber, and Illinois Blockchain Association strongly oppose the bill, stating it could become one of the most stringent digital asset tax regimes in the nation. Critics argue that the tax will impose additional costs on Illinois residents simply for using digital assets and may drive crypto businesses, developers, and innovation out of the state.

According to a statement from the Crypto Council for Innovation, Illinois Governor Pritzker has signed a digital asset tax bill, which is considered to be the most punitive digital asset tax regime in the country, imposing a disproportionate tax burden on Illinois residents using digital assets.The council strongly opposes this, warning that this move will drive innovators and developers out of the state, and has issued a formal letter of opposition.

As India's tax enforcement intensifies, cryptocurrency investors face stricter reporting and compliance requirements in the 2026 tax season, with incorrect declarations potentially triggering fines and audits. Reports indicate that under current rules, cryptocurrency gains are still subject to a 30% uniform capital gains tax, and a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is levied on transactions exceeding a certain amount, while losses cannot be offset across assets. The new Income Tax Act (2025) came into effect on April 1, 2026, but the core tax framework remains largely unchanged.In terms of reporting, investors must fill out a dedicated Schedule VDA section in the ITR-2 or ITR-3 forms and are required to record each transaction individually, including all operations such as trading, exchanging, transferring, and clearing, rather than just summarizing gains. The report emphasizes that regulatory focus has clearly escalated. The Indian tax authorities will directly obtain user-level transaction data through trading platforms, custodians, and wallet service providers, and will automatically cross-check this with reported information; discrepancies will trigger system flags and audits.Data shows that the Indian tax authorities have issued over 44,000 notices and discovered approximately 88.8 billion rupees (about 930 million USD) in unreported virtual asset income. Meanwhile, the tax department is enhancing its tracking capabilities by combining on-chain analysis tools with international data-sharing mechanisms. Additionally, starting in 2027, India will align with the OECD cryptocurrency reporting framework to achieve automatic exchange of cross-border transaction data, and overseas exchange holdings will gradually come under regulatory scrutiny.Analysis points out that common errors include misuse of reporting forms, omission of airdrop and staking income, and failure to correctly match 1% TDS records, among others. The report emphasizes that cryptocurrency tax compliance is shifting from "post-reporting" to "real-time traceability," and investors need to strengthen year-round record management.

According to the Economic Times, the Indian tax department has strengthened its review of cryptocurrency tax filings for the fiscal year 2026, discovering over 88.8 billion rupees (approximately 10.4 million USD) in unreported virtual digital asset income, and has issued more than 44,000 notices to the relevant taxpayers.

According to Abcnews, several prediction market platforms including Kalshi, Crypto.com, and Polymarket have formed an alliance and filed a lawsuit in state court this Friday, attempting to block Kentucky's newly implemented 14.25% prediction market transaction tax.This tax was passed by the Kentucky legislature in April of this year, targeting transaction fees on prediction market platforms, with a rate of 14.25%, which is higher than the local horse racing industry's tax burden of about 9.75%. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that the tax is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and may conflict with federal law.Prediction market platforms allow users to trade contracts on real-world events (such as economic data, election results, etc.), essentially belonging to the event derivatives market. The plaintiffs argue that this tax will significantly raise compliance costs and may force trading activities to shift to offshore platforms with weaker regulations.Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman stated that he will vigorously defend the law in court and asserted that the state government is capable of handling the related challenges.Meanwhile, Kalshi stated that excessive state-level tax burdens will weaken the competitiveness of the legal market and may drive users to illegal trading platforms that lack regulation and protection.This case is seen as the latest development in the ongoing conflict between the U.S. prediction market industry and state regulatory and tax systems.

According to Bitcoin Magazine, El Salvador is continuously optimizing its immigration system to attract high-net-worth foreign talent and capital (including families). According to Decree No. 531, effective March 31, 2026, the residency requirement for temporary residents has been reduced from a mandatory stay of 9 months per year to a cumulative or continuous stay of only 90 days per year. This adjustment is primarily aimed at entrepreneurs, investors, and remote workers who need to frequently cross borders.El Salvador offers one of the most attractive tax systems in Latin America for individuals with foreign-source income. The country implements a territorial tax system, meaning that only income generated within El Salvador is subject to taxation. A significant income tax reform in 2024 further clarifies that both residents and non-residents can be exempt from income tax on their foreign-source income. This means freelancers, remote workers (such as content creators, developers, and entrepreneurs with foreign income) can enjoy a 0% income tax rate in El Salvador on their overseas income, with no limits on the amount.Additionally, under the country's laws, capital gains related to Bitcoin are not taxed, and the country does not impose wealth tax, inheritance tax, or gift tax. The real focus is whether the individual's country of origin recognizes this arrangement; because most countries typically do not easily relinquish their taxing rights over their tax residents and often conduct strict scrutiny and recovery on tax residency issues.

According to a report by Bloomvingbit, the South Korean Ministry of Finance and Economy stated that tokenized stocks are considered securities rather than virtual assets. If the Financial Services Commission confirms their securities nature, taxes can be imposed immediately under the current Capital Markets Act, potentially as early as the second half of this year. Officials from the Ministry of Finance pointed out that although tokenized stocks are formally virtual assets, they are essentially closer to securities.The Financial Services Commission has previously clarified in its token securities guidelines that token securities are securities issued in the form of digital assets and fall under the jurisdiction of the Capital Markets Act. Currently, the market generally believes that tokenized stocks are classified as virtual assets (non-taxable assets) and can enjoy tax exemption until the implementation of virtual asset taxation next year. However, the Ministry of Finance emphasizes its stance on taxation and is establishing an information exchange system with overseas tax authorities such as the IRS. Offshore transactions on overseas platforms are also included in the taxation scope; regardless of where they are issued, as long as the economic value and rights structure essentially belong to securities, they can be subject to dividend income tax.

According to Bitcoin Magazine, Coinbase's Vice President of Tax, Lawrence Zlatkin, has proposed to U.S. lawmakers to establish a de minimis capital gains tax exemption threshold for everyday small Bitcoin transactions, arguing that "Americans shouldn't have to hire an accountant just to buy a pair of jeans with BTC."