HomeBlockchainRegulationCapital gains tax alarms crypto holders

Capital gains tax alarms crypto holders

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve Chair, has recently proposed a tax on capital gains – probably including crypto – regardless of whether they have already been realized or not.

Capital gains tax: what is it?

The capital gains tax is the tax paid when a profit is made on the sale of financial assets. 

The Treasury Secretary’s proposal would also affect temporary capital gains on securities still held by investors each year.

Yellen was keen to explain that the tax would be aimed at the super-rich, adding that it would not be a wealth tax, creating even more confusion.

A similar proposal had already been made in 2019 by Senator Ron Wyden, who called for taxing large financial assets held and capital gains at a rate of 36%.

A tax to fund Biden’s projects

According to many observers, this tax would mainly target large assets held in digital currencies. 

It is no coincidence that one of the first reactions was from Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners, which focuses its investments on the main cryptocurrencies. His comment on Twitter was ironic and piqued.

Yellen told CNN:

“I wouldn’t call that a wealth tax, but it would help get at capital gains, which are an extraordinarily large part of the incomes of the wealthiest individuals and right now escape taxation until they’re realized”.

This tax would be used in part to fund the Biden administration’s big $3.5 trillion government spending plan over the next ten years.

But this move, if approved, could be counterproductive according to many analysts as it would likely lead many financiers to move their capital abroad.

Crypto tax
Janet Yellen

The impact of the capital gains tax on crypto

Bitcoin’s price fell sharply after the US Treasury Secretary’s words about a possible new tax on liquid assets. 

The reason for this is that the approval of the tax would have a serious impact on the market, as many investors would be tempted to close their positions.

According to many analysts, this tax would be aimed at the cryptocurrency world, as most investors are inclined to keep their cryptocurrency holdings in their wallets for as long as possible.

A well-known crypto influencer, known by the pseudonym Cryptowhale, commented on the government’s proposal, describing it as meaningless and punitive.

In the US, there is already clearly a tax on capital gains made from cryptocurrencies held for more than a year, on which a tax is paid, as is also paid on gains made from lending securities or staking.

Vincenzo Cacioppoli
Vincenzo Cacioppoli
Vincenzo was born in Genova but lived most of his life in Milan. He has a degree in political science. He is a journalist, blogger, writer, and marketing and digital advertising expert. After a long experience in traditional marketing, he started working with the web and digital advertising in 2011, creating a company called Le enfants. Passionate about the web and innovation, in 2018 he started exploring the topics related to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Independent cryptocurrency trader since March 2018, he now collaborates with companies in the sector as a content marketing specialist. In his blog. mediateccando.blogspot.com, he has long been primarily focused on blockchain, which he considers to be the greatest technological innovation after the Internet. His first book about blockchain and fintech is scheduled for release in November.
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