Biden Wants To Impose New Crypto Tax Rules

The Biden administration is looking to impose new rules on crypto taxation, which will include the wash sale rule and doubling capital gains taxes. 

New Budget Proposal Doubling Down On Crypto

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has been looking into changing up the crypto taxation rules. According to the latest reports, the administration’s upcoming budget proposal might double down on capital gains taxes for certain investors. There is even word of imposing a wash sales rule on crypto. 

The budget plan for the 2024 fiscal year is scheduled to be released on March 9. According to reports, the budget will focus on reducing the deficit by almost $3 trillion over the next ten years. Furthermore, the administration also wants to raise around $24 billion by implementing changes to the current crypto tax regime. 

However, since the Republican party has a House majority, there is a high possibility that the budget proposal will be blocked, despite the current Democratic leadership and Democratic Senate. 

Preventing Tax-Loss Harvesting In Crypto

The proposed wash sales rule is being considered in order to prevent tax-loss harvesting. In this strategy, a crypto trader would sell his assets at a lower price for a tax-deductible loss and then repurchase those assets soon after.

The existing wash sale rule prevents this strategy from being applied in the trading of regular stocks and bonds. However, since digital assets have not been officially classified as securities, cryptocurrency trading and taxation are not covered under this rule. The Biden administration is, therefore, considering expanding this rule to include digital assets as well.  

Increasing Crypto Capital Gains Tax

Another significant change the upcoming budget is planning on is the capital gains tax. The proposal is to double the tax rate on capital gains from crypto. The current tax rate is 20% on capital gains of a minimum of $1 million. According to the proposal, that rate will be increased to 36.9% on long-term investments. Additionally, there are also talks of increasing income levies on corporations and wealthy Americans. 

Other Taxations 

Other than the proposed budget changes, crypto will nevertheless be facing trouble from other sources. For example, in February, the IRS expanded the scope of crypto taxation, making reporting compulsory for everyone who has ever dealt with digital assets. Furthermore, there is speculation that NFTs could also be made taxable. As some crypto exchanges are already providing 1099-B forms to users, it seems like the industry is gearing up for a tough tax season. 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.