Japan eases taxation rules surrounding crypto industry

In an effort to encourage the growth of the crypto industry in Japan, the Japanese National Tax Agency announced that it would soften the tax surrounding the cryptocurrency industry. This will help facilitate the operations involved in the cryptocurrency industry.

The new regulations came into effect six months after the government approved a proposal allowing firms to avoid paying taxes on paper gains from their cryptocurrency holdings. This week, the final approval was granted by the tax authority.

Previously, unrealized gains were considered to be taxable. Under the new regulations, the gains are not taxable. Companies in Japan that issue cryptocurrencies will also no longer have to pay the corporate tax rate of 30 percent.

These regulations are part of Japan’s efforts to address the crypto industry’s various challenges. In December, the country’s government updated its AML legislation to align with global standards. Japan also enacted legislation last year that prevented non-banking organizations from issuing stablecoin.

There are various regulations implemented in the crypto industry. But the taxation of cryptocurrencies remains a complex issue. Regardless, Japan’s flexible policies concerning the crypto ecosystem could position the country as a prominent hub for digital assets.

As the global growth of the cryptocurrency industry continues, governments worldwide are developing regulations that will help them maintain financial stability and foster innovation. Japan’s new tax rules are a step in the right direction.

U.S. lags behind on crypto regulations

While Japan and other countries like India and Australia are developing systems to help them coexist with the crypto industry, the United States falls behind on crucial crypto regulations.

Over a year and a half ago, Congress passed legislation to help the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) identify individuals’ earnings from cryptocurrency trading. But the Treasury Department has not responded to the issue.

Despite the various steps taken to address the issue of crypto taxation, the U.S. government has not released a comprehensive draft of the regulations that will be required to implement the new requirements.

Meanwhile, in 2021, the IRS required taxpayers to report all crypto transactions and their ownership of virtual currencies. Unfortunately, it did not have a clear way to determine if the returns were complete or accurate. This issue caused the agency to issue John Doe summonses and audits to collect the information.

The delay in rules implementation has puzzled members of Congress and legal experts. Steptoe tax specialist Lisa Zarlenga, who used to work for the Treasury Department, said having regulations was “the single easiest thing they can do to improve compliance, and they’re not doing it.”

The IRS’ slow progress in implementing the regulations is in contrast to the actions of the SEC, which has been pursuing the implementation of rules in the crypto industry. It has sued several companies, such as Binance and Coinbase, for failing to follow regulatory standards.

The delay in implementing the regulations also comes when the administration tries to reduce the amount of uncollected taxes. Democrats are currently seeking an $80 billion budget boost for the IRS.

The Treasury Department’s Kristin Lynch said that the agency was developing the necessary regulations for the crypto industry. But she did not provide a timeline for the regulations’ implementation.

During a recent hearing, Californian Congressman Brad Sherman asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen when the regulations would be released. He highlighted that the SEC’s actions had shown that the agency was not afraid of the crypto industry.

“We’ll get back to you on that shortly,” Yellen responded to the question.