“The future of money is digital currency” as Bill Gates put it, and certainly interest in crypto currencies – like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polkadot, Solana and the many others popping up all the time – is surging dramatically.
Of growing importance therefore is that anyone holding or planning to buy cryptocurrency needs to understand the tax angle, and by way of an updated warning to keep up to speed on this we point you to SARS’ new webpage on the subject for a “from the horse’s mouth” take on the whole question.
SARS addresses questions such as what a crypto asset is, whether tax needs to be paid, how it will work (with an example of the 2020/21 tax year ITR12 Tax Return), and how it traces crypto asset transactions.
“The future of money is digital currency”
(Bill Gates)
If you are thinking of buying – or have bought – any “crypto asset” such as a crypto currency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polkadot, Solana (or any of the many other crypto currencies springing up all over the place), be aware of the tax implications.
For a new “from the horse’s mouth” perspective, read SARS’ webpage “Crypto Assets and Tax” here, first published on 27 August 2021 and providing guidance on (at date of writing – expect this webpage to evolve!) these questions –
- What is it?
- How did we get here?
- Do I need to pay tax on crypto assets?
- How will it work? (With an example of the ITR12 Income Tax Return for the 2020/21 tax year)
- How is SARS tracing crypto asset transactions?
There are still grey areas here – and many pitfalls – so be sure to take specific professional advice!
