Earlier in April, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced its plans to tax cryptocurrencies. The SARS just released a draft cryptocurrency tax legislation to define the framework of digital currency taxation in the country.
SARS aims to place a tax on incomes generated from crypto trading and operations.
Since April 2018, the tax agency had laid out plans to tax cryptocurrency income. The SARS confirmed by press release in April stating,
“In South Africa, the word “currency” is not defined in the Income Tax Act (the Act). Cryptocurrencies are neither official South African tender nor widely used and accepted in South Africa as a medium of payment or exchange. As such, cryptocurrencies are not regarded by SARS as a currency for income tax purposes or Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Instead, cryptocurrencies are regarded by SARS as assets of an intangible nature.”
However, under the draft taxation legislation, cryptocurrencies will be classified as intangible assets subject to income tax. South Africans may be mandated by the Law to declare every income accrued from cryptocurrency if this law is adopted.
The draft equally added that cryptocurrency transactions are excluded from value-added tax (VAT). This is because such transactions are viewed as separate financial services transactions by the SAR. So, if you sell, purchase, transfer ownership, issue or hold cryptocurrency there will be no VAT to be paid.
Despite the looming presence of regulations and scams, the S.A cryptocurrency industry continues to thrive. A recent survey even revealed that about 38 per cent of South Africans expressed their regrets in not investing in cryptocurrencies earlier.
What do you think about the taxation law? Share your opinion with us in the comment section below.
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