Post
Topic
Board Legal
Re: Why are people so eager to pay tax?
by
Rodyland
on 21/04/2013, 11:56:09 UTC
no one is avoiding paying taxes, bitcoin is a global currency its called a totally new concept
that does not matter in tax laws... if i have a capital gain from bitcoin, i would have to pay taxes. it does not matter if im exchanging them back into fiat: i still had a gain.

This.  Profiting from bitcoin whilst living in the USA would be no different to profiting from trading Euro/JPY.  You're making a profit and you need to pay taxes.  The "oh it's global" and "oh it's brand new" is self-serving self-justification that is rooted in nothing but wishful thinking.

Now, you could mount an argument that unrealised bitcoin gains aren't taxable until said gains are realised - either by sale or by exchange for goods/services.  But I have no doubt that once you sell bitcoins for fiat or trade bitcoins for a good/service, you are liable for tax on those gains.