Yes bitcoin is taxable. Not by means of the government is taxing but I guess that the miners were the one who are asking for taxes. The confirmation is dependable on how much btc you spend. If you will spend the high amount in sending then the confirmation of your transaction will be fast.
As far as I know, bitcoin cannot be taxed because there's no law can be applied to it since transactions made are hidden. That is why some other countries are banning crypto-currencies. But many countries are infavor of the adoption due to the benefits that btc brings.