Highlights:
- Russia plans to tax crypto miners on coins, even if they have not been sold yet.
- A new two-stage tax system could increase transparency and regulate mining activities.
- Home-based miners must report earnings and register under the proposed FNS framework.
The Federal Tax Service of Russia has proposed a tax plan that will target cryptocurrency miners, focusing on unrealized profits. The proposal intends to establish a new two-stage tax framework. The FNS intends to mandate that miners pay taxes on mined coins regardless of whether they are sold or not.
Advertisement
🇷🇺 Russia's Federal Tax Service plans two-stage crypto mining tax:
✅Tax on mined coins in wallets (unrealized gains)
✅Tax on price difference when soldIndustrial miners face new regulations, but VAT exemption offered. #CryptoTax #RussiaMining #BlockchainRegulation pic.twitter.com/zvGWDXdqir
— NeomaVentures (@NeomaVentures) October 16, 2024
The suggested framework was outlined at a recent meeting of the newly created Industrial Mining Association by Alexey Katyayev. Despite plans, no final decision has been reached regarding the implementation of this tax system.
Framework for Crypto Revenue Collection
The proposed system will use a two-stage approach to tax mined cryptocurrency. The first stage will require miners to pay an advance tax once they have mined coins in their wallets. The FNS considers this to be a taxable event because miners now have ownership over the assets. The taxable event occurs whether the coins stay in a mining pool or are moved to personal wallets.
The second stage deals with the taxes that take place when the miners transfer the coins to other corporate wallets or sell them. The first taxes paid will be on gains from the initial value of the coins. If the value of the coin goes down after the paid advance tax, the miners can compensate for the loss.
VAT Exemption for Russia Crypto Mining
Katyayev also addressed the issue of value-added tax on mined cryptocurrency. Under Russian laws, he explained, mined cryptocurrency assets that are not yet cash equivalent would not be subject to VAT. Because of this, the use of cryptocurrencies for transactions is currently restricted. They are mainly permitted for international trading under regulated conditions.
Impact on Home-Based Miners
The FNS intends to expand its regulations to include individual miners. Home-based miners will be required to pay personal income tax on their mining activities. The objective of this initiative is to increase transparency and regulation for the growing number of individual cryptocurrency miners.
In addition, the FNS will establish a new cryptocurrency miner registry. This will include a name, address, locations of data centers, energy sources, and client lists. In addition, they’ll need to disclose where their mining rigs are sourced from, how the rigs are imported, and how much electricity they consume.
Industrial Mining Association Meeting Highlights
On October 14, the Industrial Mining Association hosted its first Mining.ru forum devoted to the issues of the regulated cryptocurrency mining business. It represents more than 70 percent of the country’s mining capacity. It featured industry professionals, government leaders, and some experts discussing current issues and the possibilities of the future.
Легализация майнинга в России даст возможность крупным участникам отрасли стать публичными. Такое мнение высказал CEO Intelion Data Systems Тимофей Семенов на форуме Mining .ru, сообщает РБК.https://t.co/XSoFrqp8dl
— ForkLog (@ForkLog) October 15, 2024
The emphasis in the discussions varied across issues like regulatory development, monitoring miner activity, taxation, as well as electricity supply. They also talked about the potential usage of mined cryptocurrency to operate businesses in international trade.
First Public Register for Crypto Miners
The upcoming registration of cryptocurrency miners will be the first public listing of this kind in Russia. Miners on this list will have to disclose the amount of cryptocurrency they mine. Although some information will be kept private for security reasons, the registration is a big step in the right direction for legal cryptocurrency mining. The government intends to increase oversight of the industry and transparency.
Advertisement
