OP needs to learn, holding bitcoin is tax rate of ZERO. but holding fiat in his personal account after selling the bitcoin. he needs to pay tax on that fiat gain.
but i do agree people are silly when it comes to saying "bitcoin is doomed" and here is why
1. people will find other ways to not need FIAT, thus not needing to claim FIAT gains
2. the IRS wont care about useless / worthless items. IRS have categorized bitcoin, thus it has proven bitcoin to be a valid store of wealth.
Hey Guys i thought i should clear this up once and for all. Tax liability has nothing to do with FIAT gains. Examples are numerous but one that will illustrate this well is the IRS position on taxing traded services where no FIAT is used.
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc420.html"Bartering occurs when you exchange goods or services without exchanging money. An example of bartering is a plumber exchanging plumbing services for the dental services of a dentist. You must include in gross income in the year of receipt the fair market value of goods or services received from bartering."
Obviously this doesn't pertain to Bitcoin but people need to free their minds from the mistaken belief that FIAT must be involved to be a taxable event.
FIAT or not, there are still a number of issues, Bitcoin mining is a service provided by miners to the network for a "service fee" known as a reward. The Bitcoin nodes also charge a fee for their "service" and this is known as a "transaction fee".
These activities are covered in Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income under the section "information on miscellaneous income from exchanges involving property or services".
Bitcoin mining is specifically covered in this IRS document:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-14-21.pdfQ-8: Does a taxpayer who "mines" virtual currency (for example, uses computer resources to validate Bitcoin transactions and maintain the public ledger) realize gross income upon receipt of the currency resulting from those activities?
A-8: Yes, when a taxpayer successfully "mines" virtual currency, the fair market value of the virtual currency as of the date of receipt is includible in gross income.
To complicate matters further the IRS state that any use of the "virtual currency" whatsoever would create a "taxable event".
Here is the most important revelation, the IRS require "any exchange" of "virtual currency" for other property (including other virtual currency, as it is considered property) to be considered for tax purposes. (eg. exchange of Bitcoin to Litecoin or other Altcoin)
Q-6: Does a taxpayer have gain or loss upon exchange of virtual currency for other property?
A-6: Yes. See Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets
So clearly FIAT is not a required component, to be liable for tax purposes, as the measurement used is "fair market value" not actual FIAT.
Although you are correct in the assertion that "holding bitcoin is tax rate of ZERO" you must consider that obtaining and disposing of Bitcoin are "taxable events" for tax purposes. In other words 'it is not possible for you to hold Bitcoin without "someone" first paying tax on that Bitcoin' or put another way 'you cannot mine, buy, sell, trade, swap or obtain Bitcoin (or any other virtual currency) without someone paying tax'.
Obtaining Bitcoin is a taxable event, holding it after this is irrelevant.
Hope this clears things up.