Bitcoin is property....but taxable?

[neofelis]

If I buy a crate of tomatoes today and the price drops and I sell them for a loss tomorrow, can I write off the loss if I only buy and sell tomatoes as a hobby, not my primary business?

If I sell them at a profit, do I have to report the income?

I am not in the business of buying and selling bitcoin, do I have to report gains and losses to the IRS every time I spend them for goods and services?

Now here's the kicker...if the IRS says I must report the realized gain every time I spend them, then can I write off the loss that Hasfast will never send me my miner?

Need a knowledgable US CPA.

[1714953611]

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[greenlion]

This is what I've come to understand about the guidance so far.

If I buy a crate of tomatoes today and the price drops and I sell them for a loss tomorrow, can I write off the loss if I only buy and sell tomatoes as a hobby, not my primary business?

It can only be deducted against regular income to a limit that I think is either $2000 or $3000, otherwise you have to have other capital gains to deduct them against, or deduct them from income if they exceed the limit over the course of multiple years.

If I sell them at a profit, do I have to report the income?

Yes but as capital gains. They're only counted as income if you acquire them in the first place by mining or being paid them, in which case you declare income on the fair market value on the day you acquire them, and that establishes your basis.

I am not in the business of buying and selling bitcoin, do I have to report gains and losses to the IRS every time I spend them for goods and services?

Yes, according to the guidance. Acquiring goods and services counts as realizing a gain. Your gain is fair market value of goods and services minus cost basis. It's safe to do this in a FIFO manner, and you have to apply your method consistently. There are other methods of tracking cost basis, but don't even try to do something like that without consulting a CPA.

Now here's the kicker...if the IRS says I must report the realized gain every time I spend them, then can I write off the loss hat Hasfast will never send me my miner?

This you might need a CPA to answer. I think the guidance would consider that a loss of basis price to zero for the bitcoins spent, but not 100% sure.

[Ron~Popeil]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

[greenlion]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

[keithers]

This is what I've come to understand about the guidance so far.

If I buy a crate of tomatoes today and the price drops and I sell them for a loss tomorrow, can I write off the loss if I only buy and sell tomatoes as a hobby, not my primary business?

It can only be deducted against regular income to a limit that I think is either $2000 or $3000, otherwise you have to have other capital gains to deduct them against, or deduct them from income if they exceed the limit over the course of multiple years.

If I sell them at a profit, do I have to report the income?

Yes but as capital gains. They're only counted as income if you acquire them in the first place by mining or being paid them, in which case you declare income on the fair market value on the day you acquire them, and that establishes your basis.

I am not in the business of buying and selling bitcoin, do I have to report gains and losses to the IRS every time I spend them for goods and services?

Yes, according to the guidance. Acquiring goods and services counts as realizing a gain. Your gain is fair market value of goods and services minus cost basis. It's safe to do this in a FIFO manner, and you have to apply your method consistently. There are other methods of tracking cost basis, but don't even try to do something like that without consulting a CPA.

Now here's the kicker...if the IRS says I must report the realized gain every time I spend them, then can I write off the loss hat Hasfast will never send me my miner?

This you might need a CPA to answer. I think the guidance would consider that a loss of basis price to zero for the bitcoins spent, but not 100% sure.

You can still claim losses up to 3k per year, but the gains are uncapped. It is just a matter of if they are considered short or long term capital gains..

[smoothie]

Ever heard of PROPERTY TAX?

[keithers]

Ever heard of PROPERTY TAX?

Yes, but property taxes usually are referred to as the taxes that come along with home ownership

[Ron~Popeil]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

You pay capital gains tax on actual gains. I don't have any gains as i have never sold any and received a cash payment.

More to the underlying issue they don't have the right to tax my bit coin and have no way of knowing how much i have short of getting a warrant to seize my computer. Even then they would still have to find my sd cards. 

[hodap]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

You pay capital gains tax on actual gains. I don't have any gains as i have never sold any and received a cash payment.

More to the underlying issue they don't have the right to tax my bit coin and have no way of knowing how much i have short of getting a warrant to seize my computer. Even then they would still have to find my sd cards. 

Government will put a service tax on all transactions and demand the payment processor to collect it.

[cr1776]

Ever heard of PROPERTY TAX?

Yes, but property taxes usually are referred to as the taxes that come along with home ownership

And they are not applied by the IRS at the Federal level, but at the local level, usually county in the US. (US centric here given the topic)

[Charlie Prime]

Yes, but property taxes usually are referred to as the taxes that come along with home ownership

No.  Some governments tax all kinds of property; cars, furniture, anything.

[Ron~Popeil]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

You pay capital gains tax on actual gains. I don't have any gains as i have never sold any and received a cash payment.

More to the underlying issue they don't have the right to tax my bit coin and have no way of knowing how much i have short of getting a warrant to seize my computer. Even then they would still have to find my sd cards. 

Government will put a service tax on all transactions and demand the payment processor to collect it.

They can do whatever they want. They have clearly established that. It doesn't really matter to me as I don't sell or use my bit coin for anything.

[greenlion]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

You pay capital gains tax on actual gains. I don't have any gains as i have never sold any and received a cash payment.

That's exactly right. Only the appreciation on Bitcoin holdings is taxed as capital gains. Mining or getting paid in Bitcoin is income. Just read the IRS guidance, the opinions I'm seeing in this thread are so ignorant it's bordering on comedy.

[Ron~Popeil]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

You pay capital gains tax on actual gains. I don't have any gains as i have never sold any and received a cash payment.

That's exactly right. Only the appreciation on Bitcoin holdings is taxed as capital gains. Mining or getting paid in Bitcoin is income. Just read the IRS guidance, the opinions I'm seeing in this thread are so ignorant it's bordering on comedy.

Some of it is willful ignorance as well. I personally have no intention of reporting my bit coin income. I don't need permission to protect what belongs to me.

[keithers]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

The above is exactly correct.  With all the advances in the reporting over at Coinbase, I would not be surprised if we start receiving 1099s from them by the end of 2014

[neofelis]

Your best bet is to not convert it to fiat at all if you can avoid it. I know some need to recover cost from purchasing miners etc., but if you hold you can avoid taxes and enjoy the bull run.

Not converting to fiat does not make you immune from taxes. That would be considered tax evasion, and if they catch you there will be penalties and possible jail time depending on how severe.

The above is exactly correct.  With all the advances in the reporting over at Coinbase, I would not be surprised if we start receiving 1099s from them by the end of 2014

How would Coinbase figure out the 1099?  If you sell bitcoin through them, how will they figure out which bitcoin you sold. What if you transferred bitcoin to your account from another account and then sold it?  They could issue a 1099 showing your sold one bitcoin at $700 but who's to say how much you paid for that?  I'm afraid I see oppressive regulation coming our way.  The good news is, nice the IRS really starts to crackdown on bitcoin, the publicity will be good and enlighten the public about inflation, the fed and government controls.

I hope.

[nickenburg]

I hope they cant ever be taxed, but when you dont have a other income.
And you want to buy a house with bitcoins , you probably have to tax your bitcoins right?
Or doesnt any country have rules about that yet?

[Ron~Popeil]

I hope they cant ever be taxed, but when you dont have a other income.
And you want to buy a house with bitcoins , you probably have to tax your bitcoins right?
Or doesnt any country have rules about that yet?

No government owns or controls bit coin so there is no inherent right to tax it. With just a little extra effort you can keep them from ever knowing how much you hold or have made short of coming to your door with a gun and taking your computer. Even then if you have a strong wallet password they still wouldn't get much information.

[Rub3n]

In the Netherlands its valued as a trade object like gold and silver. I did not tell them about the money I received yet but then again its not that shockingly much either.

[Skycraft]

Well.. what about Switzerland!? Is it totalle free from tax fee or not?