In a statement recently released by The South African Revenue Service (SARS), "normal income tax rules" will continue to apply and taxpayers must declare profits or losses on any cryptocurrency dealings.
The onus is on taxpayers to declare all cryptocurrency-related taxable income in the tax year in which it is received or accrued. Failure to do so could result in interest and penalties.
Gains or losses in relation to cryptocurrencies can broadly be categorized differently, with distinct tax consequences for each scenario, for example, Investors can exchange local currency for a cryptocurrency, and Goods/Services can be exchanged for cryptocurrencies.
Some taxpayers may be under the impression that many of these cryptocurrencies do not even keep a record of whom it belongs to, So how is SARS going to know who has what cryptocurrencies?
“Taxpayers who are uncertain about specific transactions involving cryptocurrencies may seek guidance from SARS through channels such as Binding Private Rulings (depending on the nature of the transaction),” said SARS.
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