sigh I've fought this battle like three different places on the Internet. Nobody read the notice

Q-1: How is virtual currency treated for federal tax purposes?

A-1: For federal tax purposes, virtual currency is treated as property. General tax

principles applicable to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual

currency.

"We're going to tax crypto, you knew we would, we knew we would, get over it."

Q-2: Is virtual currency treated as currency for purposes of determining whether

a transaction results in foreign currency gain or loss under U.S. federal tax laws?

A-2: No. Under currently applicable law, virtual currency is not treated as currency that

could generate foreign currency gain or loss for U.S. federal tax purposes.

"It's a domestic tax issue, which beats tar out of a foreign tax issue, chillax."

Q-3: Must a taxpayer who receives virtual currency as payment for goods or

services include in computing gross income the fair market value of the virtual

currency?

A-3: Yes. A taxpayer who receives virtual currency as payment for goods or services

must, in computing gross income, include the fair market value of the virtual currency,

3

measured in U.S. dollars, as of the date that the virtual currency was received. See

Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income, for more information on

miscellaneous income from exchanges involving property or services.

"It's part of the economy, get used to it."

Q-4: What is the basis of virtual currency received as payment for goods or

services in Q&A-3?

A-4: The basis of virtual currency that a taxpayer receives as payment for goods or

services in Q&A-3 is the fair market value of the virtual currency in U.S. dollars as of the

date of receipt. See Publication 551, Basis of Assets, for more information on the

computation of basis when property is received for goods or services.

"We're taxing it based on what it was worth at the time, just like if it was money."

Q-5: How is the fair market value of virtual currency determined?

A-5: For U.S. tax purposes, transactions using virtual currency must be reported in

U.S. dollars. Therefore, taxpayers will be required to determine the fair market value of

virtual currency in U.S. dollars as of the date of payment or receipt. If a virtual currency

is listed on an exchange and the exchange rate is established by market supply and

demand, the fair market value of the virtual currency is determined by converting the

virtual currency into U.S. dollars (or into another real currency which in turn can be

converted into U.S. dollars) at the exchange rate, in a reasonable manner that is

consistently applied.

"You sort it out what it's worth. Prolly don't cheat because we can look at historical records, too."

Yadda yadda yadda the important thing here that nobody talks about is that staking income is income, to pay taxes on, at the time it is earned. That has implications for me but I can't say I'm surprised.

BUT HERE'S WHERE EVERYONE LOSES THEIR SHIT

Q-12: Is a payment made using virtual currency subject to information reporting?

A-12: A payment made using virtual currency is subject to information reporting to the

same extent as any other payment made in property. For example, a person who in the

course of a trade or business makes a payment of fixed and determinable income using

virtual currency with a value of $600 or more to a U.S. non-exempt recipient in a taxable

year is required to report the payment to the IRS and to the payee. Examples of

payments of fixed and determinable income include rent, salaries, wages, premiums,

annuities, and compensation.

"You can't get around W2 wage reporting requirements AND YOU SERIOUSLY CAN'T BE SURPRISED BY THIS."

What everyone should be paying attention to is their position on wallets.

Are the proposed reporting rules similar to the rules for transactions in currency?

Yes. The proposed rule requiring financial institutions to report on cryptocurrency transactions

that are more than $10,000 is similar to existing CTR rules that require the reporting of cash

withdraws over $10,000.

Are the proposed recordkeeping rules similar to those for bank wire transfers?

Yes. The proposed rule is similar to existing rules that establish recordkeeping requirements for

wire transfers over $3,000.

There's another letter that I can't find right now from June where the Treasury specifically cuts out wallet-to-wallet transactions from reporting requirements. As in, specifically says that there will never be reporting requirements on them.

They just want their taxes. And they want to make it so you can't evade current tax law with a new mechanism. That's all this is.