Can You Claim Crypto Losses on Taxes?

The IRS has released guidance on how cryptocurrency investors can report their losses on their taxes. Here’s what you need to know.

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Introduction

Cryptocurrency investors may be able to reduce their tax liability by reporting capital losses on their investments. Here’s what you need to know.

The IRS considers cryptocurrency to be property, so any gains or losses from buying, selling, or trading cryptocurrency are subject to capital gains taxes. Long-term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than short-term capital gains, so it’s generally better to hold onto cryptocurrency for more than a year before selling it.

However, if your cryptocurrency investments have lost value, you may be able to offset some of your other capital gains or income by claiming a capital loss on your taxes. You can also carry forward any unused capital losses to offset capital gains in future tax years.

Here’s what you need to know about claiming crypto losses on your taxes.

What Are Cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies are a type of digital asset that uses cryptography to secure its transactions and to control the creation of new units of the currency. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized, meaning they are not subject to government or financial institution control. Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, was created in 2009. Cryptocurrencies are often traded on decentralized exchanges and can also be used to purchase goods and services.

Are Cryptocurrencies Taxable?

The IRS has yet to release specific guidance on how to report profits or losses from cryptocurrency transactions. However, existing tax law applies to cryptocurrency transactions, and the IRS has issued some guidance on how it intends to tax cryptocurrencies.

Based on the existing guidance, it appears that cryptocurrencies will be taxed as property, not currency. This means that capital gains or losses from buying, selling, or exchanging cryptocurrencies will be taxed as capital gains or losses.

For individual taxpayers, capital gains and losses are typically reported on Schedule D of Form 1040. Short-term capital gains and losses (gains or losses from assets held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains and losses (gains or losses from assets held for more than one year) are typically taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income.

If you have a profit from buying, selling, or exchanging cryptocurrencies, you will need to report it as a capital gain on your taxes. If you have a loss, you may be able to deduct it as a capital loss.

How to Calculate Crypto Losses for Tax Purposes

If you sold or spent cryptocurrency during the 2018 tax year, you may be able to report your losses on your tax return. Here’s what you need to know about how to calculate crypto losses for tax purposes.

The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, which means you’re subject to capital gains and losses rules when you sell or spend it. If you have a net capital loss for the year, you can deduct it from your other capital gains, or carry it forward to future years.

To calculate your capital gain or loss from a cryptocurrency transaction, you need to know the following information:

-The date you acquired the cryptocurrency
-The date you sold or spent the cryptocurrency
-The amount you paid for the cryptocurrency (in USD)
-The amount you sold or spent the cryptocurrency for (in USD)

For example, let’s say you bought 1 Bitcoin for $5,000 on January 1, 2018 and sold it for $6,000 on December 31, 2018. Your capital gain would be $1,000 ($6,000 – $5,000). If you had bought the Bitcoin on December 31, 2017 and sold it on December 31, 2018, your capital gain would be $5,000 ($6,000 – $1,000).

To calculate your net capital gain or loss for the 2018 tax year, add up all of your capital gains and losses from cryptocurrency transactions during the year. If your total is a net gain, you’ll need to pay taxes on it. If your total is a net loss (meaning your losses are greater than your gains), you may be able to deduct it from other income on your tax return.

What if I Don’t Have Any Records?

If you do not have any records of your crypto losses, you may still be able to claim them on your taxes. The IRS allows taxpayers to estimate their capital losses for the year if they do not have complete records. To do this, you will need to provide a reasonable estimate of your investment’s cost basis and the fair market value of the investment at the time it was sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of. The IRS may disallow your estimate if it appears to be unrealistic or unsupported.

What if I Sold or Traded Crypto This Year?

If you sold or traded cryptocurrency this year, you may need to pay taxes on your gains. If you sold Bitcoin for a loss, however, you may be able to deduct those losses on your tax return.

Here’s what you need to know about how to claim crypto losses on taxes.

First, it’s important to note that only capital losses can be deducted on your tax return. This means that if you sold Bitcoin for a profit, you’ll need to pay taxes on those gains. However, if you sold Bitcoin at a loss, you may be able to deduct those losses as a capital loss on your tax return.

To claim a capital loss, you’ll need to report the sale or trade on your Form 1040 Schedule D (Capital Gains and Losses). You’ll then enter the amount of your loss on Form 8949 (Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets).

It’s important to keep in mind that you can only deduct capital losses up to the amount of capital gains you have for the year. So, if you had $5,000 in crypto gains for the year and $3,000 in crypto losses, you could only deduct $3,000 of those losses on your taxes.

Additionally, you can only carry forward capital losses that exceed your capital gains for the year. So, if you had $3,000 in crypto gains and $5,000 in crypto losses for the year, you could carry forward the remaining $2,000 in losses into future years.

If you have any questions about how to claim crypto losses on your taxes, we recommend speaking with a tax professional.

What if I Lost My Crypto?

Losing money is never fun, but it can feel especially painful when the losses come from something as new and volatile as cryptocurrency. If your cryptocurrency investments have taken a turn for the worse, you might be wondering if you can do anything to offset the losses come tax time.

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always clear cut. The IRS has yet to give formal guidance on how to handle cryptocurrency losses for tax purposes, so it’s important to speak with a tax professional if you have questions about your specific situation.

In general, though, it’s likely that you’ll be able to claim your crypto losses as a capital loss on your taxes. This can be beneficial because capital losses can offset other capital gains you may have made during the year, potentially reducing your overall tax bill.

Of course, there are some exceptions and caveats to this rule. For example, if you sold or exchanged cryptocurrency for goods or services, those transactions may be considered “ordinary income” and taxed accordingly. This is just one example of how complex the issue can be, so again, it’s important to speak with a tax professional if you’re not sure how to proceed.

In short, if you lost money on cryptocurrency this year, it’s likely that you’ll be able to claim those losses on your taxes. However, because the IRS hasn’t yet issued formal guidance on the matter, it’s always best to speak with a tax professional before taking any action.

What if I’m a Crypto Miner?

If you are in the business of mining cryptocurrency, any profits you make are taxable. This includes any rewards you receive for verifying transactions, as well as any exchange of cryptocurrency for goods or services.

In most cases, your profits will be considered taxable income. However, if you can prove that your mining activity is a hobby, you may be able to claim some of your expenses as deductions. This can include the cost of your mining equipment, as well as electricity and other utility costs.

Crypto losses can be deducted from other capital gains in the same year, or carried forward to offset gains in future years. To claim a loss, you will need to file a Schedule D with your tax return.

What if I’m an ICO Investor?

If you’re an ICO investor, things get a bit more complicated. The IRS has said that ICOs can be taxed as investments, as property, or as something else entirely. It all depends on how the ICO is structured and what rights the tokens give investors.

Generally speaking, if you invest in an ICO you will be taxed on any gains when you sell or exchange your tokens. If the tokens are considered property, you may also be subject to capital gains taxes. And if the ICO is structured as an investment, you may be subject to taxes on any dividends or other distributions you receive from the company.

Of course, this is just a general overview – every ICO is different and you should consult with a tax professional to determine how your investment will be taxed.

What if I’m a Crypto Business?

If you hold cryptocurrency as a business, you may be able to deduct any losses incurred during the year on your business taxes. This is true for both traditional businesses and for cryptocurrency exchanges and other businesses that deal directly in cryptocurrency. In order to deduct these losses, you’ll need to itemize them on your business tax return.

How to File Your Crypto Taxes

The government views cryptocurrency as property, not currency, which means it is subject to capital gains taxes. For example, if you buy Bitcoin for $10,000 and it grows in value to $11,000, you have a $1,000 capital gain that is subject to tax.

If your Bitcoin investment goes down in value and you sell it at a loss, you can claim that loss on your taxes. For example, if you bought Bitcoin for $10,000 and it drops to $9,000 before you sell it, you have a $1,000 capital loss that can offset any other capital gains you have for the year.

If your losses are more than your gains, you can use up to $3,000 of those losses to offset ordinary income on your taxes. (For example, if you have a job and make $50,000 per year in salary or wages, and lose $5,000 on cryptocurrency investments during the year, you can offset $3,000 of your salary with those losses.)

It’s important to keep good records of all your crypto transactions so that you can accurately calculate your gains and losses come tax time. The IRS has specific requirements for how taxpayers must keep records of their cryptocurrency transactions.

What if I Owe Taxes on Crypto?

If you owe taxes on your cryptocurrency earnings, you may be able to deduct your losses. The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, so you can deduct capital losses on your federal income taxes. However, you can only deduct up to $3,000 in capital losses per year. If your losses are greater than $3,000, you can carry them forward to future tax years.

What if I’m Being Audited by the IRS?

There is a process for disputing IRS findings if you believe you have been wrongly assessed. The first step is to contact the agent who sent you the notice and attempt to resolve the issue. If that does not work, you can file a protest with the IRS Office of Appeals.

Conclusion

To sum it up, if you have a net capital loss from cryptocurrency transactions, you can claim a deduction on your taxes. This deduction can help to reduce your overall tax bill. However, it’s important to keep good records of your cryptocurrency transactions so that you can properly calculate your losses (and gains).