South Korean officials: Government considers 20% tax on cryptocurrency transactions

South Korean officials said on Monday that the country's Ministry of Finance has been considering a 20% tax on cryptocurrency trading income.

Officials said the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance has recently ordered its income tax office to review a tax plan for cryptocurrencies. Earlier, the Ministry's Finance and Tax Office had reviewed the plan.

The move sparked speculation that the government could classify the benefits of cryptocurrency transactions as other benefits rather than capital gains. Other current benefits under Korean tax law include lectures, lottery purchases and winnings.

• Counting mining 2019 | Difficulty of mining increased by 97.67% throughout the year. Which mining pool is on the right pace?
• Cryptocurrency fights for freedom in India's Supreme Court, but opponents see too much risk
• Analysis | The logic behind USDT's continued negative premium

A government official, who asked not to be named, said the Ministry of Finance has not finalized plans to tax cryptocurrencies.

But the official said the government could impose a 20% tax on cryptocurrencies.

Last November, South Korean tax authorities imposed a withholding tax of 88.3 billion won (about 69.2 million U.S. dollars) on Bithumb.

Vidente, Bithumb Holdings' largest shareholder, said in a regulatory document that the company confirmed the Korean National Tax Service's (NTS) decision to implement withholding tax on foreign customers.

Bithumb Korea, South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange, plans to take legal action against withholding taxes.

By law, employers who pay wages, pensions, and other income must withhold income tax and pay it to the government.

The NTS decision means that Bithumb Korea must pay withholding taxes to the government on behalf of its foreign customers, and Bithumb Korea will then recover the money from its overseas customers.

In other words, the definition of cryptocurrency transactions is very important. Once it is defined as other income, Bithumb Korea will need to pay withholding tax, but if it is defined as capital gains, this case may have different results.

We will continue to update Blocking; if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us!