Crypto industry disappointed as Australia looks to enshrine tax rules

The cryptocurrency sector expressed its disappointment on Wednesday with Australia's decision to keep classifying cryptocurrencies as assets for tax reasons rather than foreign currency.

In its budget presentation on Tuesday, the government said that it will submit laws to formalize the classification of virtual currencies like Bitcoin as assets.

This implies that when investors sell cryptocurrency via exchanges or engage in digital asset trading, they must pay capital gains tax on their earnings.

The law eliminates confusion that followed El Salvador's decision to declare Bitcoin legal cash in September of last year, according to the Australian government's budget release.

However, Australia said that central bank digital currency (CBDC), or cash issued by the government, would be considered as foreign money.

Approximately 90% of the central banks throughout the globe are currently utilizing, testing, or researching CBDCs. The majority are attempting to avoid falling behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies but are having trouble due to technical challenges.

The budget shift, according to Mitchell Travers, the founder of blockchain consulting firm Soulbis and a former operator of cryptocurrency exchanges, is ambiguous and seems to be at conflict with government research into the sustainability of a CBDC.

Given that the Treasury is also investing in attempting to shift the traditional technology systems that support our financial system over to digital assets, Travers said it would be unwise for the government to really take an enforcement approach to the taxation of crypto assets in its early stages.

If they were to impose the taxation of digital assets and then introduce its own CBDC without precise specifications of what token corresponds to what tax classification, it would be an amusing paradox.

The Treasury said in August that it will prioritize "token mapping" work, which would assist determine how crypto assets and associated services should be regulated. The Australian crypto industry is mainly uncontrolled.

The sharp decline in cryptocurrency values caused El Salvador, which became Bitcoin legal money last year, to suffer significant economic losses.

According to Caroline Bowler, CEO of BTC Markets, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange, "I think they are taking a snapshot in time and making an assessment for a long time around what happened in El Salvador and the price of bitcoin." She added that Australia will lag behind other nations that are adopting a more open-minded strategy.

The United Kingdom now has a prime minister who is conversant with central bank digital currencies, so Bowler predicted that Europe would gain ground. If we don't consider proportionate, sensible regulation, all these trade partners will surpass Australia.