In what could further dampen the mood of crypto investors in the country, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) council is mulling a 28 percent tax on cryptocurrencies, at par with the current GST on casinos, betting and lottery, multiple media reports claimed on Monday, 9 May.
The services such as crypto mining along with sales and purchases are likely to attract the 28 percent GST if the proposal goes through in the next GST meeting, according to reports.
The date of the next GST meeting is yet to be finalised.
GST in Addition to the 30% Crypto Tax
The Ministry of Finance has already imposed a 30 percent tax on profits made from the transfer of crypto assets and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
India distinguishes between cryptocurrencies and crypto assets, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget 2022-23 in February announced a 30 percent tax on income from these transactions, which includes a 1 percent deduction at source.
Her proposal of levying a 30 percent tax on crypto earnings came into effect on 1 April.
The 28 percent GST will be in addition to the 30 percent income tax on earnings from crypto asset transactions.
There is also 1 percent TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold. Gifts in crypto and digital assets are also taxed.
A new section called '115BBH' has been added in the Income Tax Act, 1961, to tax digital assets.
Sitharaman Stresses Need for Regulation
During a trip to the US last month, Sitharaman raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market worldwide and stressed the need for a regulatory mechanism acceptable to all countries to prevent its use to launder money and fund terrorism, which, she said, were big concerns for India.
Sitharaman said at a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"I think the biggest risk for all countries across the board will be on the money laundering aspect and also on the aspect of currency being used for financing terror."Nirmala Sitharaman at an IMF seminar
The minister had earlier raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market. "We are not sure about the veracity of the data, which says the volume is this much or that much. Those numbers are questionable."
Meanwhile, Bitcoin dropped nearly 2.7 percent on Monday and was trading at $33,531.
The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value has now fallen by 50 percent since its peak in November last year.
(Published in an arrangement with IANS)
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