While merely holding bitcoin, dash, or other cryptocurrency does not give rise to tax, the sale will result in a capital gain or full income inclusion. The use of bitcoin in a transaction will also be considered a disposition for Canadian income tax purposes and will result in income that has to be reported. If you are planning to hedge against a potential bitcoin bubble collapse by selling some BTC, consider delaying that sale until the new year so that the profits will be taxed in 2018, if you think any possible collapse won’t take place before year end. If you sell digital currency in 2017 your profits will have to be declared when you file your 2017 tax return by April 30, 2018.
Taxation of Sales of Bitcoin Before Year End
Rotfleisch & Samulovitch P.C.
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Rotfleisch Samulovitch PC is one of Canada's premier boutique tax law firms. Its website, taxpage.com, has a large database of original Canadian tax articles. Founding tax lawyer David J Rotfleisch, JD, CA, CPA, frequently appears in print, radio and television. Their tax lawyers deal with CRA auditors and collectors on a daily basis and carry out tax planning as well.
While merely holding bitcoin, dash, or other cryptocurrency does not give rise to tax, the sale will result in a capital gain or full income inclusion.