Budget: 30% tax on income from cryptocurrency, virtual assets; 1% TDS on buy/sale

Giving clarity on taxation of cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed a 30 per cent tax on income from transactions in such assets.

Also, to bring such assets under the tax net, she proposed a 1 per cent TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold.

Gifts in crypto and digital assets will also be taxed, she said.

The tax proposals will come into effect from April 1 after the passage of the Union Budget in Parliament.

Meeting demands from large sections of industry, she said the RBI will launch a 'Digital Rupee' based on blockchain technology in 2022-23.

Experts said the 30 per cent tax levied on income arising from the sale of cryptocurrency is similar to the tax rate on winnings from lottery, game shows, puzzles etc.

Digital currency and assets like NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have gained traction globally over the last couple of years. Trading in these assets has increased manifold with cryptocurrency exchanges being launched. However, India did not have a clear policy on either regulating or taxing such asset classes.

NFTs are unique digital assets with verified ownership rights and the details are stored on a blockchain.

Nangia Andersen India Chairman Rakesh Nangia said the government has walked the talk on a stable and predictable tax regime and transfer of virtual digital assets have been brought under the taxation ambit.