Avoid IRS Trouble by Reporting Bitcoin Cash

IRS guidance on the tax treatment of cryptocurrencies already exists. Right now, the IRS considers cryptocurrencies to be “intangible assets.” As a result, they are subject to capital asset treatment. However, recent developments complicate matters.

On Aug. 1, Bitcoin split into two separate cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Current guidelines do not address cryptocurrency splits, also known as fork transactions.

How to Report Your Bitcoin Cash
At the split, Bitcoin Cash’s initial price was set at 9.5 percent of Bitcoin’s unit price of $2,801—or $266. Holders of Bitcoin received one Bitcoin Cash unit for every Bitcoin they held at the time of the split, making Bitcoin Cash a separate financial instrument. As a result, this makes it taxable—so recipients of Bitcoin Cash should include the transaction on their 2017 income tax returns.

Since a cryptocurrency is not technically a security or a debt-like interest, the transaction is considered neither a dividend nor interest income. So how should you report the transaction? While there is no clear-cut guidance as of yet, the best place to report the transaction is as “Other Income” on Form 1040, since this is where you can report transactions that do not neatly fit anywhere else.

Another reporting alternative is to use Form 8949, where you report the sale of capital assets. If you use this form you would report $266 per unit and offset it with a corresponding 9.5 percent of your Bitcoin cost basis. By transferring a proportional amount of your basis from the original investment you will reduce your taxable income. This reporting method also has the advantage of allowing you to offset the capital gains with capital losses and carryovers. Beware however, that this method is less likely to be accepted by the IRS.

What to Do if You Sold Your Bitcoin Cash
Selling some or all of your Bitcoin Cash means you’ll need to treat it as a capital gain and report it via Form 8949. If you sell any Bitcoin Cash, make sure you report your receipt as “Other Income” per above, since this will then serve as your basis for offsetting your sale. Your selling price would be whatever value you sold it for, less any commissions or fees on the sale. Also, remember that for your 2017 tax return filing, your holding period would start from the split date of Aug. 1, and therefore be short-term.

Why Cryptocurrency Splits Are Not Tax-Free Exchanges
Some will argue that cryptocurrency splits such as Bitcoin Cash qualify as tax-free exchanges; however, this view is unlikely to hold up to IRS scrutiny since none of the corporate reorganization non-recognition events under Section 368 apply. Bitcoin Cash is economically different from Bitcoin, and therefore should be viewed as a new category of financial instrument.

Beware the IRS
Over the past several years, many investors sold cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, but did not report any taxable income from the transactions, while others used Section 1031 like-kind exchange laws to postpone taxation. The IRS is none too pleased by all of this and is taking action.

The IRS estimates that hundreds of thousands of U.S. taxpayers failed to report cryptocurrency income sales over the past few years. Combined with the recent meteoric rise in prices, the IRS is hungry for the potential to collect billions in interest, penalties and back taxes.

Recently for example, the IRS summoned a large cryptocurrency exchange (Coinbase) to hand over its customer lists. Subsequently, they reached an agreement to disclose only transactions in excess of $20,000; however, it is clear from this case that the IRS is going to get aggressive on the matter.

Cryptocurrency investors need to be aware of the evolving nature of taxation in this space in order to avoid IRS problems. This is an emerging issue and one on which you can bet the IRS is not going to stand down. As always, consult a tax professional for details about your particular situation.

Benefits of Delaying Retirement Number Many

Traditionally, retirement was short and peaceful. People worked jobs that were hard on the body—such as farming, manufacturing, trades work or railroad work. If you made it to retirement, you were relieved to have the chance to wind down your days in restful repose.

That all changed in the latter part of the 20th century. Retirees began to take advantage of affordable travel opportunities enabled by cars that could drive great distances and highways that could accommodate them, as well as regional intracontinental airlines. In the 1980s, exercise became a popular pastime and retirees could be found at fitness clubs, aerobics classes and racquetball courts. There was a sweet spot in time when retirement was short enough not to outlive savings and retirees were healthy enough to enjoy an active leisure life.

But a lot of things have changed over the past 30 years. More jobs are automated and life expectancy rates, especially for people who reach age 65, are longer than ever. By middle age, it is common to have developed one or more chronic conditions, making a long retirement a less-than-healthy one. Furthermore, we experienced a pretty severe recession and slow economic recovery, when many pre-retirees had to dig into their savings just to stay above water.

Another area that has changed is the transition from employer-sponsored pensions to 401(k) plans. This has fostered a different way of looking at retirement. Back when many workers had pensions, all they had to do was accumulate enough credits and they could retire with a guaranteed stream of income for life. That gave people something to look forward to. Now, with self-directed retirement plans, workers know that the longer they work the more they can save and the longer their investments have time to grow—which actually creates an incentive to work longer. Another reason people tend to work until at least age 65 is so they don’t have to pay for their own healthcare insurance, for which premiums have grown exponentially over the past 15 years.

In addition, the longer we earn an income the longer we can delay drawing Social Security benefits. Once you start taking a benefit, that payout level remains permanent throughout your life. However, the longer you wait, the higher the payout. In fact, people who delay to age 70 can take advantage of Delayed Retirement Credits, which increase their level of payout 5.5 percent to 8 percent a year past full retirement age.

Now that people are living longer, many are healthy enough to continue working longer as well. Plenty of employees want to continue working not only for the money, but for social interaction and intellectual engagement. When retirement was 10 years or less, that seemed like enough time to wind down and relax. But with today’s workers facing 30 years or more in retirement, the prospect of not having a regular place to go, people to see, and work to do for a few decades isn’t quite as appealing.

However, what if you hate your job and can’t imagine staying on past traditional retirement age? A recent study found that people who changed jobs in their 50s were more likely to work longer. In some scenarios, using well-earned experience can translate into a more rewarding job opportunity. Consider that even if you don’t earn more money, a lateral move could still yield higher financial rewards if you enjoy the new job and want to continue working there indefinitely.

Some retirees decide to go back to work because they’ve had a bit of fun but find they miss the day-to-day routine of work and having a broader network of interpersonal relationships. In fact, they often find their experience and expertise was sorely missed, and in some situations, are more valued by their colleagues. This might not happen in all cases, but the lure of renewed friendships, professional appreciation and additional income offer compelling reasons to come out of retirement.z