US lawmakers grapple with crypto tax policy amid government shutdown

Senate lawmakers debated whether cryptocurrencies should have special tax exemptions to encourage everyday use and the industry's growth.

US lawmakers debated crypto tax policy at Wednesday’s Senate Committee on Finance hearing, including possible tax exemptions for crypto transactions below a certain threshold and how income from staking services should be classified.

Lawrence Zlatkin, the vice president of tax at crypto exchange Coinbase, urged the Senate committee to consider a de minimis tax exemption for cryptocurrency transactions under $300 to encourage commercial use in payments and ensure innovation occurs inside the US. Zlatkin said:

Lawmakers also grappled with how to close the annual tax gap of about $700 billion through enforcing tighter reporting requirements for cryptocurrency transactions, minimizing tax exemptions, and potentially classifying revenue from staking services as earned income subject to taxation under the tiered income tax system.

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