U.S. Treasury and IRS Set Sights on a New Era of Financial Oversight
1. Closing the Tax Gap In a significant attempt to further regulate the emerging digital frontier, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), has announced a set of proposed regulations targeted at the sale and exchange of digital assets by brokers. These new rules, part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), aim to tighten tax compliance within the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector.
2. Introducing Form 1099-DA To “simplify” the process for taxpayers, the proposed regulations will introduce a new IRS form, 1099-DA. This form will serve as a means for brokers to report sales and exchanges and for users to determine if they owe taxes on their digital asset transactions. According to the IRS, the goal is to provide a standardized process akin to that in conventional financial markets, minimizing the risk of tax evasion.
3. Projected Revenue and Implementation Timeline According to the Joint Committee on Taxation estimations, the new provisions could generate nearly $28 billion in additional revenue over the next decade. The proposed timeline suggests that reporting would begin in 2026 for transactions occurring during the year 2025. While it may seem like a slow rollout, the timeline provides the industry with adequate time to adapt to the new regulatory landscape.