IRS Is Carefully Watching Bitcoin and Other Cyber Currency
Big Brother is watching. Always watching. In this case, Big Brother is the IRS and you might be surprised what they’re looking into now. Although, when it comes to the IRS, nothing should surprise us.
Have you ever heard of Bitcoin? It’s one of a handful of virtual currencies that making buying and selling things in the digital age much easier. Essentially, virtual currencies are exactly that: virtual. They are not tangible, their value can fluctuate constantly and they only exist in cyberspace. But that’s not stopping the IRS from taking a closer look at how it can regulate them.
That’s because it appears that virtual currencies could be a new way for tax evaders to hide money “overseas.” Simply put, virtual currencies, like Bitcoin, offer secrecy with no trail to follow. That’s why the IRS has created a team of special agents to focus on tracking these virtual currencies. So if you’re trying to hide money through Bitcoin, beware.
To use Bitcoin you have to have a virtual wallet, as well as public addresses and private keys. What many people who use Bitcoin don’t know is that every transaction they make with Bitcoin is added to a record book known as a block chain. That means to review these transactions the IRS only has to access the block chain. It then follows that chain back to the public address that was used for the original Bitcoin transaction. The IRS then uses whatever measures it takes to link the address to the identity of the user.
That means using these virtual currencies may not actually be as secretive as users thought they were. So if you’re using one or more of these types of currencies, then as always beware of the taxman.
Does it Really Pay to Win the Lottery?
Everyone dreams of winning the lottery. The thought of taking home hundreds of millions of dollars is enough to get even the laziest people off the couch and into their local quick-e-mart to purchase some tickets. The country has been abuzz during the last several days over the huge Powerball jackpot that ultimately reached $1.6…
What Tax Changes Can You Expect Next Year?
With the New Year almost here that means several new tax changes are on the horizon. These changes are for 2016 and do not apply to the taxes you will be working on in the next few months before April’s deadline. However, it’s a good idea to know what to expect as the new tax…
Try These Tax Ideas for Your Business Before the Year Ends
Are you a business owner? Then chances are you’re already busy getting ready for your taxes. Personal taxes can be a pain for many people, but business taxes can be even more complicated. This is a very important time of year for just about every business because making the right moves now can help save…
What Should You Do if You Can’t Afford to Pay Back-Taxes?
Paying taxes is no fun. Owing back taxes and not being able to pay them is much worse. Many people get into tax trouble when they end up owing money to the IRS and they don’t have the means to pay it off. This can cause a lot of stress, anxiety and even fear or…