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.
Effective Uses of Trusts in Estate & Gift Tax Planning
Effective Uses of Trusts in Estate & Gift Tax Planning Function of Estates An estate is a legal entity that originates upon the death of an individual. An estate is set up to administer all legal affairs of the decedent to be settled and to distribute the assets owned by the decedent. Once all estate…
Real Home Owners Relief
Real Home Owners Relief The sub-prime mortgage debacle is still playing out nationwide, with new home sales plummeting 61 percent since January, foreclosure rates doubling, and the number of borrowers 90-days or more in areas growing. In Northern California, East Bay homeowners – particularly, those residing in Contra Costa County, where many buyers make their…
8 Steps for Getting Out of Debt
8 Steps for Getting Out of Debt The average American spends a great deal more than they make every year. This results in a financial pitfall later in life. If you find yourself digging deeper into the empty wallet, here are ten steps you can use as a crutch to help free yourself of the…
6 Tips to Consider When Faced With Foreclosure
6 Tips to Consider When Faced With Foreclosure By Alan L. Olsen, CPA, MBA (tax) Managing Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP Updated: 10/9/12 Many find themselves faced with foreclosure in the world today. Sometimes the circumstances leading to foreclosure isn’t your fault. If faced with foreclosure, most likely you want to know what…