Activities and Operations with Cryptocurrencies and Their Taxation Implications: The Spanish Case

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to attempt to shed light on the taxation of activities or actions related to cryptocurrencies. For this purpose, a small analysis was carried out on the nature, operation, and characteristics of cryptocurrencies. Subsequently, from the point of view of the Spanish tax system, the tax implications of the use, actions, and operations carried out with this virtual medium were discussed. The most recent information derived from the binding inquiries issued by the general directorate of taxes in Spain, an institution under the Ministry of Finance, was reviewed. This article analyzed whether the activities related to Bitcoin should be declared for the purposes of personal income tax, property tax, inheritance tax and finally, in the tax on transmissions of assets and documented legal acts. Finally, special mention was made of activities, such as the mining of Bitcoins in “Bitcoin farms” and the exploitation of websites for buying and selling cryptocurrencies and vending machines. Other collateral situations were also analyzed, such as the system to be used.