Crypto Confiscation: Spanish Treasury Targets Digital Assets In Pursuit Of Tax Debts

The Spanish government wants more say in monitoring digital money like Bitcoin. They’re considering grabbing these online assets if people owe taxes. It’s like they want to have a better grip on things.

María Jesús Montero’s team at the ministry is changing the tax rules, specifically Article 162 of the General Tax Law. They want the Spanish Tax Agency to find and take away digital money from people who owe taxes. This is happening because of overdue debts, as per the reports.

A royal decree, which came into force on Feb.1, expands the number of entities to be given tax collection powers. Until now, only banks, savings banks, and credit cooperatives could report to the Treasury.

The Treasury wants to crack down harder on tax evasion. It aims to make banks and electronic money institutions report on every card transaction. Implementing changes quickly brings challenges to regulations. The country is actively working on rules for crypto, trying to stay ahead fast.

In Oct 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Digital Transformation unveiled groundbreaking news – the imminent implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), marking a pioneering step towards a comprehensive European Union crypto framework. However, the national enforcement of MiCA is scheduled for Dec 2025, a noteworthy six months ahead of the official deadline.

MiCA Implementation: Spanish Crypto Regulations

A crucial deadline looms for Spanish residents navigating the crypto landscape beyond their borders. By the end of the coming month, all crypto assets held on non-Spanish platforms must be disclosed to the tax authorities.

Furthermore, the window for submitting the Form 721 declaration commenced on Jan 1, 2024, and will conclude on the final day of March. Both individual and corporate taxpayers must divulge the value of funds in their overseas crypto accounts as of Dec 31, 2023.

Notably, the obligation to declare foreign holdings rests solely on individuals whose balance sheets reflect crypto assets surpassing the equivalent of 50,000 euros (approximately $54,000). However, those who safeguard their assets in self-custodied wallets must adhere to reporting protocols outlined in the conventional wealth tax Form 714.

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