Income Tax department turns heat on bitcoin exchanges across country, checks for evasion

The Economic Times,  ET Bureau, December 16, 2017, New Delhi

The income-tax authorities have conducted surveys on brokers of Bitcoin across the country in the first major swoop on virtual currencies owing to suspicion of tax evasion. The surveys on nine virtual currency exchanges in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi are aimed at ascertaining the source of funds and tax evasion, if any, following recent reports of large-scale encashing of cryptocurrencies, a Central Board of Direct Taxes official told ET. 

"Surveys have been carried out to ascertain if there was tax evasion," said the official, who did not wish to be identified. The surveys have been conducted under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act, according to the official, who said the Income Tax Department is not concerned with the legality aspect of Bitcoins. 

Bitcoin price has crossed Rs 11 lakh in India, setting alarm bells ringing among the authorities. The Reserve Bank of India, which had earlier cautioned cryptocurrency users, recently issued another strong warning on virtual currencies. However, the government of India has yet to clarify its stance on the legal status of Bitcoins. 

China had clamped down on cryptocurrencies, directing its two largest bitcoin platforms, BTCC and OKCoin, to stop all trading operations. The surveys, the official said, are largely aimed at gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, transactions undertaken by them, identity of counterparties and related bank accounts used.

The survey teams, another official said, are armed with various financial data and inputs about the working of these exchanges, and that this is the first big action against them in the country. Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is not regulated in India and its circulation has been a cause of concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now. 

A finance ministry interdisciplinary committee had in a report advised caution on virtual currencies, and the Enforcement Directorate and tax authorities had been keeping a watch on them for some time.


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