Last week was one of the breakneck fluctuations in the prices of all virtual coins, including bitcoin. However, the downhill swings were prevailing, as sometimes the prices saw falls by more than 20%. Crypto critics stirred the bubble bursting talks, although the reason for such plunging could remain on the ground surface. And that would be the Asian curbing on digital money, which continues this week.
For example, South Korean exchanges will have to pay 24.2% of corporate and local revenues taxes soon, whereas the country’s executives might be obliged to declare their crypto holdings.
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How It All Started
Being squeezed between the sides (crypto inimical China and bitcoin congenial Japan), South Korea was staying hands-off regarding crypto regulation at the very beginning. But now, because of bubble concerns with lots of people involved in trading and gambling and against the background that North Korea, South Korean biggest enemy, could target the country’s crypto exchanges, its government decided to get more severe with crypto regulation. In December 2017, it announced the restricting measures on cryptos.
Nearly two weeks ago, on January 11, South Korean justice minister announced the scheme to ban crypto exchange platforms. After receiving a tremendous amount of adverse responses, the government tried to soften the attitude saying that the decision was not final. Even though Koreans continued the backlash, signing the petition against the government curbing on cryptos, which on January 22 had over 224,000 supportive voices.
Moreover, in the past few weeks, the country’s government prohibited the trading of bitcoin-based futures and the use of unnamed virtual currency accounts. Since then citizens above 19 years old, foreigners and local financial establishments are not allowed to invest in cryptos.
Exchanges to Pay 24% Taxes on Income, Share Data With Banks
According to Yonhap, this Monday, January 22, South Korean authorities notified about the decision to collect up to 24.2% of regional revenues and corporative fees from the country’s virtual money exchanges in 2018. The platforms should pay the corporative fee on revenues gained in 2017 by the end of spring’s first month. At the same time, the local earnings tax should be paid by the end of spring’s second month.
Meanwhile, according to existing South Korean laws, country’s corporations whose earnings make up more than 20 billion won ($18.7 million) are obliged to pay 22% of corporate revenues taxes and only 2.2% of local income taxes.
This is especially interesting because the South Korean crypto market is in the top-3 largest on the planet. One of South Korean largest crypto platforms Bithumb last year gained 317.6 billion won ($298.5 million). Thus, it is anticipated to pay approximately 60 billion won ($56.4 million) both for corporative and regional earnings taxes.
On Sunday, January 21, country’s government informed that six largest banks would be eager to offer services to crypto platforms already this month. Therefore, the exchanges will be required to share clients’ data with these financial institutions.
Officials to Declare Their Cyber Pilings?
Recently, a term at the country’s National Assembly’s Administrative and Security Committee Chung Dong-yong presented a document, according to which South Korean placemen will have to declare their digital earnings. The bill appends such virtual pilings as BTC, ETH, and XRP to the nomenclature of public exposure items.
“The current Public Service Ethics law excludes cryptocurrency, which has recently emerged as a means of property proliferation,” said Chung Dong-yong.
The new document might bring some changes in the Public Service Ethics Act and demands public governors expose their virtual money holdings which exceed 10 million won ($9,350). If the placemen try to deceive the public, they could face fines and disciplinary action.
Interestingly, last week some executives at the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) were blamed for insider trading on the understanding of cyber money rules.
