South Korea is preparing and implementing robust measures to combat tax evasion associated with virtual assets. The National Tax Service of South Korea has designated GTIC for the integrated management system (ISP) of virtual assets in an effort to prevent tax evasion.
With big measures being implemented throughout the world, such as the SEC’s regulation of virtual assets in the United States, and new strides being made in the cryptocurrency space, such as Bitcoin’s new all-time high of $70,000 over the last week, more investors are keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency market. This is an ideal time for South Korea to begin cryptocurrency regulation in order to ensure that no one is left out of the benefits of crypto investing.
In a manner akin to the endorsement of regulatory initiatives by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) to safeguard investors against financial loss and prevent money laundering, the National Tax Service of South Korea has initiated the construction of a panoptic virtual asset management framework. The principal aim of these systems is to effectively analyze and manage transaction data, thus guaranteeing that all transactions conform to compliance standards and eliminating the possibility of subsequent tax evasion.
In light of the ban imposed by South Korean financial institutions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) utilizing cryptocurrencies, this astute action was critical for the country due to escalating concerns and illicit financial transactions involving South Korean citizens conducted on the Winnerz platform, which had been circulating online previously.
The objective of the virtual asset integrated management system is to effectively alleviate increasing concerns regarding fraudulent activities, such as offshore money laundering and tax evasion, that are linked to the anonymity of virtual assets. This requires investors worldwide to exercise prudence in their tax decision-making with regard to virtual assets. Many crypto tax apps and tools are available on the market to assist traders and investors in simplifying their taxation journey.
According to South Korea’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, putting taxes on cryptocurrency assets in the country’s system without first creating a fundamental foundation for legally classifying the notion of ‘virtual asset’ would not be a good start. This is why the South Korean government has chosen to postpone its plan to impose a 20% tax on all bitcoin earnings until 2025. One can expect that by 2025, new regulations will be in place to ensure the transparency and safety of both investors and the government.