Ukraine Proposes New Crypto Tax Regime With Up to 23% Personal Income Tax, Stablecoins Exempt

Tags: regulation, stablecoin, tax, ukraine

Key Takeaways:

• Ukraine is considering a new tax regime that would impose up to 23% personal income tax on crypto gains.
• Stablecoins are exempt from the new tax because they are not speculative.
• The proposal is aimed at being compliant with the EU’s MiCA regulations and generating more state revenue.
• Individuals and companies would be contributing to the new levy, including foreign crypto participants. 

Ukraine presents new crypto tax proposal with 23% highest rate, excepts stablecoins

Ukraine is planning a radical overhaul of its tax regime for cryptocurrencies, with an proposed individual income tax rate of up to 23% on profits from crypto. The initiative, led by the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), is part of a grand effort to harmonize the country’s tax code with the European Union’s and fill state coffers in the midst of wartime economic pressure.

The plan was detailed in a taxation grid released by the NSSMC on April 9. It suggests several possible approaches to taxing virtual assets, including a model of progressive taxation under which crypto income would be taxed between 18% and 23%. Specifically, the scheme in particular excludes stablecoins from tax, recognizing them as a category of digital currency pegged to mainstream fiat currencies and not vulnerable to the same degree of speculation risk as is posed by cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum.

  Ukraine Virtual Asset Taxation Matrix – Tax Exemptions for Stable-Value Assets

Major Elements of the Scheme

The model outlines several of the most important points intended to guide policymakers as Ukraine continues to develop a regulatory framework for digital assets. The central purpose is to bring in clarity and consistency to taxation of crypto, an area still legally ambiguous in the majority of jurisdictions. The proposed framework includes:

• A personal income tax of up to 23% on profits derived from sales of crypto, depending on the nature and scale of profits.
• Exemptions for stablecoins, not considered speculative assets in the proposal under consideration.
• Single method of crypto pricing, likely in terms of market prices at the time of transaction, to prevent tax evasion by underreporting of gains.
• Applicability of the proposed tax to both individuals and legal entities, such as Ukrainian residents and potentially foreign actors engaged in crypto trade within Ukraine.

Motivation Behind the Move

The proposal is also Ukraine’s contribution to its overall process of harmonizing with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which sets out harmonized rules for crypto assets within the EU. Ukraine has stated that it will adopt MiCA-based standards as part of its integration plans into the European Union.

Industry Reaction

The Ukrainian crypto community reacted with a combination of wariness and skepticism. A few investors and exchanges have been worried that a 23% tax would strangle innovation and push crypto activity underground. They contend that a level or lower tax rate would be better at inducing voluntary compliance and maintaining the nation’s expanding digital economy.

“We see the NSSMC’s approach as a step toward transparency, but it needs to be balanced,” said one Ukrainian crypto entrepreneur. “The key question is whether the government will provide fair rules that allow the crypto industry to thrive while still contributing to the national budget.”

Exemption of Stablecoins

One of the stunning features of the proposal is the exclusion of stablecoins from taxable assets. The NSSMC appears to regard stablecoins not as speculative assets but as value-saving instruments, particularly in volatile or inflationary economic environments. Such a distinction can be employed to differentiate between the use of crypto for investment and the use of crypto for remittances and payments.

By excluding stablecoins, Ukraine is putting its name on a growing list of governments that treat them distinctly from other cryptocurrencies. This move could also fuel greater use of regulated stablecoins in ordinary transactions, narrowing the divide between traditional and decentralized finance.