pubDate: “2021-11-19” categories:
- “altcoin-news”
- “bitcoin-news”
- “latest” tags:
- “cryptoapa”
- “cryptocurrency” coverImage: “Crypto-Crime-Rise.jpg” description: “evaders and financial criminals who mistakenly believe that decentralized ledgers offer complete anonymity. As the mainstream adoption of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets has surged, so too has the sophistication of those attempting to bypass the U.S. tax system. The IRS has made it a primary objective to shatter the myth that cryptocurrency transactions are untraceable. To achieve this, the agency’s Criminal Investigation (CI) division has heavily invested in blockchain analytics software, specialized training for its forensic accountants, and partnerships with leading crypto-tracing firms like Chainalysis and Elliptic. “The perception that cryptocurrency is a hidden safe haven for illicit funds or unreported income is exactly that—a perception,” said Jim Lee, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation, in discussions surrounding the agency’s enforcement strategy. “The blockchain is a permanent, public ledger. With the right tools and expertise, we can follow the money, no matter how complex the transaction or how many digital wallets are involved.” To further tighten compliance, the IRS has placed a prominent question regarding virtual currency at the very top of Form 1040, requiring all taxpayers to explicitly declare whether they received, sold, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of any financial interest in virtual currency during the year. The agency has warned that ignoring this question or failing to report crypto capital gains accurately can result in severe financial penalties, comprehensive audits, and even criminal prosecution. While a significant portion of the $3.5 billion seized in 2021 was tied to high-profile cybercrime and money laundering cases—such as the recovery of stolen funds from the 2016 Bitfinex hack—the IRS emphasizes that tax evasion remains a massive, untapped frontier for enforcement. Many early crypto adopters and high-net-worth traders have historically treated digital asset exchanges as offshore accounts, failing to report massive capital gains. Moving forward, the IRS plans to expand its crypto-focused task forces and increase collaboration with international tax authorities and the Department of Justice. As global regulatory frameworks around digital assets continue to tighten, the IRS is sending a clear message to the market: the era of flying under the radar with cryptocurrency is over, and the taxman is now fully equipped to trace the blockchain.” updatedDate: “2021-11-19T12:32:41” author: Editor slug: irs-seized-3-5-billion-in-crypto draft: false heroImage: “/placeholder.svg”
Der US-amerikanische Internal Revenue Service (IRS) beschlagnahmte im Geschäftsjahr 2021 Kryptowährungen im Wert von 3,5 Milliarden US-Dollar.
Laut dem neuesten Bericht der IRS-Kriminaluntersuchungsabteilung entspricht diese Zahl 93 % der von der Steuerbehörde im vergangenen Jahr beschlagnahmten Vermögenswerte.
Die Steuerbehörde geht davon aus, dass sie in den kommenden Jahren weitere Milliarden an Kryptowährungen aus Steuerbetrug und anderen Straftaten beschlagnahmen könnte.
„Ich erwarte, dass sich der Trend der Kryptobeschlagnahmungen im Geschäftsjahr ‘22 fortsetzt“, sagte Jim Lee, Leiter der IRS-Kriminaluntersuchungsabteilung. „Wir sehen Kryptowährungen zunehmend in einer Reihe unserer Straftaten.“