Crypto Doesn’t Deserve a Tax Exemption
If the incoming Trump administration wants to reduce capital gains taxes, then it should lower them across the board.
No need for preferential treatment.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images North AmericaI am (mostly) bullish on crypto and (usually) skeptical of higher taxes, especially on capital gains. So why do I think it would be wrong to make crypto assets exempt from capital gains taxes, as President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly considering?
The most obvious argument against the proposal is simply that uniform taxation is better than selective tax exemptions. If a lower capital gains tax rate is preferable, then the goal should be to make a smaller cut that applies to all assets. Exempting a single kind of asset is likely to lead to abuses. You might think that boosting crypto is important now, but which sector or asset will be selected next for special treatment? It may be one you don’t think deserves it.