- A US court has ordered cryptocurrency exchange Kraken to submit user data to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- The court’s decision is part of the government’s legitimate aim to search for materials, focusing on Kraken’s operations from 2016 to 2020.
- Accounts with at least $20,000 in annual crypto trading during this period will be reported to the IRS by Kraken.
US Court Demands Crypto Exchange Kraken to Submit User Data to IRS
As part of a surprising move, a US court has ordered Kraken, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, to provide user information and transaction records to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This decision has sent ripples through the crypto community, as it signifies increased scrutiny and regulation of digital currency exchanges.
Government’s Legitimate Aim to Search for Materials
The court’s decision is backed by the government’s legitimate aim to search for materials. This means that the US government has requested exchange information as part of legal processes. The court’s ruling is part of a broader effort to regulate the burgeoning cryptocurrency market, which has seen a relentless rise in recent years, pushing many issues into the background.
Focus on Kraken’s Operations from 2016 to 2020
According to the court’s decision, the IRS will concentrate on Kraken’s operations from 2016 to 2020. Accounts that have at least $20,000 in annual crypto trading during this period will be reported to the IRS by Kraken. This decision comes after Kraken previously rejected requests from the IRS, arguing that such demands would harm the crypto industry.
Implications for Kraken Users
However, the court stated that it made this decision to check whether exchange users had made incomplete declarations in their tax filings. The court wants to observe the tax situation of Kraken users from 2016 to 2020. As a result, Kraken will be forced to transfer the information and transaction records of users who have made transactions of more than $20,000 over a year to the US tax agency.
