JamesG1
Expert Alumni

Retirement tax questions

Moving cryptocurrency between wallets that you own is not a taxable event.  Your cost basis and holding period do not change when you exercise a wallet - to - wallet transfer. Your cost basis will be your original cost for acquiring your cryptocurrency. Your holding period will be whenever you first acquired your investment. 

 

Unlike wallet - to - wallet transfers, cryptocurrency - to - cryptocurrency transactions are considered taxable.  With cryptocurrency - to -cryptocurrency transactions, one cryptocurrency is traded for another. 

 

Because you are disposing of cryptocurrency in a cryptocurrency - to -cryptocurrency trade, you will incur a capital gain or loss depending on how the value of your coins has changed since you originally received them.

 

Cryptocurrency A was acquired at an original cost of $100 US dollars.  Cryptocurrency A was traded for cryptocurrency B.  At the time of the transfer, cryptocurrency A was valued at $150.  There is a gain of $50 realized on the sale of cryptocurrency A.  Cost basis of cryptocurrency B becomes $150 US dollars.

 

Long-term or short-term is based upon how long you held cryptocurrency A investment.  Short-term gains come from the sale of property owned one year or less.  Long-term gains come from the sale of property held more than one year.

 

@thibaut-gourdel- 

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