Judge's ruling in criminal case challenges ATO's decade-long classification of cryptocurrency as a capital gains tax asset, potentially revolutionizing crypto taxation in Australia.
A landmark court decision in Australia could lead to approximately $640 million in capital gains tax refunds for Bitcoin transactions. Judge Michael O'Connell ruled that cryptocurrency should be treated as money rather than a taxable asset, contradicting the Australian Taxation Office's position since 2014. This verdict emerged from a criminal case involving 81.6 Bitcoin theft and could establish a precedent that places Bitcoin transactions outside Australia's current tax framework, potentially exempting them from the Capital Gains Tax system.