by Kenneth Schortgen, The Daily Economist:

On July 1, a new law went into effect which removes all taxation from the buying and selling of Bitcoin in the nation of Japan. And with their already having recognized the cryptocurrency as a viable medium of exchange within their monetary system, the world’s third largest economy has moved another step closer to recognizing Bitcoin as a legitimate currency.

Japan’s tax reform bill which officially eliminated consumption tax on the sale of Bitcoin came into effect on July 1. Bitcoin trading activities are expected to rise in Japan following the activation of the bill.

In a report entitled “Japan: Inbound Tax Alert, 2017 Tax Reform Proposals,” Deloitte previously revealed that virtual currencies including Bitcoin were set to be exempt from the eight percent consumption tax in Japan.

Deloitte’s report read:

“The supply of virtual currency will be exempt from Japanese Consumption Tax (“JCT”). Currently, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin do not fall under the category of exempt sales, and as a result, the sale of virtual currencies in Japan have been treated as taxable for JCT purposes. Following the enactment of the amended Fund Settlement Law in May 2016, which newly defined “virtual currency” as a means of settlement, the sale of virtual currency as defined under the new Fund Settlement Law will be exempt from JCT. This change will apply to sales/purchase transactions performed in Japan on or after 1 July 2017.” – Coin Telegraph

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