Crypto Events

Story: India Cracks Down on Undisclosed Crypto Income with TDS Tracking

By James Thorp

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India’s Income Tax Department has stepped up enforcement efforts against individuals and entities that have failed to disclose cryptocurrency income in their tax filings.

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Using its NUDGE framework—short for Non-Intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable—the department is identifying discrepancies between reported income and actual crypto…

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Unlike earlier years, where general reminders and educational emails were sent, this time the tax department is equipped with transaction-level data.

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Tax experts warn that this is no idle threat. In several instances, the department has conducted search and seizure operations targeting suspected tax evaders.

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The heightened scrutiny comes amid an evolving regulatory landscape for crypto in India. While comprehensive laws are still under development, taxation rules are already in force.

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If you're a crypto investor, trader, or miner, here’s how to ensure you stay on the right side of the law.

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The first step is choosing the correct ITR form. Investors who earn from buying and holding crypto—similar to capital gains on stocks—should use ITR-2.

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Next, declare all crypto income sources comprehensively. This includes profits from buying and selling, mining rewards, staking or airdrops, payments received in crypto, and even…

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Crypto income in India is taxed under Section 115BBH at a flat rate of 30%, with no deductions allowed other than the cost of acquisition.

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TDS deductions also require close attention. Since exchanges are required to deduct 1% TDS on each trade, these amounts should appear in your Form 26AS, a document available on…

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Maintaining meticulous records is essential. This includes wallet addresses, transaction screenshots, trading history from exchanges, and records of any foreign exchange…

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Finally, don’t miss the deadline. The ITR filing deadline for individuals is typically July 31, and late filing can attract penalties and interest even if you have paid the…

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In summary, India’s tax department is no longer treating crypto tax as a grey area. With the tools and data now available, the chances of undeclared income slipping through the…

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