US Congressman Tom Emmer is pushing for safe harbor legislation to protect taxpayers with forked coins. A bill entitled “Safe Harbor for Taxpayers with Forked Assets Act of 2021” has been introduced to prohibit “penalties against taxpayers attempting to report certain gains or losses on ‘forked assets’ until the IRS issues sufficient guidance on how to do so.”
Bill Aimed at Protecting Crypto Investors Introduced
The office of Congressman Tom Emmer announced this week that the congressman has introduced the bill entitled “Safe Harbor for Taxpayers with Forked Assets Act of 2021.” The bill seeks to prohibit “penalties against taxpayers attempting to report certain gains or losses on ”forked assets’ until the IRS issues sufficient guidance on how to do so.”
The announcement explains that “The bill delineates that receipt of a forked virtual currency may not constitute a taxable event and creates a safe harbor under which the IRS cannot impose penalties or fees on taxpayers with forked assets until they provide clear and consistent guidance on how these transactions should be managed.” It elaborates:
Absent coherent guidance from the IRS, this legislation is designed to insulate taxpayers who, at no fault of their own, could be subject to potential tax liabilities and penalties.
Following the introduction of the bill, Congressman Emmer released a statement emphasizing that “Just like every other federal agency, the IRS must keep up with the rapid pace of technology or risk losing American leadership in innovation.”
Stating that “We should be embracing emerging technologies and providing a clear regulatory system that allows innovation to flourish in the United States,” Emmer added:
Taxpayers suffering from a lack of tax guidance are being unfairly punished for investing in an emerging technology. What has been issued by the
