Tax risks of taxation of cryptocurrency transactions

Issue: № 2, 2026

Doi: https://doi.org/10.37634/efp.2026.2.12

The paper investigates tax risks arising in the taxation of cryptocurrency transactions in Ukraine and in the broader international context. It substantiates that the absence of a unified legal qualification of cryptocurrencies significantly complicates the identification of the taxable object, the determination of the tax base, and the establishment of the moment at which tax liabilities arise. The paper highlights key challenges associated with the high volatility of digital assets, the insufficient transparency of transaction recording mechanisms, the complexity of verifying the origin of crypto assets, and the increased risks of tax evasion. Particular attention is devoted to the transnational nature of cryptocurrency circulation, which creates favorable conditions for tax arbitrage, regulatory fragmentation, and manipulation of tax residency. These phenomena weaken the effectiveness of national tax systems and generate additional threats to fiscal stability. It is argued that existing regulatory approaches in many jurisdictions remain fragmented and inadequately adapted to the specific features of decentralized digital technologies. The paper identifies priority directions for mitigating tax risks, including the harmonization of national legislation with international standards, the development of a coherent and unified model for the taxation of digital assets, the improvement of financial monitoring mechanisms, and the enhancement of transparency in cryptocurrency-related transactions. The paper concludes that only a systematic, balanced, and coordinated approach to the legal regulation of the cryptocurrency market is capable of ensuring tax certainty, strengthening compliance, and reducing risks both for the state and for market participants.

Keywords : cryptocurrency, digital assets, taxation, tax risks, tax planning, financial monitoring, tax legislation, cryptocurrency transactions, tax control, digital market regulation

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