India Could Hit International Crypto Exchanges With Additional 18% Tax: Report

Crypto exchanges that offer services in India may have to pay an additional 18% tax even if they're not based in the country, according to a report by Economic Times (ET).

• At present almost all exchanges based outside India do not pay the goods and services tax (GST) tax, ET reported Friday.
• However, the country's tax authority is examining whether they would be subject to the levy, which is paid on all transactions involving goods and services.
• Most Indian exchanges pay the 18% GST on their profits and commissions in the absence of clarity from the authority.
• Overseas crypto exchanges may be subject to GST given that they are providing certain "data" services, according to some experts, ET reported.
• The tax department would categorize crypto exchanges as providing an online information database access and retrieval (OIDAR) service, it said.
• India appeared in recent months to be moving to an outright ban on crypto. However, there were signs in June that the government would take a more lenient approach and move toward regulating the industry.

Read more: India’s Crypto Investors Could Face 2% Levy on Purchases From Overseas Exchanges