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The Russian gov just dropped its latest crypto remix, tweaking tax laws to bring miners and traders under the microscope. The Ministry of Finance spilled the beans, saying these changes are all about keeping things “fair,” but the moves are making waves in the blockchain trenches.

Mining Gains, Tax Pains

Crypto’s getting treated like property now—no more lurking in the gray zone. If you’re stacking sats through mining, you gotta cough up taxes based on market rates when you bag your coins. But it’s not all grim—miners can knock off their rig costs, power bills, and other expenses before tallying their taxable dough.

For the traders, here’s the scoop: no VAT on crypto trades anymore. But don’t get comfy because earnings from hodling and flipping tokens will slide into the same tax bucket as securities. And yeah, the personal income tax cap holds firm at 15%, which some say feels like the gov is just dipping its toes, not grabbing fistfuls of profits.

The wild card? Mining infra operators are now snitches for the state. They gotta spill details to the tax office about who’s running mining ops through their setups. This one’s already got some in the mining scene side-eyeing their next moves.

State vs. Stakers: Who’s Winning?

“Taxing the financial outcome of mining is the most equitable approach,” said the Ministry of Finance, flexing its negotiations with businesses. They’re spinning this as a win-win—miners keep mining, the state gets its cut, and everyone allegedly vibes in harmony.

But the law’s been marinating for years. It first hit Parliament in 2020, passed a first reading in 2021, and now feels like a slow rug pull finally playing out. The new rules aren’t just a tax shift; they’re a reminder that crypto’s no longer the wild west—at least not in Russia.