US court authorizes IRS to seek identities of taxpayers who have used cryptocurrency

Updated: May 5, 2021 / 06:00 PM EDT

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 25: In this photo illustration of the litecoin, ripple and ethereum cryptocurrency ‘altcoins’ sit arranged for a photograph on April 25, 2018 in London, England. Cryptocurrency markets began to recover this month following a massive crash during the first quarter of 2018, seeing more than $550 billion wiped from the total market capitalisation. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A federal court in the United States has authorized the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve a “John Doe Summons” on the crypto exchange Kraken, seeking identities of U.S. taxpayers who have used cryptocurrency, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

The IRS is seeking information about taxpayers who conducted at least $20,000 worth of transactions in cryptocurrency from 2016 to 2020, the DOJ said in a statement.

“Those who transact with cryptocurrency must meet their tax obligations like any other taxpayer”, acting Assistant Attorney General David Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division said in the statement.