Skip to main content
Inland Revenue Inland Revenue
  • About us
    • About us
    • IR careers
  • News
    • Media releases
    • Updates
    • Subscribe
    • Seminars
  • Related Websites
    • Tax Technical
    • Tax Policy
    • International
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • Media queries
    • Tax Technical queries
    • Tax Policy queries
  • English
Register myIR login
myIR login
Individuals and families Ngā tāngata me ngā whānau
  • IRD numbers Ngā tau IRD
  • Income tax for individuals Te tāke moni whiwhi mō ngā tāngata takitahi
  • File my individual tax return Te tuku i tētahi puka tāke takitahi
  • Support for families Ngā tautoko i ngā whānau
  • KiwiSaver Poua he Oranga
  • Student loans Student loans
  • Self-employed Mahi ā-kiri
  • More... Tāpiri atu…
Business and organisations Ngā pakihi me ngā whakahaere
  • Income tax Tāke moni whiwhi mō ngā pakihi
  • Employing staff Te tuku mahi ki ngā kaimahi
  • KiwiSaver for employers Te KiwiSaver mō ngā kaituku mahi
  • Goods and services tax (GST) Tāke mō ngā rawa me ngā ratonga
  • Non-profits and charities Ngā umanga kore-huamoni me ngā umanga aroha
  • International Tāwāhi
  • More... Tāpiri atu…
Intermediaries and others Ngā takawaenga me ētahi atu
  • Tax agents Ngā māngai tāke
  • Bookkeepers Te kaikaute
  • PAYE intermediaries Ngā takawaenga PAYE
  • Payroll bureaus Ngā tari utu ā-rārangi
  • Digital service providers Ngā kaiwhakarato pūmanawa rorohiko
  • More... Tāpiri atu…
About us
  • About us
  • IR careers
News
  • Media releases
  • Updates
  • Subscribe
  • Seminars
Related Websites
  • Tax Technical
  • Tax Policy
  • International
Contact us
  • Contact us
  • Media queries
  • Tax Technical queries
  • Tax Policy queries
English
Register
myIR login
Inland Revenue
Home
Individuals and families Ngā tāngata me ngā whānau
Popular pages Ngā wharangi rongonui
Cost of Living Payment Utu mō te utu oranga IRD numbers Ngā tau IRD File my individual tax return Te tuku i tētahi puka tāke takitahi Support for families Ngā tautoko i ngā whānau Managing my tax Te whakahaere i taku tāke
More individuals and families
Familes Ngā whānau
Working for Families Working for families Child support Te tautoko tamariki Paid parental leave Te utu tiaki pēpi
Property and Trusts Ngā wharangi rongonui
Trusts and estates Ngā rōpū kaitiaki me ngā rawa tuku iho Property Ngā rawa
Individuals Ngā tāngata
Income tax for individuals Te tāke moni whiwhi mō ngā tāngata takitahi Non-residents Ngā kainoho-tāwāhi Self-employed Mahi ā-kiri Kiwisaver for individuals Kiwisaver mā te tangata takitahi Student loans Ngā pūtea taurewa ākonga Cryptoassets for individuals Ngā rawa whiti-rangi mā te tangata takitahi Unclaimed money
Situations Ngā āhuatanga
I am going overseas Kei te haere ahau ki tāwāhi I received an income tax assessment I whiwhi i ahau tētahi aromatawai tāke moni whiwhi I'm struggling to file and pay my tax
More situations
Business and organisations Ngā pakihi me ngā whakahaere
Popular pages Ngā wharangi rongonui
Covid-19 Businesses and organisations KOWHEORI-19 Ngā pakihi me ngā whakahaere File a companies income tax return - IR4 Te tuku i tētahi puka tāke moni whiwhi kamupene - IR4 Not-for-profits and charities PAYE calculator to work out salary and wage deductions Property Ngā rawa IRD numbers Ngā tau IRD
More business and organisations
Income tax Te tāke moni whiwhi
Types of business income Ngā momo moni whiwhi pakihi Tax rates for businesses Ngā pāpātanga tāke mō te pakihi Balance dates Ngā rā mutunga tau pūtea
GST Tāke hokohoko (GST)
Charging GST Te uta i te tāke hokohoko Claiming GST Te kerēme tāke hokohoko
Employing staff Te tuku mahi ki ngā kaimahi
Register as an employer Te rēhita hei kaituku mahi Paying staff Utu kaimahi Payday filing Te tāpaetanga rā utu Deductions from income Ngā tangohanga mai i ngā moni whiwhi Kiwisaver for employers Te KiwiSaver mō ngā kaituku mahi
International Tāwāhi
International tax for business Te tāke aowhānui mō ngā pakihi
Situations Ngā āhuatanga
I am starting a new business Kei te tīmata au i tētahi pakihi hou I am going to employ someone Kei te tuku mahi ahau ki tētahi tangata My business is making a loss Kei te hapa taku pakihi
More situations
Intermediaries and others Ngā takawaenga me ētahi atu
Intermediaries Ngā takawaenga
Becoming an intermediary Te tū hei takawaenga Getting authority to act Te whiwhi whakamanatanga Executive office holders Ngā kaipupuri tūnga whakahaere Linking client accounts Te honohono pūkete kiritaki Nominated person Te tangata kua whakaingoatia Tax pooling Te whakarōpū tāke Gateway services
More intermediaries and others
Tax agents Ngā māngai tāke
Agents answers Ngā Whakautu Māngai Tax agent status Te tūnga māngai tāke Extension of time arrangements Te whakaroa i ngā whakaritenga wā Managing consolidated groups Te whakahaere rōpū tōpū Income tax for individual clients of tax agents Te tāke moni whiwhi mā ngā kiritaki takitahi a ngā takawaenga News updates for tax agents
More tax agents
Digital service providers Ngā kaiwhakarato ratonga matihiko
Getting started guide About the developer portal Mō te tomokanga kaiwhakawhanake Gateway services architecture Te hanganga ratonga tomokanga Services catalogue Te putumōhio ratonga
More digital service providers
Roles Ngā tūranga
Tax agents Ngā māngai tāke Bookkeepers Ngā kaikaute PAYE intermediaries Ngā takawaenga PAYE Payroll bureaus Ngā tari ripanga utu kaimahi Other representatives Ētahi atu māngai
Search tips

Using cryptoassets for business transactions

Cryptoassets
Cryptoassets
  • Cryptoassets for businesses
    • Cryptoasset businesses
    • Using cryptoassets for business transactions
    • Providing cryptoassets to employees

Your business might use cryptoassets even when it’s not a cryptoasset business.

When you use cryptoassets in your business you still need to account for them. You do this in the same way you would for any other business asset.

Receiving cryptoassets in exchange for goods or services

You may accept cryptoassets as a payment for goods or services you provide. We call this a barter transaction.

Cryptoassets you get in a barter transaction are still part of your business income. You need to account for GST and pay tax on this income.

To work out your tax, you’ll need to calculate the value of the cryptoassets in New Zealand dollars (NZD) at the time they are received.

Calculating the New Zealand dollar value of cryptoassets

Selling cryptoassets you got from a barter transaction

You will often sell or exchange the cryptoassets you got from the barter transaction. This amount is also business income and taxable because it’s part of how you earn your business profits.

In this case, you can claim a deduction for cost equal to the value of the cryptoassets when you got them. This is the same value you paid tax on when you received the cryptoassets in the barter transaction. This means the income you earned from the barter transaction is not taxed twice. GST is not payable on this sale of cryptoassets.

Cryptoassets that are not part of your usual business activity

You might sell or exchange cryptoassets when it’s not part of your usual business activity.

Any amounts you get from the sale or exchange of those cryptoassets are not part of your usual business income.

However, these amounts are generally still taxable. They will be taxable if you:

  • acquired the cryptoassets to sell or exchange them
  • were carrying out a profit-making scheme.

Acquiring cryptoassets to sell or exchange

Using cryptoassets for a profit-making scheme

Paying tax on your cryptoasset income

If how your business uses cryptoassets is taxable, you’ll need to work out your taxable income.

Taxing cryptoasset income

Beaut Bikes sells a bike for Bitcoin

Beaut Bikes Ltd sold an e-bike for 1 Bitcoin. At the time 1 Bitcoin was worth NZD$5,000. Beaut Bikes included $5,000 from the sale in its income.

A few days later Beaut Bikes sold the 1 Bitcoin for NZD$5,500. Beaut Bikes included this amount in its income. Beaut Bikes is also able to claim a deduction for $5,000 (the value of the Bitcoin when it received it).

In total Beaut Bikes pays tax on income of $5,500. This is made up of $5,000 for the sale of the bike and $500 profit on the sale of the Bitcoin.

If Beaut Bikes is GST registered, GST needs to be accounted for on the sale of the e-bike. GST will be paid on the sale of the e-bike in the normal way.

    Moving between Inland Revenue sites

    picto--truck

    Heads up. We're taking you to our old site, where the page you asked for still lives

    Continue to old site
    Last updated: 07 Sep 2020
    Jump back to the top of the page top
    Inland Revenue Inland Revenue

    FOLLOW US

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • LinkedIn
    • Subscribe

    CONTACT US

    • Contact Information
      • Contact us
      • Media queries
      • Tax Policy enquiries
      • Tax Technical enquiries
    • About us
    • Careers
    • International

    SHARE THIS PAGE

    • Email this page
    • Linkedin
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    SHARE THIS PAGE

    • About the site
    • Conditions of use
    • Privacy
    • Glossary
    • Accessibility
    • Copyright
    • MyIR Help
    © Copyright 2023 Inland Revenue
    New Zealand Government
    Shielded website