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Private sales transactions

Gains from private sales transactions are treated as tax-free if they are below the exemption limit of 600 Euro. If the total capital gain is above 599 Euro, it becomes taxable in the full amount.

This text refers to the Steuererklärung 2023. You can find the version for the Steuererklärung 2024 at:
(2024): Private sales transactions



What is included in private sales transactions?

The regulations governing which gains or losses are considered private sales transactions are outlined in Section 23 of the Income Tax Act. For tax purposes, they are classified as other income.

Specifically, the following transactions are considered private sales transactions:

  • Sale of non-owner-occupied property within ten years
  • Sale of other private assets within one year

Other assets include items such as gold bars, gold coins, foreign currency, or rented transport vehicles.

If you have earned income from these assets, the speculation period increases from one year to ten years. Gains or losses are not considered private sales transactions if they can be attributed to another type of income. The sale of securities and related speculative transactions are classified as income from capital assets, and the withholding tax applies.

Cryptocurrencies can also be subject to a private sales transaction according to Section 23 (1) No. 2 of the Income Tax Act. This means for transactions within private assets: capital gains from the exchange or re-exchange of Bitcoins, etc., into euros or another cryptocurrency are considered taxable speculative transactions if the purchase and exchange occur within one year. A gain is only tax-free if it is below the allowance of 600 Euro.

Federal Ministry of Finance and Cryptocurrencies

The Federal Ministry of Finance has explained the taxation of cryptocurrencies and digital tokens in a letter (BMF letter dated 10.5.2022, IV C 1 - S 2256/19/10003 :001). Here are the key points:

  1. Private sales transactions: If you buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum within a year, profits may be taxable. They remain tax-free if they are under 600 Euro.
  2. Tax-free sale after one year: If you hold cryptocurrencies for more than one year, the sale is generally tax-free, even if you have used them for specific purposes such as lending or staking.
  3. Business assets: In some cases, cryptocurrencies may be considered business assets, especially if you trade them regularly and intensively.
  4. Commercial trading: If you repeatedly buy and sell cryptocurrencies, this may be considered a commercial activity.
  5. Block creation: The creation of blocks, whether through mining or forging, is not considered private asset management. This is regarded as a commercial activity.
  6. Business income: If cryptocurrencies are part of business assets, sales proceeds are treated as business income, regardless of the one-year period.
  7. Income from block creation: Income from block creation may be taxable unless it is below 256 Euro per year and no commercial activity is involved.

Federal Fiscal Court and Cryptocurrencies

The Federal Fiscal Court has ruled that capital gains from the sale of cryptocurrencies within one year are taxable (BFH ruling of 14.2.2023, IX R 3/22). This concerns a case where a claimant made a profit of 3.4 million Euro from trading cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are considered assets subject to taxation as private sales transactions. These regulations apply to digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero. They are regarded as means of payment and can be traded on trading platforms.

(2023): What is included in private sales transactions?



How is the speculation period calculated?

Profits and losses from private sales transactions are only taxable if the speculation period has not yet expired between the purchase and sale of the goods. Once the speculation period has expired, profits do not need to be taxed regardless of their amount. Losses are also not relevant for tax purposes.

The date of acquisition is the date on which the purchase contract came into effect (this is usually the date the notarised purchase contract was signed), not the date of delivery (transfer of ownership, benefits, and burdens). The same applies to the date of sale of the goods to a third party.

(2023): How is the speculation period calculated?


Field help

Did you sell land, flats, houses or similar land rights in 2023?

Select "yes" if you have sold land and similar land rights for which the period between acquisition and sale is no more than ten years.

The calculation of the period between acquisition and sale is generally based on the obligatory transaction underlying the acquisition or sale (e.g. notarised purchase agreement). Please enter the corresponding data in line 32.

The contribution to the business assets is also deemed to be the sale of a property or a right equivalent to a property if the sale from the business assets takes place within ten years of the acquisition of the property or a right equivalent to property. In such cases, however, the gains or losses shall not be recognised until the calendar year in which the proceeds from the sale of the business were received. The hidden contribution of a piece of real estate or rights equivalent to real property into a corporation is also deemed to be a sale. The declaration on sales transactions must also include buildings and outdoor facilities to the extent that they have been constructed, expanded or extended within the ten-year period. This applies mutatis mutandis to independent parts of buildings, condominiums or partly owned rooms.

Excluded from taxation are buildings, independent parts of buildings, condominiums or partly owned rooms (assets) to the extent that they

  • in the period between acquisition or completion and disposal or
  • in the period between acquisition or completion and disposal or
  • were used exclusively for own residential purposes in the year of sale and in the two preceding years.
  • were used exclusively for own residential purposes in the year of sale and in the two preceding years.

If you have sold a property where only part of the property is subject to taxation (for example, a home office, rooms rented out to third parties), enter only information on the taxable portion in lines 34 to 40.

In the case of sale transactions, the acquisition or production costs are reduced by deductions for wear and tear, increased deductions and special depreciation, provided that they have been deducted when determining income from employment, capital assets or rental and leasing. When you sell an asset you have built, the cost of production is reduced by deductions for wear and tear, increased deductions and special depreciation.

Insofar as such depreciation has been deducted when determining other income, the acquisition or production costs are reduced if you acquired or completed the asset after 31.12.2008.

Have you sold any other assets (e.g. gold, antiques, paintings, etc.)?

Select "yes" if you have sold other assets for which the time period between acquisition and disposal does not exceed ten years.

The sale of assets held as private assets is only taxable if the period between acquisition and sale does not exceed one year. Once the one-year speculation period has expired, profits no longer have to be taxed, regardless of the amount. They are tax-free and do not have to be stated in the tax return.

Other assets to be included in the tax return in connection with private sales transactions include, for example, sales of

  • gold bars
  • gold coins
  • silver bars
  • silver coins
  • antiques
  • canvases
  • vintage cars
  • bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies

Exception: Sale transactions with items of daily use, on the other hand, are not taxable within the one-year period - and consequently losses can no longer be offset against tax. Reason: The salesman did not expect to achieve a higher price than he had to spend himself.

Did you sell company shares in 2023?

Select "yes" if you have sold shares in income determined separately and uniformly.

Private sales transactions of shares in companies refer to the sale of shares in partnerships or other companies the income of which has been determined separately and uniformly. Gains or losses must be declared in the tax return.

Examples:

  1. Sale of shares in a limited liability company (GmbH & Co. Limited partnership): Gains or losses must be declared in the tax return.
  2. Sale of shares in a partnership (GbR): Gains or losses must also be declared in the tax return.

Note: The sale of shares is also a private disposal transaction. However, gains or losses from this must always be declared in the capital income section (Form KAP - income from capital assets).

I request for Partner A to waive a loss carryback according to sect. 10d of the Income Tax Act (EStG) into the year 2022.
I request for Partner B to waive a loss carryback according to sect. 10d of the Income Tax Act (EStG) into the year 2022.
Do you want to provide information about the loss carryback according to sect. 10d of the Income Tax Act (EStG)?

Sie können beantragen, dass der Verlustrücktrag von 2023 nach 2022 begrenzt wird.

Erzielen Sie aus einem privaten Veräußerungsgeschäft einen Verlust, können Sie diesen Verlust in unbegrenzter Höhe mit Gewinnen aus anderen Veräußerungsgeschäften verrechnen. Die Verluste können allerdings nicht mit positiven Einkünften aus anderen Einkunftsarten im selben Jahr verrechnet werden.

Beim Verlustrücktrag handelt es sich allerdings um ein Wahlrecht:

(1) Wenn Sie aus Veräußerungsgeschäften einen Verlust erwirtschaftet haben, wird das Finanzamt diesen Verlust automatisch in voller Höhe in das Vorjahr zurücktragen. Dies geschieht allerdings nur, wenn im Vorjahr auch Spekulationsgewinne erzielt wurden. Ist dies nicht der Fall, stellt das Finanzamt einen Verlustfeststellungsbescheid aus.

(2) Wenn Sie den automatischen Verlustrücktrag nicht wünschen, können Sie den Verlustrücktrag ablehnen. Eine Begrenzung wie in den Vorjahren ist ab 2022 nicht mehr möglich.

 

Have you earned income from the sale of virtual currencies and/or other tokens?

Select "yes" if you have sold virtual currencies and/or other tokens for which the time period between acquisition and sale was no more than one year.

The most important virtual currencies include:

  • Bitcoin (BTC)
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Binance Coin (BNB)
  • Cardano (ADA)
  • Solana (SOL)
  • Ripple (XRP)
  • Polkadot (DOT)
  • Dogecoin (DOGE)
  • Litecoin (LTC)
  • Chainlink (LINK)
  • Stellar (XLM)
  • Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
  • Tezos (XTZ)
  • EOS (EOS)
  • Monero (XMR)

Cryptocurrencies can be the subject of a private sale transaction in accordance with section 23 para. 1 no. 2 of the Income Tax Act (EStG). This means for transactions that take place in private assets: Capital gains arising from the exchange or re-exchange of bitcoins etc. into Euro or another cryptocurrency are deemed to be a taxable speculative transaction if the acquisition and exchange take place within one year. A gain remains tax-free (only) if it remains below the exemption limit of 600 Euro.

For private individuals, the sale of acquired Bitcoin etc. is tax-free after one year. The time period is not extended to ten years even if, for example, bitcoins were previously used for lending or the taxpayer has provided Ether to another person as a stake for their block creation.

The Federal Ministry of Finance has published a letter that comprehensively regulates the income tax treatment of virtual currencies and other tokens (letter of the Federal Ministry of Finance dated 10.05.2022).


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