They Want to Tax Your Crypto Before You Even Know It!

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Netherlands plans to tax unrealized crypto gains from 2028. Investors are freaking out, markets wobbling, and people are leaving.

First off, what the hell is a Box 3? It’s the Netherlands’ way of saying, “You better keep your money in a drawer if you don’t want the taxman to stick his finger in it.”

Dutch Parliament is Not Playing Around with Unrealized Gains Tax Reform

The lawmakers are like that guy in the office who says, “I’ll fire the IT guy for being too slow.” And the result? A tax that gets slapped on your virtual coins even if you haven’t sold a single one.

The Netherlands has gone insane.

The government wants to tax unrealized gains from 2028 onwards.

I simply don’t understand why people are blindly accepting this and not going all-in to demonstrate against this particular law.

The amount of tax being paid each…

– Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL)

The new framework is called Wet werkelijk rendement Box 3. It replaces an unlawful system of return the Supreme Court told the government was “illegal.” Now they want the money people actually earn, not just what they think they earned.

Related Reading: Bitcoin News: Netherlands Moves to Tax Unrealized Bitcoin Gains by 2028 | Live Bitcoin News

So if you own stocks, bonds, or your favorite cryptocurrency, this tax will hit you like a surprise lunch at your office. You’ll owe tax even if you haven’t drawn a single dime.

That’s on top of a public rant from Michaël van de Poppe who says the plan is unreasonable and will drive people away.

He also lampooned the fact that taxes keep going up while efficiency could be improved instead. Like, why do we make governments fuss about money when we can just do our jobs better?

Despite the screaming protests, the bill looks set to pass and the government claims it’s worth protecting $2.3 billion annually from the lost revenue stream of “unfair” tax collection.

Investor Angst Heats Up as 2028 Looms

This tax starts on January 1st, 2028. Temporary rules let people deduct lower proven returns, but the long‑term goal is a 100% tax on unrealized gains. That’s a nightmare for anyone who can’t afford to liquidate assets just to pay the bill.

On paper, you can offset losses against gains in the same year, and you can carry forward net losses forever. Supporters claim… oh yeah, it’s easy to handle volatile investments. Right? Wrong.

The real worry? You might have to sell your prized crypto just to avoid a tax penalty, which only makes the market more volatile.

Crypto investors are scrambling for alternatives. The top picks to avoid Dutch tax: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Malta. Yeah, you’re really going to move to Bulgaria just for crypto.

And somewhere in 2026, the Netherlands will start enforcing the DAC8 directive, meaning crypto exchanges will automatically share user data with the authorities. So not only will you owe tax, you’ll be sharing your secrets.

Critics say this stew of higher taxes and increased oversight is just a perfect recipe for capital flight, not compliance.

The current system offered a concession for reporting reduced returns, but it’s so messy people consider it impractical. Too many forms, too many proofs.

In short, the Dutch crypto policy is at a turning point. Officials want to be “fair,” but investors are already losing confidence. The result? Money (and talent) might just leave the country faster than you can say “Moscow.”

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2026-01-24 17:13