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Slovenia’s status as one of the world’s digital asset tax havens could change this year if a new bill proposing a new 25% tax on ‘crypto’ trading profits passes.
The country’s Finance Ministry has tabled a new bill that proposes to tax Slovenians when they sell their digital assets for fiat or make payments. However, it exempts transfers or exchanges of one digital asset for another.
Titled the Act on Tax on Gains from the Disposal of Crypto Assets, the proposed bill has been presented to the public for feedback until May 5. If parliament approves the proposed Act as drafted, Slovenians will start paying the new taxes at the beginning of next year.
“With the proposal, we aim to harmonize the taxation of income from the same or similar financial instruments and ensure a clear regulation for taxpayers with the least possible administrative burden,” the Finance Ministry says.
According to the draft bill, taxpayers must keep all records of purchases and sales of digital assets and “submit them to the tax authority upon request.” Under its ‘reset provision,’ the bill would value all digital assets at their fair market value as of January 1, 2026, giving every taxpayer a clean slate.
Defending the proposal, Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič said that it’s only right that ‘crypto’ holders face the same taxation as other sectors of the financial industry. He estimated that the government could net up to €25 million ($28.4 million) annually from the new taxes.
“The goal of taxation of crypto assets is not to generate tax revenue, but we find it illogical and unreasonable that one of the most speculative financial instruments is not taxed at all,” he told local media.The proposal has faced criticism from some quarters of the digital asset and political circles. One of the outspoken critics is Jernej Vrtovec, a former minister whose party, New Slovenia, is part of the opposition coalition.
Vrtovec says that the proposal denies Slovenia “the opportunity to become a crypto-friendly country.”
“With excessive taxation, we will once again see young people and capital fleeing abroad. Taxes should encourage, not stifle,” he wrote.
Two years ago, Slovenia departed from its no-tax policy, imposing a 10% tax on digital asset withdrawals and payments. However, this update exempted capital gains for holders, which the government is now targeting.
Slovenia becomes the latest country to update its taxation laws to pursue digital asset holders. Several countries in the European Union have kickstarted legislative processes that seek to align digital assets with other assets, including stocks. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework could finally standardize taxation across the 450-million-person bloc, with a 2023 report by the European Commission advocating for member states to align their frameworks with the regional blueprint.
Watch: Breaking down solutions to blockchain regulation hurdles