India vs Jamaica
Crypto regulation comparison
India
Jamaica
India legalized crypto taxation in the 2022 Union Budget, imposing a flat 30% tax on all crypto gains with no deductions for losses. A 1% TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) on crypto transactions above thresholds also applies. The Supreme Court struck down the RBI's 2018 banking ban in 2020, and India is now developing a broader regulatory framework.
Jamaica has no specific cryptocurrency legislation. The Bank of Jamaica does not regulate or endorse crypto but has not banned it. Jamaica launched its own CBDC, JAM-DEX, in 2022 through the National Commercial Bank. Crypto exists in a legal gray area with no dedicated framework.
Key Points
- Flat 30% tax on all crypto gains with no loss offset against other income (effective April 2022)
- 1% TDS on crypto transactions above ₹10,000 (₹50,000 for specified persons)
- Supreme Court struck down RBI's 2018 banking circular banning banks from serving crypto firms
- FIU-IND requires VASPs to register and comply with PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act)
- India blocked non-compliant offshore exchanges (Binance, others) in 2024, later some re-registered
Key Points
- No specific cryptocurrency legislation or regulatory framework
- BOJ does not recognize crypto as legal tender but has not banned it
- Jamaica launched the JAM-DEX CBDC in 2022
- FSC Jamaica has not issued specific guidance on crypto asset regulation
- Tax treatment of crypto gains is unclear due to lack of specific guidance
Sources
- Income Tax India - Section 115BBH
- FIU-IND - VASP Registration Circular
- Income Tax India - CBDT Circular 23/2022
- Income Tax India - TDS on VDA Section 194S
- Supreme Court - IAMAI v RBI Judgment (March 2020)
- PIB - FIU-IND Show Cause Notices to Offshore VDA SPs
- Gazette of India - PMLA VDA Notification (March 2023)