New Zealand vs Pakistan
Crypto regulation comparison
New Zealand
Pakistan
Cryptocurrency is legal in New Zealand and treated as a form of property for tax purposes. The IRD taxes crypto depending on the purpose of acquisition — if bought with the intention to sell, gains are taxable income. New Zealand does not have a formal capital gains tax, but crypto profits are often taxable under income tax rules. Exchanges are not specifically licensed but must comply with AML/CFT requirements.
Pakistan has a hostile regulatory environment for cryptocurrency. The State Bank of Pakistan has prohibited financial institutions from facilitating crypto transactions, and the government has considered outright bans. Despite this, Pakistan has high informal crypto adoption, ranking among the top countries for P2P crypto volume. The SECP has explored blockchain regulation but no licensing framework exists for exchanges.
Key Points
- Crypto treated as property; gains taxable if acquired with intent to dispose
- No formal capital gains tax, but income tax applies to crypto trading profits
- Tax rates from 10.5% to 39% depending on income bracket
- Crypto salary payments are treated as taxable income
- Exchanges must comply with AML/CFT Act and register as reporting entities with DIA
Key Points
- SBP prohibits banks and financial institutions from processing crypto transactions
- No licensing framework for crypto exchanges; operating informally is risky
- High P2P crypto adoption despite regulatory hostility
- Government has considered formal banning legislation multiple times
- SECP has explored digital asset regulation but no framework enacted