India enforces crypto taxes at 30% with 1% TDS and 18% GST on platform fees. Penalties include interest, fines up to 50% of unpaid tax, and prosecution. Reporting is mandatory, and offshore trading doesn't exempt you.
Crypto GST India: What You Need to Know in 2025
When you buy or sell crypto GST India, the Goods and Services Tax applied to cryptocurrency transactions under India’s digital asset regulations. Also known as GST on crypto, it’s not a separate tax—it’s part of India’s broader framework for taxing digital assets as goods or services. Since 2022, the Indian government has treated cryptocurrency as a taxable asset, and GST kicks in on every trade, swap, or conversion—even between two crypto tokens.
Here’s the catch: crypto trading tax India, the 30% income tax on profits from crypto sales. Also known as digital asset tax India, it’s the big one most traders worry about. But GST? That’s the hidden layer. If you buy Bitcoin with INR, no GST. But if you swap ETH for SOL on a local exchange, that’s a taxable service under GST at 18%. Same goes for paying for NFTs, staking rewards converted to cash, or even using crypto to buy goods. The tax doesn’t care if you made a profit—it cares that a transaction happened.
GST on crypto, the 18% tax applied to crypto-to-crypto trades and exchange services in India. Also known as crypto GST India, it’s often misunderstood because exchanges don’t always collect it visibly. Most platforms don’t show GST on your receipt, but they’re still required to pay it to the government. That cost gets baked into the spread or fee you pay. If you’re doing frequent swaps, those 18% add up fast. And if you’re running a business—like a crypto consulting firm or a DeFi educator—you might need to register for GST and file returns, even if your crypto income is small.
There’s no exemption for personal use. No "like a car or a laptop" loophole. Even if you bought Bitcoin for $100 and sold it for $1,000 to pay for your rent, you owe both 30% income tax and 18% GST on the trade. The government tracks this through exchange data, bank deposits, and wallet analytics. Audits are rare—but they’re happening, and penalties are steep.
What about mining? If you’re mining crypto in India, the electricity you use is subject to GST, and the mined coins are treated as inventory. When you sell them, GST applies again. Airdrops? Taxable as income. NFTs? GST on the sale. There’s no gray area anymore. India’s stance is clear: crypto is a financial instrument, not a currency, and every movement triggers a tax event.
Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of how Indian traders are handling these rules—what works, what backfires, and which platforms still play by the book. No theory. No guesswork. Just what’s actually happening on the ground in 2025.