Staking / Mining / Airdrop Taxation

Crypto you earn rather than buy, staking rewards, mining output, airdrops, gets taxed twice: once when you receive it, and again when you sell it. Missing that first stage is the most common mistake we see.

The Two-Stage Rule Most People Miss

When you receive mined, staked, or airdropped tokens, the INR value on the date of receipt counts as income right then, taxed at your regular slab rate under “Income from Other Sources,” not the 30% VDA rate. That same value then becomes your cost of acquisition for the tokens. When you later sell, swap, or spend them, the gain, sale price minus that receipt value, gets taxed again, this time at the flat 30% rate under Section 115BBH. Two taxable events from one asset, at two different rates, is the part that catches people out.

How Each Type Is Treated

  • Mining rewards: taxable as income at fair market value on the date the reward is generated, then taxed again on disposal
  • Staking rewards: same two-stage treatment, taxed as income at receipt, then as a VDA gain at disposal
  • Airdrops: treated as income from other sources at the fair market value on the date received, regardless of whether you asked for them
  • Hard fork tokens: generally follow the same receipt-then-disposal pattern as airdrops

What Doesn't Change, Regardless of Source

  • The 30% flat rate on disposal applies uniformly, whether you bought the asset or earned it
  • No deduction is allowed beyond the cost of acquisition, transaction fees and gas costs don’t count
  • Losses on disposal can’t be set off against other VDA gains or any other income, and can’t be carried forward
  • Every transaction needs its own entry in Schedule VDA, aggregated or bulk reporting isn’t accepted

What We Help With

  • Valuing rewards at the correct fair market value on the date of receipt, which sets both your income figure and your future cost basis
  • Tracking the receipt date and disposal date separately for every batch of rewards, since these rarely line up with calendar months
  • Computing advance tax across the year rather than leaving it all for the ITR deadline
  • Reconciling exchange or wallet statements against what actually needs reporting in Schedule VDA

Why Select Us?

Our Strength Lies in Providing Real-World Practical Solutions

STRICT TIMELINE

We plan every statutory audit around your AGM and ROC deadlines, so Form AOC-4 and MGT-7 are always filed on time. Our team works to a clear schedule and keeps you updated at each stage, so you never miss a statutory due date.

MINIMUM COST

You get a thorough, Standards-compliant audit at transparent, competitive fees with no surprises. Because we deliver statutory audit, tax audit and ROC filing together, you save on duplicated effort and overall cost.

ONE STOP SOLUTION

Our experienced team of Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries and consultants handles the full compliance chain under one roof — statutory audit, tax audit, GST audit, internal financial controls and annual ROC filings — so everything stays coordinated and consistent.

TRUST & RELIABILITY

AVS & Associates is a peer-reviewed CA firm founded by CA Vishnu Agrawal, with 25+ years of experience and five partners. We maintain the highest ethical and professional standards on every engagement, with complete client confidentiality.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Yes. Such rewards are taxable, generally on receipt, and a later sale is taxed again as a VDA transfer at 30% under Section 115BBH.
The value of tokens received in an airdrop is brought to tax; that value becomes the cost of acquisition for any later sale.
Yes, 1% TDS under Section 194S applies on the transfer of the tokens above the prescribed threshold.
No. VDA losses cannot be set off against other income or other VDA gains, and cannot be carried forward.
At their fair market value on the date of receipt, which we help you determine and document.
In the Schedule VDA of the income tax return, covering both the reward and any later disposal.