Ohio residents may soon be able to pay fees in cryptocurrencies

Ohio residents may soon be able to pay their fees in digital assets. According to reports, the state is edging closer to allowing residents in the state to pay taxes in digital assets after a new GOP proposal has laid the groundwork for digital assets to become mainstream.

With the stock market currently experiencing volatility, investment experts have urged residents to diversify their portfolios, and that is the incentive that politicians in Ohio are trying to give to their residents.

“We are authorizing the use of cryptocurrency as just another way to keep up with the current practices that are generally accepted by the American public and by the people of the state of Ohio,” State Treasurer Robert Sprague said.

According to the report, the idea is being pushed by Sprague and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, with the pair trying to make sure that Ohio remains a leader in terms of innovation in the country, hence allowing residents to pay state fees and services like taxes in digital assets. They are proposing that state agencies should be allowed to accept digital assets, but it should not be mandatory.

Ohio flirts with the idea of taking fees in cryptocurrencies

The issue of cryptocurrency and its acceptance has been something that has generated quite a buzz across the globe. While some groups see it as the next wave of financial freedom, others think it is not secure enough, meaning that humans cannot fully rely on the system. Although its appeal lies in its decentralization and transparency, skeptics are still opposing its use in everyday activities.

In this case, Secretary of State LaRose has mentioned that his office will take the first step when it comes to accepting the assets. While it could eventually get to taxes in the long run, it could just start with business filings in the secretary’s office.

“My office is prepared to be the first in state government to begin accepting Bitcoin and to do so immediately,” LaRose said.

Two other crypto proposals are being considered in the Ohio House, with one trying to make sure that fees stay low. The bills are sponsored by state Representative Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge TWP.), with the first bill looking to protect cryptocurrency by putting taxes on the asset, while the other would allow the treasurer to invest in “high-value digital assets” in the general or reserve fund.

Payment calculation could pose a great challenge

While the idea behind the initiative has been seen as fairly better, considering it is following global trends of financial freedom, there have been doubts over price calculations. According to CWRU Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship’s Michael Goldberg, payments can be hard to calculate because of the spikes in the price of the assets.

Government accountability advocate Catherine Turcer, with Common Cause Ohio, has also said it is not safe for the state’s finances.

“It is electronic money, anything could happen to it,” Turcer said. “Whether it’s hacking, deflation — when you pay your taxes on April 15, and it nosedives on the 16th — it’s just too volatile.”

However, the treasurer explained that their system could be coded in a way that immediately changes the currency format once it is submitted.

“Our mission here is to have a thoughtful, safe, and secure process for accepting this cryptocurrency and converting it immediately into United States dollars for the state treasury to hold,” Sprague said.

Last year, the FBI reported about $9.3 billion in losses due to cryptocurrency crimes. In light of this, Goldberg has mentioned that there will always be financial fraud, highlighting that it is difficult to track back since most of it is online. “Crypto is still a bit of the wild, wild west; it’s basically completely deregulated,” he said. “If somebody gets defrauded, it may be a bit more challenging for them to recoup their assets.”

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