Colombia Tightens Crypto Rules as Tax Authority Moves to Curb Evasion

Jimmy Aki
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Colombia’s tax authority, the National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN), has introduced stricter oversight for cryptocurrency exchanges.

These new rules are defined in Resolution 000240, a draft document published on December 24, 2025. It outlines specific requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) operating within the country.

New Reporting Rules Bring Crypto Exchanges Under Stricter Oversight

On January 8, local news outlet, CriptoNoticias, reported that DIAN requires digital asset service providers, essentially, any services handling cryptocurrencies, to collect and report user and transaction data to the agency.

The required information will include account ownership details, transaction volumes, the number of units transferred, market value, and users’ net balances.

Exchanges and other crypto service providers will be required to provide these details for transactions exceeding $50,000, with the DIAN believing that this will help improve compliance particularly for large transactions.

While the resolution took effect since it was published, it should be noted that compliance was delayed until the 2026 tax year. As such, the first compliance report for crypto service providers won’t be due until the last business day of May 2027.

According to law firms covering the development, the document is in line with the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARD), which was put forth by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Before the resolution, the DIAN already required individual crypto users to declare their assets on their tax returns, either as capital gains or a part of their net worth.

While crypto tax reporting had been a voluntary action, Resolution 000240 makes it mandatory, with the introduction of the VASP requirement. Now, the DIAN has the authority to cross-check declarations to get a better view of Colombians’ crypto holdings and ensure proper tax enforcement.

The agency also reserves the authority to electronically process individuals’ tax residences and their net balances, even if they don’t reach the $50,000 threshold.

This excludes commissions, although with the resolution’s provisions, it would appear that the DIAN will get a broader view of crypto transactions within Colombia’s financial landscape.

Mandatory Declarations, Penalties, and a Broader Global Push for Tax Enforcement

To ensure compliance, DIAN will impose penalties.

VASPs that fail to report or that share inaccurate data will face a fine of 1% of the value of all unreported transactions. It remains unclear whether individual users will face similar penalties for non-compliance.

This move reflects a wider global trend. National tax authorities are increasingly focusing on their domestic crypto industries. Similarly, tax advisory firms are now positioning themselves to offer crypto tax services.

The OECD reported that 48 countries are preparing to begin recording transactions this year to meet a 2027 data-sharing deadline.

Another 27 countries are expected to follow by 2028. A key goal of the CARF framework is to prevent crypto-enabled cross-border tax evasion.

Amongst other things, the OECD’s requirements focus on stemming potential crypto-enabled cross-border tax evasion.

However, some in the industry have pointed out that these requirements could be used for purposes extending beyond just tax compliance.
TaxBit, a well-known crypto tax software firm, explained in a report that the information required by the OECD could provide unprecedented access to individuals’ and businesses’ crypto ownership and identity details.

While this could aid in curbing criminal activity, it also raises questions about the broader use of sensitive financial data.

About Jimmy Aki PRO INVESTOR

Based in the UK, Jimmy is an economic researcher with outstanding hands-on and heads-on experience in Macroeconomic finance analysis, forecasting and planning. He has honed his skills having worked cross-continental as a finance analyst, which gives him inter-cultural experience. He currently has a strong passion for regulation and macroeconomic trends as it allows him peek under the global bonnet to see how the world works.