IRS issues interim guidance on corporate crypto tax, MSTR jumps 5.5%

Michael Saylor said on Wednesday that Strategy doesn’t expect to be subject to the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT) due to unrealized gains on its BTC holdings. Strategy’s shares are up nearly 5.5% for the day, and are trading at 339.81 at the time of publication.

Strategy was bracing for the 15% U.S. corporate alternative minimum tax in 2026 amid the continued rise in Bitcoin prices. The U.S. imposes a 15% CAMT on companies exceeding $1 billion in a three-tax-year period preceding the initial tax year.

IRS issues interim guidance on corporate crypto tax

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued interim guidance on Tuesday. The agency acknowledged that corporations can disregard unrealized gains and losses on their digital asset holdings when determining their tax parameters. 

Strategy now believes it will no longer be subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax. The Bitcoin accumulation firm adopted accounting standards in January that required it to include the fair value of its BTC holdings in its earnings.

According to Strategy’s filing, it had an $8.1 billion unrealized gain on its BTC holdings for the six months ending June 30. At the time of publication, the company holds around 604,031 Bitcoin worth roughly $74.6 billion.

Strategy and Coinbase sent a joint letter in May to the Treasury calling for the exclusion of unrealized crypto gains. Both companies argued that it was unfair that digital assets should receive different tax treatment from traditional stocks and bonds.

 According to the letter, the duo warned the IRS that taxing paper profits could force companies to sell Bitcoin to pay taxes. They added that it would put U.S. firms at a disadvantage versus foreign competitors and even raise constitutional concerns over taxing income that doesn’t exist. 

The Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing today on ‘Examining the Taxation of Digital Assets’ that started at 10:00 AM. The Senate is expected to discuss the IRS’s interim guidance on corporate crypto tax rules. Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo will lead the hearing, with the participation of Coinbase Vice President of Tax Lawrence Zlatkin and Coin Center Policy Director Jason Somensatto.

CAMT was approved under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Notice 2025-46 and Notice 2025-49 of the latest interim guidance are intended to reduce compliance burdens and provide clarity on complex areas of the CAMMT until final regulations are in place.

U.S. recommends policies for regulating crypto

The U.S. President Donald Trump’s Working Group on Digital Assets released a report in July that outlined policy recommendations for regulating crypto in the U.S. The group recommended that Congress establish a custom-tailored tax policy for digital assets that accounts for the unique features of the asset class, including staking.

The report recommended introducing legislation that treats digital assets as a new class of assets, subject to modified versions of tax rules applicable to securities or commodities for federal income tax purposes. SEC Chair Paul Atkins argued that a rational regulatory framework for digital assets is the best way to catalyze American innovation and protect investors from fraud.

On Monday, Strategy purchased 196 Bitcoin for $22.1 million, which pushed its holdings above 640,000 BTC. The company bought the digital assets at an average price of $113,048 per BTC. On-chain data shows that BTC started the week above $112,000. At the time of publication, Bitcoin is exchanging hands at around $117,416, up 3.74% for the day and up 8% in the last month.

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