Prominent Bitcoin Investor Roger Ver Arrested in Spain Over $50M IRS Tax Claim
Roger Ver, a prominent Bitcoin investor, has been arrested in Spain over an IRS claim that he owes $50 million in unpaid taxes. The IRS lawsuit, unrelated to his recent book 'Hijacking Bitcoin', alleges tax evasion related to Bitcoin sales in 2017.
In 2014, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship. However, the IRS argues that he should have paid taxes on Bitcoin sales in 2017, totaling $240 million, which were transferred from his companies. The IRS used blockchain analysis to determine his actual Bitcoin holdings and those of his companies.
The IRS lawsuit claims that Ver kept the true extent of his Bitcoin holdings secret during his citizenship renunciation process. The IRS believes these Bitcoins were part of the assets he should have paid taxes on in 2014. Ver's case, while unusual, is not unprecedented, as the U.S. has aggressive tax collection policies overseas.
Ver's arrest in Spain follows a lawsuit filed by the IRS in 2021. The IRS alleges that Ver owes at least $48 million in taxes. Despite the ongoing legal battle, there are no relevant search results specifying which law firms Ver hired in 2014 related to his U.S. exit tax calculation and company valuations.
