On the accusation of tax evasion, India’s tax agency has seized Rs. 95.86 crore (US$12.6 million) from 11 cryptocurrency exchanges.
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), which is in charge of collecting taxes in India, had previously confiscated nearly Rs. 84 crore ($11 million) in taxes and another Rs. 1.1 crore ($145,000) in penalties, according to CoinDesk.
In a statement Monday, India’s Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary put the number at 95.86 crore Indian rupees ($12.6 million). A member of India’s Parliament initially asked Chaudhary to describe the tax confiscations.
In January, DGGI only confirmed the seizure of assets from six crypto exchanges, including India’s top three: WazirX, CoinDCX, BuyUCoin and Unocoin. On Monday, Chaudhary upped the number to 11 exchanges.
In January, the Indian tax authority conducted searches on WazirX, CoinSwitch Kuber, CoinDCX, BuyUCoin, and Unocoin after it accused each of them of evading Rs. 40.5 crore in taxes.
In a press release, the tax agency said that the case was part of a special anti-tax evasion campaign. The government has implemented stringent new crypto tax regulations, as well as a crackdown on tax evasion.
By April, 11 crypto firms from India will have to pay a capital gains tax of 30% on cryptocurrency sales. By July 1, 2019, Indians purchasing or selling cryptocurrencies will be required to pay a one percent tax deducted at the source.