Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of social media platform X, recently posted a tongue-in-cheek message addressing the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about crypto taxation. His post, which quickly gained traction within the cryptocurrency community, featured a popular internet meme and raised questions about tax policies related to digital assets. 

Musk’s tweet, which mocked the IRS, brought attention to the complexities surrounding crypto taxation and left many wondering if the outspoken tech mogul could influence the U.S. government’s stance on the matter.

Musk’s humorous tweet highlights IRS crypto taxation inefficiencies 

It all began with a joke about an unnamed investor who bought $7,000 worth of cryptocurrency, staked it for half a year, and earned a 6,900% return. After selling the profits and using them to purchase NFTs, the investor was allegedly “rugged” by the project’s developers. 

The X post then humorously asked the IRS whether the investor could “deduct the gas fees for the minting and balance out of the short-term capital gains taxes” from the initial crypto investment. Musk, known for his playful use of social media, added a “face with tears of joy” emoji to the tweet.

😂 pic.twitter.com/DkFCihb14r

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2025

A crypto named CumRocket, which was inspired by the meme, saw its price surge by 400%, reaching a six-month high of $0.0225. However, the hype was short-lived, and the token’s price soon fell back to $0.00759 a little over an hour later. 

Despite the drop, the token was still up by 55% in a 24-hour period, with a market capitalization of $8.91 million, with its trading volume going up 1431.81% in the last day, per CoinGecko data.

CumRocket 24-hour chart. Source: CoinGecko.

The Tesla CEO’s reply sparked a flood of comments from the crypto community, many of whom shared their own frustrations with crypto taxation, particularly in the U.S. Some users even called on Musk to use his influence to challenge the IRS and ease crypto tax regulations. 

“Look funny or not the people need to know!” one user urged, echoing the sentiment of others who hoped Musk could advocate for a change in the system.

While Musk’s post was clearly intended as a joke, it touched on a serious issue: the often confusing and burdensome nature of tax reporting for cryptocurrency investors. Many in the crypto space have expressed concerns about the IRS’s approach to digital assets, particularly as U.S.-based companies continue to expand in the market.

IRS, Musk, and a push for tax reforms

Musk’s comments about the IRS come at a time when there is growing frustration with the US tax system, particularly its complexity. If President-elect Donald Trump is successful in appointing Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to oversee a new advisory group, the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), one of their stated goals could be simplifying the tax code. 

The entrepreneur has previously suggested that simplifying the tax system could reduce tax-avoidance behavior and improve overall productivity.

On his platform X, Musk recently posed a provocative question to his followers: Should the IRS be “deleted”? This inquiry came after the agency requested $20 billion to continue its operations. 

The response was overwhelmingly negative, with more than 212,000 respondents, 60.6% of whom voted to delete the IRS entirely. Only a small fraction, 3.9%, supported maintaining the agency’s budget at its current level, while 5.6% favored an increase, and 29.9% supported a reduction.

The IRS just said it wants $20B more money. Do you think it’s budget should be:

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 27, 2024

His tweet asking whether the IRS should be eliminated prompted further discussion about the agency’s role in overseeing taxation and government spending. Some users even urged Musk to take action and audit the IRS. The billionaire responded with a simple “Gonna happen,” hinting that he might take further steps to challenge the agency’s practices.

As of now, it remains unclear if D.O.G.E will have the mandate to handle cryptocurrency affairs, although Donald Trump will most likely entertain the idea. 

During a speech at Madison Square Garden in October 2024, Musk suggested the unofficial government department could cut $2 trillion from the US federal budget, which is more than the government’s total discretionary spending in 2023. 

While he did not clarify whether these savings will be reached in a single year or over a longer period, the statement suggests that D.O.G.E’s plans may include cryptocurrency regulation and efficiency.

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