Sunday, 16 January 2022

The US wants a bite of NFT returns. But you shouldn’t take a bite of anything sugary during covid

Make a killing on NFTs? The US government wants a slice of that pie: Non-fungible token (NFT) investors in the US may be in for a surprise this tax season, as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials gear up for a crackdown on the newly-ballooning industry, Bloomberg reports. The market has exploded to 44 bn over the past year, and levy rates could be as high as 37%, according to tax experts, which means collectors would owe the IRS bns of USDs. However, the exact rules for taxing tokens remain unclear, leaving NFT collectors scrambling to try and figure out how much they owe — while others may not even realize they need to pay taxes on their tokens at all, increasing their chances of incurring future penalties.

Step away from the cookie jar: Sugar may be the “worst food ingredient” for your immune system, immunologist Heather Moday tells CNBC. Increasing your sugar intake raises your blood sugar, which launches a vicious cycle resulting in increased inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity. This cycle leads to a weakened immunity that paves the way for viruses to slip through our body’s defenses, explains Moday. A recent study found that people with obesity or type two diabetes (which, in Egypt, accounts for an estimated 15.6% of adults aged 20-79) are at higher risk for covid complications. The good news, however, is that scrapping the white stuff from our eating habits “can not only help end this cycle, but it can reverse it completely,” Moday says.

The newest trend in the music scene? Artists selling their own music rights: After the pandemic hit live touring — the most lucrative business for artists, musicians began to search for other revenue streams to make up for the loss. Copyright soon emerged as a more durable asset, luring big names — such as Shakira, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Nicks — to jump on the bandwagon of selling the rights to their own work. Everyone from conglomerates and music labels to private equity groups and investment funds are swooping in to get in on the trend as they pocket earnings every time the songs they own are played on streaming platforms, in public including on the radio, or licensed for use in TV, film or advertising. Both the New Statesman and Rolling Stone have come out with pieces explaining the ongoing trend.

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