Germany’s federal finance ministry (BMF) issued the country’s first guidance on the income tax treatment of cryptocurrencies, as well as other blockchain-based tokens.

The 24-page document issued Tuesday covers various aspects of crypto-related issues, which are explained technically and classified in terms of Germany’s income tax law.

Most important, the sale of acquired cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) is now tax-free for individuals after one year of owning the assets, Parliamentary State Secretary Katja Hessel said in a statement. Moreover, the new guidance also applies to digital assets used in staking or lending protocols.

The latter has been one of the most intensively discussed questions in recent months, as Section 23 of the German Income Tax Act stipulates