No, Louisiana is not accepting crypto for tax payments

Another day, another fake headline from a crypto influencer. Today, in an alleged first-ever announcement for a state government, Louisiana supposedly announced its acceptance of crypto for the payment of taxes.

There is just one problem with that incredible news: It never happened.

According to a screenshot and post to X (formerly Twitter) by BitcoinNews.com, Louisiana residents “can now use bitcoin and Bitcoin Lightning Network to pay taxes and fees.” Unfortunately, a fact check reveals that they cannot.

According to BitcoinNews.com, Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries accepted bitcoin via the Lightning Network. However, per the actual announcement from Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, point-of-sale provider Bead Pay accepted bitcoin from a resident, facilitated its sale into US dollars, and then deposited US dollars into a state government bank account.

Read more: No, Russia did not just lift its ban on domestic crypto use

For the state of Louisiana, the payment denomination was identical to any regular check, credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. Louisiana never accepted any crypto asset. It only received USD.

Indeed, no US state nor government accepts payment of taxes in digital currencies.

Protos has debunked a prior news announcement from BitcoinNews.com that falsely claimed that the state of California had adopted bitcoin.

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