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Calculate CGT on shares, property, crypto and other assets — with the 50% discount, main residence exemption, capital losses, and a preview of the legislated 2027 CGT reform.
Updated: 4 August 2026 · Reviewed by Mohsin Iqbal · 16 min read
📋 Before You Start — CGT Checklist
Purchase price
Purchase date
Sale price
Sale date
Brokerage (both sides)
Legal fees
Stamp duty
Capital improvements
Previous capital losses
Asset Sale Details
Financial year of sale
Asset type
Is this your main residence?
Purchase price (cost base)
$
Sale price
$
Purchase costs (brokerage etc.)
$
Sale costs (brokerage, agent)
$
Capital improvements (property)
$
Purchase date
Sale date
Capital losses available
$
Years held (for indexation)
Other taxable income (this year)
$
CGT Result
Estimated After-Tax Profit
—
CGT Payable
—
Item
Amount
Estimates only, for planning purposes — not financial or tax advice. Confirm your exact liability via ATO myTax or a registered tax agent.
⏱️ Last reviewed: 4 August 2026 · Written and reviewed by Mohsin Iqbal under our editorial policy and calculation methodology. Tax rules change — always check your own circumstances against current ATO guidance.
📖 Approx. 16 min read💰 2026–27 & 2025–26 ATO rates🔄 Updated 4 August 2026
CGT isn't a separate tax — the capital gain is added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate, plus the Medicare levy.
Hold an asset over 12 months and individuals get a 50% discount on the gain before it's taxed.
Your main residence is exempt from CGT if you lived in it the whole time you owned it.
Capital losses can only offset capital gains, never salary or other income — but unused losses carry forward indefinitely.
The 2027 CGT reform is now law (passed 25 June 2026) — from 1 July 2027, the 50% discount is replaced with cost base indexation plus a 30% minimum tax, for individuals and trusts.
Quick Answer
Your CGT is calculated by subtracting your cost base (purchase price plus buying and selling costs) from your sale proceeds to get the capital gain, offsetting any capital losses, then — if you held the asset over 12 months — halving the remaining gain under the 50% discount. That taxable gain is added to your other income for the year and taxed at your marginal rate, plus the 2% Medicare levy. Your main residence is generally exempt entirely. Use the calculator above for your exact figure.
What Is Capital Gains Tax in Australia?
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is not a separate tax — it's part of your income tax. When you sell a CGT asset for more than you paid for it, the profit (capital gain) is added to your assessable income for that year and taxed at your marginal rate, plus the Medicare levy. The Australian CGT system was introduced on 20 September 1985 and applies to most assets acquired on or after that date.
CGT applies to shares, managed fund units, investment properties, cryptocurrency, foreign currency, collectibles over $500, and most other assets held for investment. Your main residence is generally exempt under the main residence exemption.
How CGT Is Calculated — Step by Step
Capital gain: Sale proceeds minus your cost base (purchase price plus all acquisition and disposal costs)
Offset capital losses: Any available capital losses reduce the gain first, before any discount is applied
Apply the 50% discount if held 12+ months: Individuals and trusts halve the remaining gain
Add to income and apply your marginal rate plus Medicare levy: The taxable capital gain is added to your other income and taxed accordingly
Capital gain = Sale proceeds − Cost base
Net gain = Capital gain − Capital losses
Taxable gain = Net gain × 50% (if held over 12 months)
CGT payable = Tax on (other income + taxable gain) − Tax on (other income alone)
The 50% CGT Discount
If you're an individual or trust and held the asset for more than 12 continuous months before disposal, only 50% of the net capital gain is included in your assessable income. Companies don't receive this discount. The discounted 50% is simply disregarded — it can't be used to offset losses elsewhere.
Main Residence Exemption
Your home is generally fully exempt from CGT if you lived in it for the entire period of ownership, it wasn't used to produce income, and the land is under 2 hectares. Partial exemptions can apply if you rented it out for part of the ownership period or used part of it to run a business or earn rental income (such as a home office or a room let on a short-stay platform). Toggle "Is this your main residence?" to "Yes" in the calculator above to see this modelled directly.
ℹ️ The 2027 CGT reform does not change the main residence exemption — it remains unaffected regardless of whether the indexation reform or the current discount system applies to your other assets.
Capital Loss Offsetting
Capital losses can only be used to offset capital gains — never salary, wages, or other ordinary income. They must be applied against gains before any 50% discount is calculated. If your losses exceed your gains for the year, the excess carries forward indefinitely to offset future capital gains, with no expiry.
What Is the Cost Base?
Many investors understate their cost base by only counting the purchase price, overpaying CGT as a result. The ATO allows all of the following to be included, directly reducing your taxable gain:
Purchase price + stamp duty + legal fees + building inspection + agent commission on sale + capital improvements (not repairs)
Cryptocurrency
AUD amount paid at time of purchase + exchange fees
CGT Examples — Shares, Property, and Crypto
Example 1: Shares (held 14 months)
Item
Amount
Purchase price (500 shares × $20) + brokerage
$10,020
Sale price (500 × $34) less brokerage
$16,980
Net capital gain
$6,960
50% discount (held 14 months)
−$3,480
Taxable gain
$3,480
CGT payable (income $85k, incl. Medicare levy)
$1,114
Example 2: Investment Property (held 4 years)
Item
Amount
Purchase price + stamp duty + legal
$608,000
Capital improvements (new kitchen)
$25,000
Total cost base
$633,000
Sale price less agent commission (2.5%)
$799,500
Gross capital gain
$166,500
50% CGT discount (held 4 years)
−$83,250
Taxable gain added to income
$83,250
Example 3: Cryptocurrency (held 8 months — no discount)
Item
Amount
Purchased ETH at $3,200 AUD
$3,200
Sold ETH at $5,800 AUD, less exchange fees
$5,755
Capital gain (held only 8 months)
$2,555
Taxable gain (no discount — under 12 months)
$2,555 — 100% included
Example 4: ETF Units (held 2 years)
Item
Amount
Purchase (1,000 units × $45) + brokerage
$45,015
Sale (1,000 units × $58) less brokerage
$57,985
Gross capital gain
$12,970
50% discount (held 2 years)
−$6,485
Taxable gain
$6,485
ETFs and managed fund units follow the same CGT mechanics as direct shares — the main difference is that fund distributions may already include a component of capital gain (with its own discount treatment) passed through to unit holders each year, separate from the gain on selling the units themselves.
Example 5: Small Business Asset (goodwill, held 6 years)
Item
Amount
Cost base (goodwill)
$80,000
Sale price
$250,000
Gross capital gain
$170,000
50% CGT discount (held 6 years)
−$85,000
Taxable gain before small business concessions
$85,000
⚠️ Small businesses may qualify for additional CGT concessions (the 15-year exemption, the 50% active asset reduction, the retirement exemption, or rollover relief) on top of the standard 50% discount — potentially reducing this gain much further, or to zero. Eligibility depends on aggregated turnover or net asset value tests and the active asset test. This calculator doesn't model these concessions — consult a registered tax agent to assess your eligibility.
The 2027 CGT Reform — Now Legislated
The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026 passed Parliament on 25 June 2026, following its introduction as part of the 2026–27 Federal Budget. From 1 July 2027, for Australian resident individuals and trusts, the 50% CGT discount is replaced with cost base indexation (adjusting your cost base for inflation using quarterly CPI figures) plus a 30% minimum tax on the resulting real gain. This only applies to CGT events (disposals) from 1 July 2027 onward — a sale today still uses the current 50% discount system shown by default in the calculator above.
New residential dwellings and affordable housing can choose between the old 50% discount or the new indexation-plus-minimum-tax regime.
Pre-1985 assets lose their full CGT exemption — only growth accrued after 1 July 2027 becomes taxable; earlier growth remains exempt (grandfathered).
The main residence exemption is unaffected — it continues to apply exactly as before.
Companies, super funds and life insurance companies are not affected by the indexation change — existing CGT settings continue to apply to them.
Toggle "Preview the legislated 2027 CGT reform" in the calculator above to see an indicative comparison using an assumed average inflation rate — the actual calculation will use real historical CPI figures at the time of your disposal, so treat this as illustrative rather than precise.
Current Rules
From 1 July 2027 (Legislated)
Discount method
50% CGT discount (12+ months)
Cost base indexation (12+ months)
Minimum tax rate
None — ordinary marginal rate applies
30% minimum on the real (indexed) gain
Pre-1985 assets
Fully exempt
Only post-1 July 2027 growth taxed
Main residence exemption
Applies
Unaffected — still applies
New residential dwellings
50% discount applies
Choice: old discount or new regime
This calculator's default
Used automatically for sales now
Shown only when the preview toggle is on
ATO Reporting Requirements
You report capital gains and losses in your tax return for the financial year in which the CGT event (typically the disposal) occurred — not when you receive the proceeds. The ATO doesn't send a separate CGT bill; it's assessed as part of your overall tax return.
📁 Record-Keeping Checklist
Purchase contract
Settlement statement
Brokerage confirmations
Improvement invoices
Legal costs
Sale contract
Keep all of the above for at least 5 years after disposal — longer if the records relate to the cost base of an asset you still hold.
💡 CGT Planning Tips
Hold eligible assets for more than 12 months to qualify for the 50% discount.
Keep detailed records of acquisition and disposal costs as you go, not just at tax time.
Track capital losses carefully — they carry forward indefinitely and can offset future gains.
Review current ATO guidance before lodging, since thresholds and rules are periodically updated.
Common Mistakes
Understating the cost base. Forgetting to include stamp duty, legal fees, brokerage or capital improvements overstates the taxable gain.
Applying the discount before offsetting losses. Losses must be subtracted from the gross gain first, then the 50% discount applied to what remains.
Assuming crypto-to-crypto swaps are tax-free. The ATO treats a swap as a disposal of the first asset at its AUD market value, triggering a CGT event even without cashing out.
Trying to offset capital losses against salary. This isn't permitted — capital losses can only reduce capital gains.
Assuming the 2027 reform already applies. It's now legislated but doesn't take effect until CGT events from 1 July 2027 — a sale today still uses the current 50% discount rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Capital gains are added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate plus the Medicare levy. If held over 12 months, individuals and trusts get a 50% discount on the gain before it's added to income.
No. Your main residence is fully exempt from CGT if you lived there for the entire period of ownership and it wasn't used to produce income. Partial exemptions apply if you rented it out for part of the time.
A concession halving the taxable portion of a capital gain for individuals and trusts who held the asset over 12 months. Companies don't receive it. It's disregarded entirely — it can't be used to offset losses.
More than 12 continuous months from the acquisition date to the disposal date. Exactly 12 months does not qualify — it must exceed 12 months.
No. Capital losses can only offset capital gains, never salary or other ordinary income. Unused losses carry forward indefinitely to offset future capital gains.
Yes. Selling shares for more than your cost base (purchase price plus brokerage) triggers a CGT event, taxed at your marginal rate with the 50% discount available if held over 12 months.
Yes. The ATO treats cryptocurrency as a CGT asset, not currency. Every disposal — including crypto-to-crypto swaps, not just cashing out to AUD — is a CGT event requiring accurate records of the AUD value at the time.
Agent commissions, brokerage, legal and conveyancing fees, and marketing costs directly attributable to the sale all reduce your sale proceeds, lowering the calculated gain.
Legitimate strategies include holding assets over 12 months for the discount, offsetting available capital losses, timing disposals across financial years to manage your marginal rate, and using the main residence exemption where it genuinely applies. There's no way to avoid CGT entirely on an investment asset disposal — consult a registered tax agent for strategies specific to your situation.
Yes. A crypto-to-crypto swap (e.g. BTC to ETH) is treated as a disposal of the first asset at its AUD market value at the time of exchange, triggering a CGT event even though you never received Australian dollars.
CGT is assessed in the financial year you dispose of the asset, not when you receive the proceeds. You declare it in your tax return for that year and pay any liability by the payment deadline after lodging.
The gain is sale proceeds minus your cost base (purchase price, stamp duty, legal fees, capital improvements, agent commission on sale). The 50% discount applies if held over 12 months. Depreciation claimed during ownership may reduce your cost base.
CGT isn't a separate tax — the taxable capital gain is added to your other income and taxed at your marginal rate plus the Medicare levy. A large gain can push you into a higher bracket for the portion above each threshold.
Purchase contracts, settlement statements, brokerage confirmations and sale documentation for at least 5 years after disposal. For cryptocurrency, detailed records of every transaction including the AUD value at the time are required.
Yes — the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026 passed Parliament on 25 June 2026. From 1 July 2027, it replaces the 50% discount with cost base indexation plus a 30% minimum tax for individuals and trusts, though sales before that date still use the current system.
CGT is part of your income tax, not separate from it — your gain (after any 12-month discount and available losses) is added to your income and taxed at your marginal rate plus Medicare levy. Your main residence is generally exempt. From 1 July 2027, the now-legislated reform replaces the 50% discount with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax for individuals and trusts. Use the calculator above with your own figures, and toggle the reform preview to compare both systems.