Crypto Tax Calculator — Australia 2026-27 (ATO CGT Rules)
Sold crypto? Work out what you owe the tax office.
Estimate Australian crypto tax using AUD proceeds, cost base, ATO CGT discount rules, staking or mining income, and marginal tax-rate assumptions.
Australia Crypto Tax Notes
Australian crypto disposals can trigger CGT, while staking, mining, airdrops, or business activity may create ordinary income depending on the facts.
This page keeps the 12-month CGT discount and AUD cost-base language specific to Australian tax planning.
Australian version note: this crypto tax keeps the calculation anchored to AUD amounts, local product names, Australian tax language, and the way banks, employers, agencies, or advisers usually describe the inputs.
Local cues stay visible where they matter: ATO, PAYG, superannuation, Medicare levy, stamp duty, kilometres, comparison rate, APRA, Centrelink, GST, and Australian-dollar results are not rewritten into overseas vocabulary.
Use the output as an Australian estimate first, then sanity-check it against local quotes, lender criteria, government thresholds, state rules, or professional advice before relying on the number.
Estimates only. Not financial or tax advice. Consult a registered tax agent for personalised advice.
Select the topic most relevant to your situation.
The ATO treats cryptocurrency as a capital asset, not currency. Every disposal is a CGT event. The gain or loss is added to your taxable income and taxed at your marginal rate — with a 50% discount available if you held for 12+ months.
Any event that results in you no longer holding the cryptocurrency: selling for AUD, swapping for another crypto, spending it on goods/services, gifting it, or losing access permanently. Each disposal is a separate CGT event requiring calculation.
Capital gain = sale price − cost base. Cost base includes the purchase price plus any fees (exchange fees, gas fees, brokerage). For swaps, the “sale price” is the market value of the crypto received on the day of the swap.
The net capital gain is added to your other income and taxed at your marginal rate. If your salary is $80,000 and your net gain is $5,000, you are taxed on $85,000. The calculator models this automatically in Standard mode.
The 50% CGT discount is the most powerful tax planning tool available for crypto investors. Holding for 12 months before selling halves your taxable gain.
Individuals and trusts who hold a crypto asset for at least 12 months before disposal. Companies do not qualify. The 12 months is counted from the date of acquisition to the date of disposal.
At a 37% marginal rate, a $10,000 gain held 12+ months incurs $1,850 in tax (on $5,000 taxable). The same gain sold before 12 months incurs $3,700. Holding 4 extra months on a $50,000 gain at 37% saves $9,250.
No. The 50% discount only applies to capital gains. Capital losses cannot be discounted and are not eligible for the discount — they are carried forward in full to offset future capital gains.
Many crypto transactions that feel like “not selling” are actually CGT events under ATO rules. Each one requires a separate calculation.
Swapping BTC for ETH is a disposal of BTC at market value on the day of the swap, and an acquisition of ETH at the same value. Both legs are recorded. The 12-month clock restarts for the ETH received.
Staking rewards and mining income are ordinary income (not CGT) in the year received, at market value on the date of receipt. When you later sell the rewarded tokens, that is a CGT event — with cost base equal to the value when received.
Using crypto to pay for goods/services, or gifting crypto, are both disposals at market value. Tax-free threshold does not apply. Gifting crypto to a spouse or family member does not avoid CGT — the donor triggers the CGT event.
The ATO requires you to keep records for every crypto transaction. Failure to keep adequate records makes it impossible to calculate your true cost base and may result in assessments based on the full sale price.
Date of each transaction, AUD value at time of transaction (not today’s value), exchange records and confirmations, wallet addresses involved, and any fees paid. Records must be kept for 5 years after the disposal.
Where you have multiple purchases of the same asset, you can use FIFO (first in first out), specific identification, or other methods. The method must be consistent. Most crypto tax software defaults to FIFO — check which method your tax agent uses.
Net capital gains are reported in your individual tax return under Capital gains. Use myTax or a registered tax agent. Crypto exchange operators are required to report to the ATO — they already know what you traded. Omitting gains is high-risk.
ATO rules — cost base, disposal, and tax calculation
The CGT formula
Capital gain = sale price − cost base. Cost base includes the original purchase price plus any fees (exchange fees, gas fees, brokerage, and any costs incurred in acquiring or improving the asset). The taxable gain is the capital gain after applying the 50% discount (if eligible). Tax = taxable gain × marginal rate.
ATO tax brackets 2026-27
| Taxable income | Marginal rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $18,200 | 0% (tax-free threshold) |
| $18,201 – $45,000 | 15% |
| $45,001 – $135,000 | 30% |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | 37% |
| $190,001+ | 45% |
Your capital gain is added on top of your other income. If you earn $80,000 salary and make a $30,000 net gain, the entire gain falls in the $45,001–$135,000 bracket and is taxed at 30% — about $9,000 in tax.
50% CGT discount rules, eligibility, and dollar savings by tax bracket
Qualifying for the 50% discount
You qualify if you held the crypto asset for at least 12 months before the disposal date. The hold period is from the date of acquisition (purchase date on the exchange) to the date of disposal (sale date). Companies do not qualify — only individuals and trusts.
Dollar saving by bracket (on a $10,000 gain)
| Marginal rate | Saving from 50% discount |
|---|---|
| 15% | $750 saved |
| 30% | $1,500 saved |
| 37% | $1,850 saved |
| 45% | $2,250 saved |
All crypto transactions that trigger CGT under ATO rules
| Transaction type | CGT treatment |
|---|---|
| Sell crypto for AUD | CGT event — standard disposal |
| Crypto-to-crypto swap | CGT event on the crypto given up at market value |
| Buy goods/services with crypto | CGT event at market value on date of use |
| Gift crypto | CGT event for donor at market value on gift date |
| Staking rewards received | Ordinary income (not CGT) at market value |
| Mining rewards received | Ordinary income at market value on receipt |
| Airdrop received | Generally ordinary income at market value |
| Lost or stolen | Possible capital loss if ownership permanently lost |
| Transfer between own wallets | NOT a CGT event — no disposal |
What records the ATO requires and how to maintain them
Required records for each transaction
- Date of acquisition and disposal
- AUD value at time of each transaction (not current value)
- Exchange statements or transaction confirmations
- Wallet addresses for both parties (where applicable)
- Any fees paid (these reduce your capital gain or form part of cost base)
How long to keep records
5 years from the date you lodge your tax return for the year of the disposal. For assets still held, keep records from acquisition until 5 years after eventual disposal.
Crypto tax software
Koinly, CoinTracker, and CryptoTaxCalculator.io are commonly used by Australian crypto investors. They import exchange API data and produce ATO-compatible reports. Using software reduces errors significantly, particularly for high-volume traders or DeFi participants with complex transaction histories.
❓ Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay tax on crypto in Australia?
Yes. The ATO treats cryptocurrency as a capital asset. Every disposal (sale, swap, spending, gifting) is a CGT event. Staking and mining rewards are ordinary income. The ATO receives data from Australian exchanges and actively matches it against tax returns.
What is the 50% CGT discount for crypto?
If you hold a cryptocurrency for at least 12 months before selling, only 50% of the capital gain is taxable. For example, a $10,000 gain becomes $5,000 taxable. At a 37% marginal rate, this saves $1,850 compared to selling before 12 months.
Is swapping one crypto for another a taxable event?
Yes. The ATO treats a crypto-to-crypto swap as a disposal of the first asset at market value on the date of the swap. You calculate the CGT on the first asset, then your cost base for the second asset is its market value on the date you received it.
Are staking rewards taxable in Australia?
Yes — as ordinary income, not capital gains. Staking and mining rewards are assessed at their AUD market value on the date you received them. When you later sell those rewards, you will also have a CGT event based on the difference between the receipt value and sale price.
Can I offset crypto losses against my salary?
No. Capital losses can only offset capital gains — either in the same year or carried forward to future years. They cannot be applied to reduce ordinary income such as salary, wages, or business income. The losses carry forward indefinitely with no expiry.
Where these figures come from
Every threshold and tax rate on this page is taken from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) — the source of record for Australian income tax, Medicare levy, HECS/HELP repayment, and capital gains tax.
- Individual income tax rates (2025–26, Stage 3) — ATO — Individual income tax rates.
- Medicare levy & surcharge — ATO — Medicare levy.
- HECS/HELP repayment thresholds — ATO — Study and training support loans.
- Capital gains tax rules — ATO — Capital gains tax.
- GST rules — ATO — GST.
- Tax offsets & LITO/LMITO — ATO — Tax offsets.
Last checked: July 2026. Rates and thresholds are reviewed against the source of record each November, when annual adjustments for the following tax year are published.