Free tool

Capital Gains Tax Calculator (Australia)

Enter your purchase and sale figures for the 2026-27 income year. The calculator applies your capital losses, then the 50% CGT discount if you held the asset more than 12 months, and taxes the net gain at your marginal rate - because Australia has no separate CGT rate.

Your disposal

Asset type

Income year

Buying costs are usually brokerage. Include dividend reinvestment (DRP) parcels - each one is its own parcel with its own purchase date.

Purchase price

Purchase costs

Stamp duty, brokerage, legal fees.

Sale price

Sale costs

Agent commission, brokerage, legal fees.

Capital losses to apply

This year or carried forward.

Annual taxable income

Excluding this gain.

Owned for more than 12 months?Unlocks the 50% CGT discount for individuals.

Include 2% Medicare levy

Your result

Net capital gain (after discount)

$14,900

CGT payable

$4,768

Effective tax rate on your gain

16.0%

Step-by-step breakdown

1. Net sale proceeds	$79,900
2. Cost base (purchase + costs)	$50,100
3. Gross capital gain	$29,800
4. Less capital losses applied	-$0
5. Less 50% CGT discount	-$14,900
6. Net taxable capital gain	$14,900
7. Tax on $100,000 alone	$20,520
8. Tax on $114,900 including the gain	$24,990
9. Medicare levy on the gain (2%)	$298
CGT payable	$4,768
Capital losses carried forward	$0

Rates used: resident individual brackets for 2026-27. The Medicare levy is applied as a flat 2% on the taxable gain - low-income levy thresholds, exemptions and the Medicare levy surcharge are not modelled.

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How capital gains tax works in Australia

There is no separate capital gains tax rate in Australia. A capital gain is added to your taxable income for the year and taxed at your marginal income tax rate, which is why the same gain costs one person nothing and another person 45 cents in the dollar. CGT is reported through your income tax return, and it is triggered by the contract date of the sale, not settlement - a June contract that settles in August belongs in the earlier financial year.

The order of the calculation matters. You start with your capital proceeds, subtract the cost base (what you paid plus the incidental costs of buying and selling), then apply any capital losses, and only then halve what is left if you qualify for the 50% discount. Applying the discount before the losses would understate your tax, which is one of the most common DIY mistakes we see in catch-up returns.

The 50% CGT discount

If you held the asset for more than 12 months, only half the remaining gain is taxable. The discount is available to individuals and trusts. Companies get no discount at all, and complying super funds get one third. Twelve months is measured contract date to contract date, so selling at 11 months can roughly double your tax bill compared with waiting a few more weeks.

Worked example

You buy shares for $50,000 with $100 of brokerage and sell them two years later for $80,000 with another $100 of brokerage. Your gross capital gain is $29,800. You have no capital losses, so the 50% discount applies to the whole gain, leaving a net capital gain of $14,900. With $100,000 of other income, that $14,900 sits in the 30% bracket, so the extra tax is 32% including the Medicare levy - about $4,768.

CGT on property, shares and crypto

Property

Your main residence is generally exempt from CGT, so most home sales attract no tax at all. The exemption gets complicated if you rented the property out, ran a business from part of it, or were away for more than six years, in which case only part of the gain is exempt. Investment property gains are fully in the CGT net, and capital works deductions you have claimed reduce your cost base.

Crypto

Crypto is taxed like shares. Every disposal is a CGT event, and that includes swapping one coin for another, not just cashing out to Australian dollars. Spending crypto on goods is also a disposal. Exchanges report to the ATO, so unreported gains are usually found through data matching.

Each purchase is a separate parcel with its own cost base and its own 12-month clock - including shares acquired through a dividend reinvestment plan, which people routinely forget are purchases at all. Brokerage on both the buy and sell sides forms part of the cost base.

Ways to reduce CGT

Hold for more than 12 months where you can - the 50% discount is the single biggest lever available to individuals.
Offset capital losses from current or prior years. Losses never expire, and realising a loss in the same year as a gain is a legitimate way to reduce the net gain.
Concessional super contributions in the year of the sale reduce your taxable income, which can pull part of the gain out of a higher bracket, subject to the annual cap.
Small business CGT concessions can reduce a business-asset gain to nil, but the eligibility tests are strict - get advice before you sell.

Capital gains tax FAQ

What is the CGT rate in Australia?

There is no separate CGT rate. Your net capital gain is added to your taxable income and taxed at your marginal rate, from nil up to 47% including the Medicare levy. Because the 50% discount halves a gain on an asset held more than 12 months, the highest effective rate on a discounted gain is 23.5%.

How much is capital gains tax on $100,000?

It depends on your other income and how long you held the asset. On a $100,000 gain held more than 12 months, $50,000 is taxable after the discount. Someone on $100,000 of other income would pay roughly $17,000 in extra tax including the Medicare levy, because part of the gain pushes into the 37% bracket. Enter your own figures above for a precise estimate.

Do I pay CGT when I sell my home?

Generally no. The main residence exemption usually makes the sale of your own home CGT-free, with special rules where you rented it out, used part of it for business, or were absent for more than six years. This calculator does not apply the exemption, so only use it for assets that are not your main residence.

How long do I need to hold an asset for the 50% discount?

More than 12 months, measured from the contract date you acquired the asset to the contract date you disposed of it. Selling at 11 months means the whole gain is taxable, so the discount cliff is worth watching before you sell.

Do I pay CGT on cryptocurrency?

Yes. Crypto is a CGT asset, and selling it, swapping one coin for another, or spending it are all disposal events. Exchanges report to the ATO, so gains are matched against your return. The 50% discount applies where you held the coin more than 12 months.

Can capital losses reduce my salary tax?

No. Capital losses can only be offset against capital gains, not against salary or business income. Unused losses carry forward indefinitely until you have a gain to apply them to, and they are applied before the 50% discount.

Related tools & guides

Income tax calculator Guide: Do I need to lodge a tax return?Guide: When should I do my tax return?

General information only. This calculator is not tax advice. CGT has many exemptions and edge cases - main residence, pre-1985 assets, foreign and temporary residents, small business concessions, trusts and companies - none of which are modelled here. Speak to a registered tax agent before you lodge.

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