Capital Gains Tax Calculator Australia 2026
Australian CGT on property, shares or crypto: cost base, gross gain, main-residence exemption, losses, the 50% discount, the net gain stacked on your income, tax including Medicare levy, the no-discount comparison and timing ideas.
| Cost base | — |
|---|---|
| Gross capital gain | — |
| Main-residence exemption | — |
| Less capital losses | — |
| CGT discount | — |
| Net capital gain added to taxable income | — |
| Tax on the gain (incl. Medicare levy) | — |
| Effective tax rate on the gross gain | — |
| If sold within 12 months (no discount) | — |
| Timing idea | — |
In short
Australia has no separate CGT rate: the net capital gain — sale price less cost base, less capital losses, then halved by the 50% discount if the asset was held over 12 months — is added to your income and taxed at your marginal rate plus the 2% Medicare levy. A $205,000 gain for someone on $95,000 becomes $102,500 of taxable income and about $37,800 of tax. Your main residence is exempt, including up to six years of absence.
Who this is for: Australians selling an investment property, shares or crypto.
How Australian CGT works
- Gain = sale proceeds − cost base (purchase price + stamp duty, legal and agent fees, improvements; less any building depreciation claimed).
- Losses first, then the discount: capital losses reduce the gain, and the 50% discount applies to what is left if the asset was held more than 12 months.
- Marginal rates: the net gain sits on top of your other income — a $100,000 discounted gain for someone on $95,000 is taxed mostly at 30–37% plus Medicare.
- Exemptions: main residence (with the 6-year absence rule), cars, assets bought before 20 September 1985, personal-use assets under $10,000, collectables under $500.
- Timing: the contract date fixes the tax year; a sale exchanged on 1 July instead of 29 June defers the tax by a year and may land in a lower-income year. Shares and crypto follow the same rules, with parcel selection allowed.
See also: Negative Gearing Calculator, Australian Income Tax Calculator 2026–27.
Assumptions
- Gain = sale − (cost + costs); main-residence share exempt pro rata; losses deducted before the discount.
- Discount 50% (individual), 33⅓% (super), none (company) if held ≥ 12 months; tax = total tax on income + net gain − tax on income (super 15%, company 25%).
- Joint ownership splits the net gain 50/50 across both owners' incomes.
Worked example
Cost base $645,000; gross gain $205,000. Held over 12 months, so the 50% discount removes $102,500 and the net gain of $102,500 is added to the $95,000 of income. Tax on the gain, including Medicare levy, is about $37,775 — an effective 18.4% of the gross gain — because the gain pushes income into the 37% bracket. Selling within 12 months would have cost about $85,950. Selling in a year with $40,000 less income would cut the tax to about $34,550.
Frequently asked questions
How much is capital gains tax in Australia?
There is no separate rate: the net gain (after the 50% discount if held over a year) is added to your income and taxed at your marginal rate plus the 2% Medicare levy — typically 16–23.5% of the gross gain for most sellers.
How long do I need to hold an asset for the 50% discount?
More than 12 months between the contract to buy and the contract to sell. Companies get no discount; super funds get 33⅓%.
Is my home exempt from CGT?
Yes if it was your main residence the whole time you owned it; partial exemption if it was rented or used for business for part of the period, with the 6-year absence rule for periods away.
Can I reduce CGT with super contributions?
Yes — a personal deductible super contribution (within the $32,500 cap, plus carry-forward) in the sale year reduces taxable income, often knocking the gain down a bracket.
Is crypto subject to CGT?
Yes — each disposal (sale, swap, spending) is a CGT event with the same 50% discount after 12 months; personal-use exemptions rarely apply.
What records do I need?
Purchase contracts, settlement statements, invoices for improvements and selling costs, and depreciation schedules — kept for five years after the sale.
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