Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Estimate your Australian CGT liability including the 50% discount for assets held 12+ months. Assumes Australian resident tax treatment.

Asset type

CGT rules are the same for all asset types — this is for your reference only.

Purchase price

Original cost of the asset. Include brokerage, stamp duty, or legal fees paid on acquisition.

Sale price

Proceeds received (or expected) from the sale. Deduct selling costs such as agent commissions.

Capital improvements

Capital costs that improved the asset (e.g. renovations). Added to your cost base to reduce the gain.

Years held

Additional months

50% CGT discount applies — asset held for 3 years

Marginal tax rate

Your income tax rate on the last dollar earned. The taxable gain is added on top of your other income.

Simplified estimate based on Australian CGT rules for individual residents. Does not account for main residence exemption, pre-CGT assets, rollovers, or other offsets. General guidance only — not tax advice.

Where do your sale proceeds go?

$150,000 sale price breakdown — hover to see percentages

Cost base: $100,000
Net gain after CGT: $41,875
Estimated CGT: $8,125

Cost base: $100,000 — Net gain after CGT: $41,875 — Estimated CGT: $8,125

Capital gain allocation across sale prices

How your gain splits between tax and profit as sale price rises — 50% discount applied

Net gain after CGTEstimated CGT

At your current sale price of $150,000, estimated CGT is $8,125. Effective CGT rate: 16.3% of the capital gain.

Capital gains tax in Australia

How CGT works in Australia

Capital gains tax is not a separate tax — it's part of your income tax. When you sell an asset (shares, investment property, crypto, etc.) for more than you paid, the profit is called a capital gain and is added to your assessable income for that year. You then pay tax on the gain at your marginal rate. CGT only applies to assets acquired after 19 September 1985 (the CGT start date). Personal use assets like cars and your main home are generally exempt.

The 50% CGT discount

If you are an Australian resident individual and you hold an asset for at least 12 months before selling, you can reduce your capital gain by 50% before it is added to your income. This halves your effective CGT rate — a 32.5% marginal rate becomes just 16.25% on the gain. Companies receive no CGT discount; super funds receive a one-third discount. The discount applies to the gain after offsetting any capital losses. Timing the sale to exceed the 12-month threshold is one of the most impactful CGT strategies available.

Capital losses and carry-forward

If you sell an asset for less than your cost base, you make a capital loss. Capital losses cannot be deducted against ordinary income (salary, wages) — they can only offset capital gains. If your losses exceed your gains in a given year, the net loss carries forward indefinitely and can reduce future capital gains. You must apply current-year losses before applying prior-year losses. Unused capital losses are reported in your tax return each year.

Cost base and what you can include

Your cost base is the amount you originally paid plus certain costs associated with acquiring, holding, and disposing of the asset. This includes brokerage fees, legal costs, and stamp duty on acquisition; capital improvements (for property); and real estate agent commissions on sale. Including all eligible costs reduces your capital gain and therefore your tax. For shares, the cost base per share is the average price paid including brokerage. Keep records — the ATO can ask for evidence years later.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 12-month CGT discount and how does it work?: Australian resident individuals who hold an asset for at least 12 months before selling can reduce their capital gain by 50% before it is taxed. For example, a $50,000 gain becomes a $25,000 assessable gain after the discount. At the 32.5% marginal rate, CGT falls from $16,250 to $8,125 — a saving of $8,125 simply by holding longer. The 12-month clock starts on the day after acquisition and ends on the day of sale. Companies do not qualify; self-managed super funds receive a one-third discount instead.
Do I pay CGT when I sell my home?: Generally no. Your principal place of residence (main home) is exempt from CGT if it has been your primary residence for the entire ownership period and you have not used it to produce income. Partial exemption applies if you rented part of it, or if it was not your main residence for part of the period. The exemption also covers up to two hectares of adjacent land. If you sell an investment property, normal CGT rules apply and the 50% discount may reduce your liability.
How does CGT work for shares and ETFs?: When you sell shares or ETF units, any profit is a capital gain. You calculate the gain as the sale proceeds minus the cost base — the original purchase price plus brokerage. If you hold for 12+ months, the 50% discount applies. Dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) shares each have their own cost base and 12-month holding period from the date they were issued. Share traders (who buy and sell frequently as a business) are taxed on trading profits as ordinary income, not CGT.
Is cryptocurrency subject to CGT in Australia?: Yes. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) treats cryptocurrency as property, not currency. Disposing of crypto — selling it, converting it to another coin, or using it to buy goods — is a CGT event. The 50% discount applies if you held the crypto for 12+ months before disposal. Crypto-to-crypto trades are taxable events at the time of the trade, valued in AUD. If you genuinely use crypto for personal transactions under $10,000, personal use asset rules may apply, but investment holdings do not qualify.
What if I have both capital gains and capital losses in the same year?: Capital losses must first be applied against capital gains in the same year before you can apply the CGT discount. This sequencing matters: if you have a $20,000 gain from a 12-month asset and a $5,000 loss, you first reduce the gain to $15,000, then apply the 50% discount to get a $7,500 assessable gain. If you net losses after offsetting gains, the remaining loss carries forward to future years — it does not expire.
Does CGT apply to assets I inherited?: Inherited assets have special CGT rules. If the deceased person acquired the asset after the CGT start date (19 September 1985), you generally inherit the asset at the deceased's cost base and the 12-month clock restarts from the date of death. If the deceased held the asset for 12+ months, you are immediately eligible for the 50% discount when you sell. Assets acquired before the CGT start date (pre-CGT assets) pass to beneficiaries free of CGT at their market value at the date of death.