Estimate pre-reform CGT on shares, ETFs, or investment property for an Australian tax resident. Enter buy and sell details to see the adjusted cost base, gain, discount, and extra tax.
Eligible Australian residents can generally apply the 50% CGT discount after a clear 12-month ownership period. The acquisition day and disposal day are excluded from the test.
Check your dates with the days calculator, which shows the first date that passes the holding test.
The calculator derives the tax year from the disposal date and supports Australian residents for disposals from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027. Later disposals use the legislated CGT reform rules and are routed to the reform calculator.
Planning a sale after 1 July 2027? Use the CGT discount reform calculator to compare selling before the reform against holding under the new cost-base indexation + 30% minimum tax rules.
Amounts that must reduce the cost base, such as Div 43 capital works deductions claimed or claimable on a property acquired after 7.30 pm on 13 May 1997 (ITAA 1997 s 110-45), or a return of capital
Allowable current-year and carried-forward losses, excluding collectable and personal-use losses
Your taxable income excluding this capital gain
2025-26 tax rates, inferred from the disposal date.
Note — Enter other taxable income, including 0, so the tax comparison does not silently assume nil income.
Awaiting input
Enter your asset details and other income to calculate CGT
Capital Gains Tax is not a separate tax in Australia. Instead, when you sell an asset for more than you paid, the profit (capital gain) is added to your assessable income for that financial year. The gain is then taxed at your marginal tax rate.
If you searched for "capital gains tax calculator Australia", "CGT on shares", or "CGT on investment property", this page is built to answer those exact use cases. It lets you estimate the gross gain, apply the discount where available, and see the extra tax created by the sale.
The 50% CGT Discount
Eligible Australian residents generally qualify for the 50% CGT discount after a clear 12-month period. For example, an asset acquired on 2 February first qualifies if the CGT event occurs on or after 3 February the following year.
Example: You buy shares for $10,000 and sell for $30,000 after 14 months.
→Gross capital gain: $20,000
→After 50% discount: $10,000
→This $10,000 is added to your taxable income
→If your marginal rate is 30%, you pay $3,000 in CGT
→Without the discount, you'd pay $6,000
This calculator compares your estimated tax position before and after the capital gain, including applicable LITO and Medicare levy effects for a single taxpayer.
Capital gains tax on property
When calculating CGT on an investment property, the cost base includes more than the purchase price. Eligible acquisition and disposal costs and capital improvements can be included. For a property acquired after 7.30 pm on 13 May 1997 it must also be reduced by Div 43 capital works deductions claimed or claimable (for an older property, only capital works spending after 30 June 1999 is caught; ITAA 1997 s 110-45(1), (1A)). Div 40 depreciating assets are generally dealt with separately rather than added back to the property cost base.
Illustrative property inputs: buy for $500,000 and sell for $700,000 after 3 years.
→Entered eligible acquisition and disposal costs: $30,000
→Gross capital gain: $700,000 − $545,000 = $155,000
→After 50% discount: $77,500
If the property was your principal place of residence (PPOR) for part of the ownership period, only the non-PPOR portion is taxable. Use the PPOR toggle in the calculator above to model partial exemptions.
How income tax rates affect your CGT
Because capital gains are added to your assessable income, the tax rate you pay depends on your marginal tax bracket. Higher-income earners pay more CGT on the same gain.
2026-27 resident marginal-rate reference
Taxable income
Tax rate
Income-tax component after 50% discount
$0 – $18,200
0%
0%
$18,201 – $45,000
15%
7.5%
$45,001 – $135,000
30%
15%
$135,001 – $190,000
37%
18.5%
$190,001+
45%
22.5%
The final column halves the marginal income-tax rate to illustrate the 50% discount. It excludes Medicare levy and tax-offset effects. A large gain can cross brackets, so the calculator uses the before-and-after tax liability instead of multiplying the whole gain by one rate.
The calculator infers the tax year from your disposal date, so an earlier sale is priced on that year's rates. In 2025-26 these bands differed: $18,201 – $45,000 at 16%. Every other band was the same as above.
Not sure when to sell?Browse CGT scenarios to explore different timing strategies.
Common scenarios
Common CGT scenarios
CGT applies to a wide range of asset sales. The most common scenarios Australian taxpayers encounter include:
→Shares and ETFs — Selling listed shares or exchange-traded funds triggers a CGT event. Brokerage on both the buy and sell sides is included in the cost base.
→Investment property — The cost base can include eligible acquisition, disposal and improvement costs, and, for a property acquired after 7.30 pm on 13 May 1997, must be reduced for capital works deductions claimed or claimable (for an older property, only capital works spending after 30 June 1999). Div 40 assets are generally dealt with separately.
→Cryptocurrency — Disposing of crypto (including trading one coin for another) is a CGT event. Use our crypto tax calculator for exchange-specific imports.
→Income-tax component at a flat 30% marginal rate: $2,244
→Income-tax component at a flat 37% marginal rate: $2,768
→These illustrations exclude Medicare levy, offsets and bracket-crossing effects
Capital losses & EOFY harvesting
Capital losses, carry-forward, and EOFY harvest timing
Capital losses cannot offset salary, business income, or other ordinary income (s 102-10 ITAA 1997) — they only offset capital gains. The mechanics matter for EOFY planning: a loss realised before 30 June 2027 can reduce a same-year gain dollar-for-dollar, but a loss realised on 1 July 2027 instead defers the offset to the 2027-28 year. The timing of the disposal is determined by the contract date for property and by the trade date for shares, not the settlement date.
Application order (s 102-15)
→Step 1: Reduce gross capital gains by any current-year capital losses (dollar-for-dollar, before the 50% discount).
→Step 2: Reduce remaining gross capital gains by prior-year carried-forward capital losses.
→Step 3: Apply the 50% CGT discount only to the residual discounted gains.
→Step 4: Net capital gain is added to taxable income at your marginal rate.
The order matters: applying losses BEFORE the 50% discount means a $10,000 loss fully cancels $10,000 of gross gain (avoiding tax on $5,000 of post-discount gain). Applying the loss AFTER the discount would only cancel $5,000 of post-discount gain — half the effective benefit. The ATO's order is fixed; the calculator applies it automatically.
EOFY harvest: If you hold an unrealised loss position alongside a realised gain, a genuine disposal before 30 June can crystallise the loss for current-year offset. The ATO can cancel a tax benefit under Part IVA where a wash-sale arrangement creates a loss while substantially preserving the taxpayer's economic exposure; there is no fixed safe waiting period. Net capital losses carry forward until applied, but only against future capital gains rather than ordinary income.
The ATO treats crypto as a CGT asset, not as foreign currency (TD 2014/25). A disposal triggers a CGT event under s 104-10, and "disposal" includes far more than selling to AUD:
→Selling crypto for AUD — Standard CGT event A1. Capital proceeds = AUD received minus exchange fees.
→Trading one crypto for another — Each trade is two CGT events (disposal of asset A, acquisition of asset B at market value). Stablecoins are not exempt — USDC and AUDC are CGT assets.
→Paying for goods or services with crypto — CGT event on disposal. Capital proceeds = AUD market value of the goods/services received.
→Receiving an airdrop — Ordinary income at AUD market value on receipt date. Cost base for any later disposal is the same market value.
→Staking rewards — Ordinary income at AUD market value on receipt date — even before you withdraw or sell. Cost base for the staked units is set at receipt.
→Lending or DeFi yield — Same as staking — ordinary income on receipt at market value, separate from any later CGT event on disposal.
The 50% CGT discount can apply to eligible crypto disposals after the clear 12-month period, but parcel identification and records matter. The method used must be supported by records identifying the units disposed of and their acquisition details. The personal use asset exemption is narrow: the first element of the cost base must be $10,000 or less and the crypto must be used or kept mainly for personal use or enjoyment, such as buying items for personal use — investment holdings do not qualify merely because crypto can be spent.
For exchange-specific CSV imports, FIFO vs specific-parcel reconciliation, and DeFi-aware staking-vs-disposal split, use the crypto tax calculator.
Small business CGT concessions
Small business CGT concessions — four reliefs worth knowing
If you're selling an active business asset (goodwill, business premises, plant), four CGT concessions in Division 152 ITAA 1997 can stack on top of the 50% discount and eliminate or defer most or all of the remaining gain. The eligibility gate: aggregated annual turnover under $2 million OR net CGT assets of no more than $6 million just before the CGT event (including connected entities and affiliates).
From the 2027-28 income year the 50% active asset reduction alone drops the $2 million turnover test (ITAA 1997 s 152-205(2)): a small business entity with aggregated turnover under $10 million qualifies, while the other three concessions keep the gate above.
→15-year exemption (Subdiv 152-B) — Full CGT exemption if you've held the asset 15+ years, the disposal is in connection with retirement, and you're 55+ (or permanently incapacitated). The gain doesn't even need to be applied against other concessions.
→50% active asset reduction (Subdiv 152-C) — Additional 50% reduction on top of the standard 50% CGT discount — effectively cutting the discounted gain to 25% of the original. Applies to active business assets without the 15-year requirement.
→Retirement exemption (Subdiv 152-D) — Up to $500,000 lifetime exemption per individual. If you're under 55, the exempt amount must be contributed to a complying super fund or RSA; elected as a CGT cap contribution, it does not count towards the non-concessional cap, up to the lifetime CGT cap.
→Rollover relief (Subdiv 152-E) — Defer the gain by acquiring a replacement active asset between 1 year before and 2 years after the CGT event (the Commissioner can extend this). Useful for restructures and intergenerational transfers.
The concessions stack in a specific order: gross gain → 50% CGT discount → 50% active asset reduction → retirement exemption / rollover. A typical sale of a 15-year-held active asset by an individual aged 55+ can result in zero CGT under the 15-year exemption alone, bypassing the other steps. For a younger owner with $400,000 of post-discount gain, retirement exemption + 50% active asset reduction can defer or eliminate the entire amount.
Eligibility is technical — the "active asset test", "connected entity" definitions, and the 80% trading test for shares all have edge cases. This calculator does not model small business concessions. The small business CGT concessions calculator walks through the four reliefs in order with eligibility checks.
Coverage
What this calculator includes
→Capital gain calculation (sale price minus purchase price and costs)
→50% CGT discount for assets held 12 months or longer
→Entered cost-base reductions, including relevant Div 43 amounts
→Allowable current-year and carried-forward capital losses
→ATO loss-before-discount ordering and remaining loss balance
→Main residence (PPOR) exemption for properties
→Single-period partial main-residence exemption
→Home-first-used market-value rule and one 6-year absence period
→Tax comparison before and after the sale
→Additional tax payable from the capital gain
Not included
→Multiple PPOR properties simultaneously
→Multiple absences, floor-area business use, or overlapping-home choices
→Building period rules (4-year construction)
→Trust or company CGT rules — different rates apply
→Optimising losses across multiple gains or collectables
→Changing-residency discount apportionment and foreign resident capital gains withholding
→Inflation indexation method (pre-1999 assets)
→Small business CGT concessions
This is a simplified estimate. Your actual CGT outcome may differ based on your individual circumstances and any other capital gains or losses in the same financial year.
FAQ
What is Capital Gains Tax (CGT)?
CGT is a tax on the profit you make when selling an asset. In Australia, CGT is not a separate tax - the capital gain is added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate. See ATO capital gains tax.
What is the 50% CGT discount?
Eligible Australian residents can generally reduce a capital gain by 50% after a clear 12-month ownership period. The acquisition day and CGT-event day are excluded, so an asset acquired on 2 February first qualifies on 3 February the following year.
How do I calculate my capital gain?
Capital gain is generally capital proceeds minus the adjusted cost base. This calculator adds entered acquisition/disposal costs and capital improvements, then subtracts entered cost-base reductions such as capital works deductions claimed or claimable (for a property acquired after 7.30 pm on 13 May 1997, or capital works spending after 30 June 1999 on an older one; ITAA 1997 s 110-45).
What happens if I make a capital loss?
Capital losses can only be used to offset capital gains, not other income. Enter allowable current-year and carried-forward losses in the calculator; it applies them before the CGT discount and shows any unused balance to carry forward. Collectable and personal-use losses require separate treatment.
Do I pay CGT on my main residence (PPOR)?
Generally no. If the property was your main residence for the entire time you owned it, the full capital gain is exempt from CGT. This is called the main residence exemption or PPOR exemption. See ATO capital gains tax.
What if I lived in the property for only part of the time?
You may be entitled to a partial exemption. A time-based calculation can apply, but if a fully exempt home was first used to produce income after 20 August 1996, the compulsory home-first-used rule can reset its cost base and acquisition date to market value on that day. The calculator includes this input for one continuous absence.
What is the 6-year absence rule?
If you move out of your main residence and rent it out, you may choose to continue treating it as your main residence for up to 6 calendar years during one absence. You generally cannot treat another property as your main residence for the same period, apart from the limited moving-home overlap.
Which financial year's tax rates does the calculator use?
The calculator infers the financial year from the disposal date. For property, use the sale contract date rather than settlement; for listed shares and ETFs, use the trade date.
How much capital gains tax will I pay in Australia?
It depends on the gain, holding period, allowable losses, residency and other taxable income. For eligible pre-reform gains after a clear 12-month period, the 50% discount can apply before the net capital gain is included in taxable income. Use the calculator above for an estimate of the resulting income-tax and Medicare levy change within its stated scope.
Can I use capital losses against my salary or business income?
No. Under s 102-10 ITAA 1997, capital losses can only offset capital gains — never ordinary income such as salary, wages, business income, rental income, or investment income. Unused capital losses carry forward indefinitely until you have future capital gains to apply them against. This is why "loss harvesting" only makes sense when you also have realised or imminent gains in the same year or future years.
How does CGT apply to inherited assets?
Inheritance itself generally does not trigger CGT for the beneficiary, but the later cost base and exemption depend on when the deceased acquired the asset and how it was used. An inherited dwelling can qualify for a main-residence exemption if the statutory conditions are met, including relevant deceased-use conditions and, in some cases, disposal within 2 years. This calculator does not model inherited assets.
What is the wash sale rule in Australia?
The ATO's wash-sale guidance targets arrangements that crystallise a capital loss while the taxpayer retains substantially the same economic exposure, where the tax benefit is the relevant dominant purpose. There is no fixed safe waiting period. Part IVA can cancel the tax benefit, so this calculator does not decide whether an entered loss is allowable.
How will the CGT discount reform from 1 July 2027 affect my planning?
The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026 replaces the flat 50% discount for affected gains accruing from 1 July 2027 with cost-base indexation and a 30% minimum-tax framework, subject to legislated exceptions and transitional rules. This calculator stops at 30 June 2027; use the CGT reform calculator for a later disposal.
Learn more
Learn more about Capital Gains Tax
Understand the rules before you make decisions. Read our plain-English explanations.
Supports disposals from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027. It applies entered allowable losses before the discount, models the clear 12-month test, entered cost-base reductions, and one simplified former-home absence including the s 118-192 market-value rule. Foreign-resident disposals are an approximate estimate that assumes taxable Australian property and foreign residency for the whole ownership period. It does not model post-reform disposals, changing-residency discount apportionment, withholding at settlement, multiple absences, floor-area use, collectables, inherited assets, or loss optimisation across multiple gains.
