EOFY CGT Loss Harvesting Calculator Australia

No. Australia has NO formal wash-sale rule in the Income Tax Assessment Act — that is a US concept (IRC §1091). However, ATO Taxpayer Alert TA 2008/7 and Part IVA (general anti-avoidance provisions of the ITAA 1936) can apply if the ONLY purpose of disposing of an asset and re-acquiring it is to obtain a tax benefit. Safer practice: wait for market movement, switch to a similar-but-different exposure (e.g. VAS → IOZ, BHP → RIO), or let enough time pass that commercial considerations are evident.

The Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 s102-5 prescribes the order: (1) capital losses first reduce non-discount capital gains (short-term, held ≤12 months) dollar-for-dollar; (2) any remaining losses then reduce GROSS discount capital gains before the 50% discount is applied; (3) the 50% discount is then applied to what remains; (4) unused losses carry forward indefinitely under s102-10.

Because losses are applied BEFORE the 50% discount on long-held gains. If you have a $10,000 discount gain and $2,000 of fresh losses, the gross gain is reduced to $8,000, and then the 50% discount makes it $4,000 of taxable net capital gain. Without the loss it would have been $5,000. You saved $1,000 of NCG with $2,000 of losses — effectively 50c on the dollar. This is why losses should prioritise short-term (non-discount) gains when possible.

Yes, indefinitely — under s102-10 ITAA 1997. Unused capital losses can only offset future capital gains (not ordinary income). Keep the amount and date on record in your tax return each year, and make sure you account for the loss against the right type of gain (short-term vs discount) in future years.

The contract date, not the settlement date, under s115-25 and TD 2002/10. You need to hold more than 12 months from the acquisition contract date to the day before the disposal contract date. Shares acquired via employee schemes use the date the shares were provided. For inherited assets, the deceased's acquisition date transfers.

The calculator applies the same s102-5 / s115-25 rules to any CGT asset, including property and crypto. Property has additional considerations like the main-residence exemption (s118-110), improvements added to cost base (s110-25), and pre-CGT status for assets acquired before 20 September 1985 — none of which this MVP models. For crypto, Australian CGT applies to disposals including crypto-to-crypto trades (ATO Taxation Determination TD 2014/26).